New Tron: Evolution Trailer Gives a Behind the Scenes Look at the Creative Process

Game Rant

By GR Staff

Published Sep 10, 2010

We all know the sad truth about video games based on movies: they're in it for the money. Could Tron: Evolution be the first game that actually gets it right?

Here we get to cover a bit of hopeful news for the gaming industry at large; the new trailer for Disney Interactive's Tron: Evolution proves that videogame adaptations of movie properties don't have to be pale imitations. The gaming community at large has become wise to the movie studios' repeated attempts to capitalize on a film's buzz by fooling gamers into buying terrible games. It's sadly become true that most movie videogames are not good, and even in the best of times, are never on par with independently developed properties.

But now we have a look at the game's developers, the movie's producers, and even a cast member speaking about the stories and experiences of both the film and the game being developed side-by-side. Could this really be the case, and not just another simple marketing ploy by the studio? See for yourself:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_avBIk4o6SA

I love seeing this stuff and hearing respected storytellers and artists recognize their counterparts in game design. I wish more studios would take the opportunity to use a game to not just make money off of a movie experience, but actually contribute to it. Maybe the fact that the game is being released before the film is causing both studios to see the game as a chance to draw people into seeing the movie, rather than making money off those who already have.

In any case, the gameplay in the trailer will still probably leave people on the fence. After our first look at the gameplay, I had hoped that with more time the glimpses we got would show a much more polished, layered game world and this video delivers on that. The combat, traversal, and lightcycle racing all look a lot closer to a finished product and hopefully that trend will continue.

After my recent time spent with Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, my appetite for a third-person brawler has definitely been peaked, and some of that game's coolest parts were doing their best to imitate the look that Tron: Evolution apparently already has. Add an identity-disc to that combat? I'm in.

Will this game live up to its name and change the way movie properties are developed into games? We'll have to wait and see when Tron: Evolution drops on Dec.7th for the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PSP, and PC. Until then, forward all comments to Master Control.