Tron: Identity Review

ign.com:

Despite its origins as a 1982 film about a video game-inspired world inside a computer, Disney’s Tronfranchise doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to game adaptations in the post-arcade era. Bithell Games, the studio behind minimalist indie darlings like Thomas Was Alone and Volume, aims to change that with the release of its first collaboration with the house of mouse, Tron: Identity. Part visual novel, part hard-boiled detective story, Tron: Identity is a gorgeous new take on life on the Grid — even if its plot raises more questions than it answers.

Advances in technology since 1982 (the year the first film was released) have made that life more complicated, and Bithell Games’ vision reflects that. Some programs have begun to challenge their original programming, going outside the scope of what their users intended. Protagonist Query, a detective on a new case, is at such a crossroads in Tron: Identity. As a member of the Disciples of Tron, Query’s job is to go where he’s told and seek the truth without interfering, but this philosophy is repeatedly tested as the mystery unfolds.

The story begins when Query arrives at the Repository, a secure building in the center of the Grid. As Query, you’re sent to investigate an explosion in the Repository’s vault, though the details of the crime are shrouded in mystery. The entire story takes place throughout a few set locations within the building, and the cast consists of just six characters in addition to Query. Throughout the night, Query interacts with these denizens of the Repository, and how much information he extracts depends largely on whether or not your dialogue choices and actions earn their trust and respect. By the end of the night, you’ll have solved at