Kragg
10-12-2010, 09:20 AM
Title: Tron Evolution
Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, DS and PC.
Platform Previewed: Xbox 360
Developer: Propaganda Games (http://propagandagames.go.com/)
Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios (http://disney.go.com/disneyinteractivestudios/)
Release Date: December 7, 2010
Writer: Ben 'kragg' Daniels
Tron Evolution NYCC Preview
While struggling through the crowded aisles at New York Comic Con 2010, we eventually made it over to the surprisingly well hidden Disney booth where they were showcasing TRON Evolution. We had a chance to talk with Propaganda Games about their new offering for the Xbox 360 and PS3 and got a hands on preview of the game in all its electric blue glory.
http://evavhost.com/i/reviews/tron-p1.jpg
TRON Evolution has been designed from the ground up as an integral piece of the TRON universe. It effectively sits between the original film and the new movie TRON Legacy to create a trilogy. Evolution takes place between the two films and so is set in the mid-1990’s. It also provides a darker tone than the movies and is considered the “Empire Strikes Back” going by the canon. In the game you play a character who is effectively Tron 2.0; created by Flynn himself to investigate why a virus is beginning to run amok and infect the isolated world that Flynn created after the end of the first movie. While there is no concrete info on Jeff Bridges or the Daft Punk-created soundtrack, Propaganda explained to us that the script for Evolution was written simultaneously with Legacy, with the goal of making sure the stories had very heavy cohesion. In fact, the collector’s edition of the game will include two tickets to TRON Legacy!
From the first few minutes I played the game, it was apparent that this was not a typical movie tie-in cash grab. The game looks fantastic. The hub areas of Evolution are busy digital cityscapes similar to GTA 4, with NPC’s wandering around, and a general hustle and bustle. Environments were well constructed and careful attention has been paid to the details of color pallets and architectural design. This is important because parkour plays a major role in moving around the world. It is all free form, which was challenging to get the hang of at first, along with some issues of the camera being overly touchy, but once you got moving the character animations and flow of movement were impressive. Digital trails of bits appeared to guide me as I ran and jumped through the electronic terrain. Parkour is also useful in combat against virus AI, utilizing advanced techniques to dodge and maneuver around enemies, and running along energized wall plates to recharge your discs.
http://evavhost.com/i/reviews/tron-p2.jpg
Speaking of, what would TRON be without flying discs? You wield an arsenal of different discs that can be modified and upgraded including standard, bomb discs, and electroshock variants. Each disc type can be used in multiple ways in conjunction with unlockable combos similar to God of War. TRON Evolution is full of options, upgrades and different load outs to customize your character.
These customizations are key, because the game also has some incredibly ambitious ideas for multiplayer. Propaganda’s idealized vision is that Evolution will fall into the “e-sport” category. Therefore, they are creating a large number of multiplayer variants that require team strategies similar to an MMO. “Tanks”, “stealth units” and different “builds” can be setup to bring different strengths to a teams strategy. Another novel concept is that “no player is left behind”, and all the experience and unlocks from the single player campaign carry over to your multiplayer experience. The sheer amount of moves and combos felt slightly overwhelming, so if Propaganda manages to pull this off, they could have an impressively deep competitive online offering.
In the twenty minutes or so that we played before being accosted by hardcore Tron fans and having the controller literally grabbed at, we were only able to see a very short demo of one of the vehicles. The light cycles and light tanks both make an appearance, but we only saw the tank for a short bit. We were assured they will play a large role in the single and online play though. A few beta glitches and issues aside, Evolution looks like an impressive entry into the 3rd person action genre this holiday season, and even more so if you are TRON fan.
http://evavhost.com/i/reviews/tron-p3.jpg
Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, DS and PC.
Platform Previewed: Xbox 360
Developer: Propaganda Games (http://propagandagames.go.com/)
Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios (http://disney.go.com/disneyinteractivestudios/)
Release Date: December 7, 2010
Writer: Ben 'kragg' Daniels
Tron Evolution NYCC Preview
While struggling through the crowded aisles at New York Comic Con 2010, we eventually made it over to the surprisingly well hidden Disney booth where they were showcasing TRON Evolution. We had a chance to talk with Propaganda Games about their new offering for the Xbox 360 and PS3 and got a hands on preview of the game in all its electric blue glory.
http://evavhost.com/i/reviews/tron-p1.jpg
TRON Evolution has been designed from the ground up as an integral piece of the TRON universe. It effectively sits between the original film and the new movie TRON Legacy to create a trilogy. Evolution takes place between the two films and so is set in the mid-1990’s. It also provides a darker tone than the movies and is considered the “Empire Strikes Back” going by the canon. In the game you play a character who is effectively Tron 2.0; created by Flynn himself to investigate why a virus is beginning to run amok and infect the isolated world that Flynn created after the end of the first movie. While there is no concrete info on Jeff Bridges or the Daft Punk-created soundtrack, Propaganda explained to us that the script for Evolution was written simultaneously with Legacy, with the goal of making sure the stories had very heavy cohesion. In fact, the collector’s edition of the game will include two tickets to TRON Legacy!
From the first few minutes I played the game, it was apparent that this was not a typical movie tie-in cash grab. The game looks fantastic. The hub areas of Evolution are busy digital cityscapes similar to GTA 4, with NPC’s wandering around, and a general hustle and bustle. Environments were well constructed and careful attention has been paid to the details of color pallets and architectural design. This is important because parkour plays a major role in moving around the world. It is all free form, which was challenging to get the hang of at first, along with some issues of the camera being overly touchy, but once you got moving the character animations and flow of movement were impressive. Digital trails of bits appeared to guide me as I ran and jumped through the electronic terrain. Parkour is also useful in combat against virus AI, utilizing advanced techniques to dodge and maneuver around enemies, and running along energized wall plates to recharge your discs.
http://evavhost.com/i/reviews/tron-p2.jpg
Speaking of, what would TRON be without flying discs? You wield an arsenal of different discs that can be modified and upgraded including standard, bomb discs, and electroshock variants. Each disc type can be used in multiple ways in conjunction with unlockable combos similar to God of War. TRON Evolution is full of options, upgrades and different load outs to customize your character.
These customizations are key, because the game also has some incredibly ambitious ideas for multiplayer. Propaganda’s idealized vision is that Evolution will fall into the “e-sport” category. Therefore, they are creating a large number of multiplayer variants that require team strategies similar to an MMO. “Tanks”, “stealth units” and different “builds” can be setup to bring different strengths to a teams strategy. Another novel concept is that “no player is left behind”, and all the experience and unlocks from the single player campaign carry over to your multiplayer experience. The sheer amount of moves and combos felt slightly overwhelming, so if Propaganda manages to pull this off, they could have an impressively deep competitive online offering.
In the twenty minutes or so that we played before being accosted by hardcore Tron fans and having the controller literally grabbed at, we were only able to see a very short demo of one of the vehicles. The light cycles and light tanks both make an appearance, but we only saw the tank for a short bit. We were assured they will play a large role in the single and online play though. A few beta glitches and issues aside, Evolution looks like an impressive entry into the 3rd person action genre this holiday season, and even more so if you are TRON fan.
http://evavhost.com/i/reviews/tron-p3.jpg