TRON RUN/r Review

Fans of endless runner games are in for a treat with Disney Interactive Studios’ TRON RUN/r. Although this game may have been suited better as a phone app on the iOS store, where games like Temple Run have had their fair share of success, rather than a straight to console game and the price is hefty for what is essentially just a runner, TRON RUN/r brings something else to the table.

The core gameplay is what you would expect for what it is. You, as a runner, aim to get from the start of the stage to the finish which is what a player would want from this genre, it’s simple and it does what it needs to. With wall running, gliding, enemies, ‘bits’ to collect and all sorts of obstacles this game keeps the player on their toes, with something that is a lot more than a simple start to finish formula. Gamers need quick reflexes and response time with this game so if fast and intense is your cup of tea, this could be a game worth playing.

If you’re familiar with Disney’s TRON universe, then you can anticipate the look and feel of the game by just knowing the name. It’s futuristic and brightly coloured with robotic voice overs and techno music to really immerse you into the world. While the use of such bright, neon colours do blend well with what the game is trying to be it was a bit much. The quick pace of the running and the constant movement of up and down and side to side make the game almost vomit-inducing at some points and it can make it difficult to play for a long period of time. It felt like there was too much going on onscreen at one time that it wasn’t fun to play after a few levels. However, those colours are one of the main focal points of the TRON universe, and to discredit the game because of them wouldn’t be fair, as honestly Disney has merely kept true to the world by including them in such a way.

The sound effects and soundtrack throughout the game were absolutely great. The voice over that accompanied the game was appropriate and worked very well through the levels, the subtle and quiet but equally noticeable machine sounds on the menu were entertaining to listen to and were often part of some sort of animation that was happening on screen so they weren’t thrown in randomly. The music was up tempo, techno and intense, making the levels just that more immersive and fun to play.

The game is £11.99 on the PlayStation store, so it’s obvious as to why this game might be a questionable purchase if you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into or if you’re not too interested in runners. The price maybe shouldn’t be as high as it is, and is probably only that high because the developer is Disney and branded with a well-known universe. However, there are quite a lot of levels for you to get stuck into and three different game types (‘Tron City’ – the basic runner, ‘Whiteout’ – time trial and ‘Stream’ – endless survival) so it could be argued that you get your money’s worth.

If you’re new to runners, maybe start with a cheap or free phone app like Temple Run, but if you’re a gamer who enjoys the fun of a runner, it’s definitely worth buying.

REVIEW CODE: A complimentary Sony Playstation 4 code was provided to Bonus Stage for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to press@4gn.co.uk.