Tron: Identity Review

The Grid awaits once more with the release of Bithell Games’ Tron: Identity, a visual novel set in the long-running Tron universe. Should players set out to explore this never-before-seen server, or is it better to skip this trip?

Tron: Identity Review

Unlike the movies, Tron: Identity has players taking control of Query, a Disciple of Tron that always seeks out the truth. After getting a call with little context, they make a trip to the Repository and quickly learn that Prinz’s Vault has been robbed. However, this is more than just a mere robbery – the explosion from the proceedings has caused memory loss and other problems throughout the area.

From there, players will explore the Repository’s Vault, Library, Admin Office, Landing Pad, and other spots. There are different guards, prisoners, librarians, thieves, and others that can be interacted with, and Query gradually gets to know each one through a typical visual novel-style format with the occasional menu traversal.

One of the key ways players can help players regain their memories is through the defragmentation card minigame. In a nutshell, players drag cards around to knock out others to reduce the card count to the right amount. It’s color-coded and fairly rudimentary, but there are wrinkles like blocker errors introduced as players progress and it serves as a nice respite from the waves of dialog. If all else fails, the AI can step in momentarily for the wet work – or they can be skipped altogether from the menu.

Tron: Identity features a lot of reading without much variation – at least at first glance. Much like the Telltale Games series of titles, key outcomes are in your hands as players gather information and begin to learn more about what happened. Also like Telltale Games, the title will conveniently let you know when there’s a major junction due to one’s decisions.

It’s just a shame that this system is skin deep. This isn’t a sc-fi epic; it’s a fairly linear mystery that can be finished in less than two hours. While one can also make Investigation Choices that observe different elements of the environment, there’s only a handful of characters and places one will traverse. Things are telegraphed to an extreme black and white degree, leading to the heaviest of moments feeling heavy-handed.

Ultimately Tron: Identity is a victim of its short length. If the title had more characters to interact with, more places to explore, more points to investigate, and more worldbuilding, the already great atmosphere would have been even more absorbing. As a result, this gaming snack feels like it should have been more of a meal.

Tron: Identity’s mystery has a strong foundation, but there’s just not enough meat on the bone. There’s a lack of places to go and people to see; this rendition of The Grid looks the part, but it ends up being too one-dimensional due to its short length.

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