#bithell games

Today, I finally finished Tron: Catalyst (I've been busy, okay?). This happened the day after Bithell Games announced that they're laying off the majority of their staff, because they've been "unable to secure a new larger scale project".

Aside from of course feeling bad for the people being laid off, as a Tron fan it also made me think "oh no, it's happening again". Catalyst ends on a cliffhanger, very much suggesting that the intent was to continue the story of the Arc Grid in another game. But the announcement from Bithell definitely makes me worry that we will never see that game, the ending to the story, or at least that it won't be anywhere in the near future.

And we've been here before, haven't we? Tron 2.0 ended on a cliffhanger, but we never got a sequel to that (not even in comic form). The first season of Tron: Uprising ended on a cliffhanger, and we never got a second season, or even the promised final episode of the first season. Tron: Legacy might have some story threads wrapped up in Tron: Ares, but if so, we sure had to wait a good long while.

I know I've joked about it before, but it truly seems that the hallmark of an official Tron story is that it ends up being unfinished, with fascinating concepts and plot threads dangling in the wind.

TRON: Catalyst Release Date Trailer

Big Fan Games and Bithell Games' TRON: Catalyst introduces a new story into Disney's Tron universe. Exo is a resourceful program that has a power known as the Glitch, which the Arq Grid's overlords seek to control.

For any unaware, the game is a semi-open world action game played from a top down isometric perspective similar to Ruiner & Supergiant’s Hades series. Those examples also apply to the gameplay mechanics in particular where fights are hectic & swift encounters of strikes, parries & Identity Disc tossing.

Premise & plot wise (very low spoilers), the game is set within the continuity of Bithell’s previous Tron project: Tron Identity - a mystery solving puzzle + visual novel/adventure game. Despite that however, Tron Catalyst doesn’t require having played Tron Identity previously. In Tron Catalyst you play Exo, a courier program who gets caught up in a serious conspiracy when one of her deliveries explodes nearly derezzing Exo at the same time. Though she survived, the question of her delivery puts major suspicion on her, landing her in the hands of the ruthless security programs gripping nearly the entire Grid in their fist. Aided by the discovery of Exo’s sudden ability to rewind time seeming caused by the strange contents of the exploded package she endured, she manages to escape incarceration and must search the Grid for answers all while being a hunted program.

As I mentioned before, combat in Tron Catalyst is definitely hectic in the same ways as Hades (less overwhelming enemy hordes but still) with the addition of a parry mechanic. So far the parry has been hard for me to proc however there is an upgrade to increase the window which I’m saving points for.

Disc combat is genuinely fun IMO especially with the inclusion of abilities to recall it, ping it off of multiple enemies & parry it on return to smack it back at enemies again.

The plot & VA work are also great so far with the central mystery being earnestly intriguing.

As far as gripes with the game, though I don’t mind the camera distance too much so far, I honestly absolutely see why others might be unable to stand it. If the functionality can be patched in, I truly feel that the devs definitely should prioritize including an option to zoom in or a handful of locked zoom distances for players to choose from.

Overall, I’m personally definitely hooked on Tron Catalyst & don’t regret buying it if for no other reason than being a fan of Tron, Bithell Games & Devolver Digital makes me happy to support the whole. I genuinely feel that any fans of Tron in particular should at least check the game out through some YouTube gameplay vids since sadly, like with so many other games these days, the demo was axed once the game proper launched.

://defrag_QUERY  run_IDENTITYPROG  neo_noir.exe, executable//  begin program? y/n

After a couple of months rollin' dice in Revachol, we're back to card games on stream, and we're bringing in a dystopian twist on the old desktop PC classic!

Bithell Games has announced TRON: Identity, a visual novel set in the world of TRON. It will launch for PC via Steam in 2023.

Here is an overview of the game, via its Steam page:

About

In a new Grid, forgotten by its creator and left alone to evolve without User intervention, an unprecedented crime has been committed. The Repository stands at the center of this society. In the aftermath of a break-in, the future of this Grid hangs in the balance.

TRON: Identity is a visual novel adventure following Query, a detective program tasked with uncovering the mystery of what was taken and by whom. Finding yourself in a world built on unstable foundations and filled with whispered knowledge, it’s up to you to question suspects and investigate your surroundings to piece together the truth.

The decisions you make will actively influence the story, with a multitude of possible outcomes, good and bad – all depending on your carefully chosen words. You’ll interact with a number of intriguing characters, and decide whether to ally with them, spurn them, or even derezz them. However you choose to deal with them, you’ll need to recover their lost memories in your search for answers, puzzling your way through defragging Identity Discs. The world of TRON is growing, and your adventure is the seed.

Key Features

A New Extension of the TRON Franchise – Unlock a never-before-seen server filled with new, original programs to join forces with or oppose.

Beautiful, Hand-Crafted Character Art – Watch the story come to life through detailed, uniquely designed characters.

Rich World-Building and Storytelling – In a brand-new Grid with its own nuanced structure, there is much to discover about the programs and places around you.

Reveal Memories – The truth of the case is hidden in the Identity Discs of those around you. Defrag their Discs to navigate the complex path to a solution in these unique puzzles.

One Mystery, Many Endings – Your choices will determine the outcome you see, with a protagonist that lets you take the reins and doesn’t corner you into one approach.

Developed by the Award-Winning Team Behind Thomas Was Alone and Subsurface Circular – Brought to you by a team steeped in sci-fi stories, we are incredibly excited to share this game with you.

Watch the announcement trailer below. View the first screenshots at the gallery.

Announce Trailer