Tron 2.0

Man, even if Tron 2.0��s gameplay turns out to be sub-par, one can��t help but be entranced by the bold art direction where the game world is awash in glowing (literally) colors. Thankfully, after some more time with a playable build, Tron 2.0 continues to look and play impressively well.

In fact, I can honestly say that after playing the first few levels in a new build, we stand behind the optimism from our January 2003 cover story. The weapons remain the same from our previous reports for the most part. The most impressive addition is the Prankster bit, which resembles a purple missile. It��s not merely some explosive rocket; upon impact, it creates a black hole that sucks enemy programs into it.

Tinkering around with the subroutines feels both flexible on-the-fly and very playable. If you feel sneaky you can load up the Fuzzy Signature subroutine to mask your footsteps. Other times, just load up armor subroutines and Primitive Damage to increase melee prowess, and start brawling. Or use the newly implemented Power Block, where you use your Disc to reflect enemy shots back at them��at the ��gold�� state, it��s capable of one-shot kills.

Last time behind the wheel, the lightcycles were still being prototyped, and at this point, there��s now a full-on lightcycle circuit. Modeled after Gran Turismo, the lightcycle circuit consists of 16 different tracks that get unlocked via the single-player story, and serves as a great little diversion from the main game.

The Discs of Tron multiplayer mode is also up and running. It does a good job of feeling more like a sport than a traditional deathmatch. Tactics go beyond ��hit your opponent��; for example, in the default arena, you can destroy your opponent��s platforms, restricting his mobility��just like in the movie. In another arena, you can hit colored switches on the walls that will make platforms of that same color disappear as well; it��s possible to continually alter the landscape and force your opponent into a literal corner.

My only concern at this point is the lightcycle camera, which takes some getting used to. It��s either locked, which makes every turn very jarring as the camera stays behind the lightcycle, or I have it on manual control but keep on forgetting to move the camera. Those lightcycle races sure can be intimidating. In the build I played, it took me a while just to get used to playing on the practice mode. Personal driving issues aside, Tron 2.0 looks to be on track for its August release.

Copyright © 2003 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Computer Gaming World.