It was in December of 2010, and I was visiting my mom and aunt during my college Christmas break. My aunt’s husband at the time wanted to go see the new movie Tron: Legacy. He is a computer security specialist and a fan of the original Tron. The 3D effects and soundtrack by Daft Punk were enough to convince me the movie would be worth my time. So, it was that December when I entered the Grid for the first time in my life. By the time I had walked out of the theater that day, I was completely mesmerized and knew I wanted a 3D TV one day specifically because of that film, and my desire to relive that experience whenever I wanted. I would one day fulfill both dreams, and began voraciously consuming Trontent, or Tron content.
There’s a surprising amount of Trontent for the franchise, having, at the time, only released two films. There would be many false starts and restarts for a sequel to Tron: Legacy, and when it was finally made, nobody but Jeff Bridges would even be a part of it, meaning the sequel to Tron: Legacy will be in name only. That film is now called Tron: Ares, and it’s scheduled to be released on October 10th of this year. While I’m thrilled we’re getting another Tron film, I’m saddened we won’t see the continuation of Sam and Quorra’s story. I mention the Trontent because my desire to consume Grid-based content led me to Bithell Games.
You would be forgiven if you’ve never heard of Bithell Games, as Mike Bithell’s studio is a small studio, with only about 15 employees. Their first foray into licensed content came with John Wick Hex, a tactical role-playing game based on the John Wick movie franchise. This then led them to create a visual novel game for Tron called Tron: Identity, which serves as the first entry in their Tron series of games. Tron: Catalyst, the game we’re here to discuss, is the sequel to Tron: Identity. While it is a sequel, it’s not required that you play it before diving into Tron: Catalyst.
While their first Tron game was a visual novel, Tron: Catalyst is an isometric action-adventure game. Not only do you live on the Grid, but you will take part in every aspect of the Tron universe, including Light Cycles battles, disc battles, and even Light Jet dog-fights. I haven’t been this immersed in a world since GTA V or Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag. I could not put the game down. I chose to play Tron: Catalyst over titles like Mario Kart World and the latest season of Marvel Rivals. It was just that immersive.
The story for Catalyst follows Exo, a courier who is pulled into a cycles-long power struggle on the Grid. While carrying a package, Exo discovers it’s a bomb and throws it away right as it’s about to explode. While the bomb doesn’t end up harming Exo, she is arrested for the action anyhow, and it’s here that your story begins to unfold. The main feature of the game is called a Loop, which is essentially the ability to go back in time, but you still retain all the knowledge and gear you acquired before resetting the timeline. Some might argue it’s underused throughout the game, but I think they did a good job of balancing its power with its drawbacks. Those drawbacks include having to de-rezz baddies and entire rooms of baddies that you’d already de-rezzed once before.
As you dive deeper into your journey, more and more of Grid becomes accessible to Exo. The entire game is about 7-12 hours, depending on the level of difficulty you choose. If you just want to play the game and experience the story without too much pushback or the ability to be de-rezzed easily, then story-driven mode is the choice for you. If you want the normal experience that you’d get from any game, that experience is available. If you’re one of those gamers who opts to challenge themselves on the hardest difficulties, guess what? Yep, you can do that right out of the box. You don’t have to beat the game normally to unlock the harder difficulty; it’s there from the start.
I’ve seen many outlets refer to Tron: Catalyst as a wonderful 7-of-10 game. If you’re not into Tron, I would agree with this assessment. If you’re a Tron fan, then this game absolutely warrants a higher rating. I would personally give it a 9.5-of-10 for Tron-lovers. If you’re just into action-adventure games that come from familiar properties, then you’re still going to enjoy this game. You just may not enjoy as much as someone who thoroughly enjoys the Tron universe and its lore. This game left me wanting a lot more from this same developer. If they created a full-blown 45+ hour full-length title, I might lose myself in the Grid for the rest of my life. That is how much fun I had exploring and playing Tron: Catalyst
In short, buy this game if you love Tron or even just like it a lot. If you’re into action-adventure games and want something cheaper that demands less of your time, I also recommend you give the game a look. This is the best indie game I’ve played in 2025, and I genuinely hope we get a true sequel or even some DLC. My hat is off to Mike Bithell and his team. When they sink their teeth into something, they can turn out a truly magical experience. I’m thankful to have experienced Tron: Catalyst.
BSO Rating: 9.5-of-10 for Tron fans, 8-of-10 for everyone else.
