My TRON 2.0 Review for the CRPG Book Project

[TronFAQ]

I've mentioned working on this before, but it’s finally done and has been accepted. My review of TRON 2.0 for the CRPG Book project!

http://crpgbook.wordpress.com/about-the-project/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Doing the review has had an impact on the amount of time I could spend working on mod projects, up until now. (Part of why the next version of the Killer App Mod is taking so long.) But there was simply no way I could turn down the offer to write it.

I felt it was an extremely important opportunity, especially since my review will be in the same company as those written by people who are luminaries in game development or the gaming press. Such as Chris Avellone (Fallout 2, Planescape: Torment, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II, Fallout: New Vegas), Peter “Durante” Thoman (of DSFix fame), George Weidman (Super Bunnyhop), Jason Scott (Internet Archive), and more.

I want to thank the curator/editor of the book, Felipe Pepe, for being patient with me. It took a long time to write, and I kept making endless revisions to the review. (Which was originally much longer, but had to be edited down to fit into two pages. So I had to pick and choose, which points about the game were the most important to address.)

http://twitter.com/felipepepe/status/713157546689839105" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[TronFAQ]

The 4th preview of the CRPG Book Project has just been released, containing over 200 reviews in the space of 350 pages!

http://crpgbook.wordpress.com/2016/06/0 ... h-release/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Debuting in this release of the book is my TRON 2.0 review, which can be found on page 194. Let me know what you think of my review, and the book overall!


The CRPG Book Project is a non-profit digital book in .PDF form, that aims to review as many classic and modern Computer Role-Playing Games (CRPGs) as possible. With emphasis on accuracy (development history and game mechanics), and finding reviewers who are knowledgeable and passionate about the game titles that they review.

The book will likely be printed and see a physical release when it’s completed in 2017. But the digital version will always remain online and free to download.

TRON 2.0 qualified for inclusion in the book, because it’s a First-Person Shooter/Role-Playing Game hybrid, featuring light RPG elements such as experience points, character progression, “inventory” management, and skill and “equipment” upgrades (subroutines).

I think this is a fantastic project. It’s great that there are people like Felipe Pepe, and the other contributors to the book: who want to keep an accurate account of each game title’s place in history, and who know each game they’re reviewing inside and out.

[TronFAQ]

As I've mentioned before: a couple of years ago, I was invited to write a TRON 2.0 review for a book.

It’s named the CRPG Book Project, and its first complete release debuted today.

https://crpgbook.wordpress.com/2018/02/ ... -released/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

An incredible resource, it covers CRPGs (Computer Role-Playing Games) dating as far back as the early 1970s, all the way up to today’s modern titles. It reviews, and preserves the history of, over 400 games.

The CRPG Book Project is a non-profit digital book, that aims to review as many classic and modern CRPGs as possible. With emphasis on accuracy (development history and game mechanics), and finding reviewers who are knowledgeable and passionate about the game titles that they review.

A printed physical hard copy version of the book is being looked into, which would be sold at cost, since this is a non-profit endeavor. But for now, you can download this 528 page book in .PDF form completely for free!

Read up on over 400 games, in one convenient, attractive package. It covers a great many influential, noteworthy, and even overlooked titles. With some reviews written by game journalists, or even the game developers themselves.

You’ll find ones from luminaries in game development or the gaming press, such as: Chris Avellone (Fallout 2, Planescape: Torment, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II, Fallout: New Vegas), Peter “Durante” Thoman (of DSFix fame), George Weidman (Super Bunnyhop), and Jason Scott (Internet Archive), etc. in addition to my own review.

TRON 2.0 qualified for inclusion in the book, because it’s a First-Person Shooter/Role-Playing Game hybrid, featuring light RPG elements such as experience points, character progression, “inventory” management, and skill and “equipment” upgrades (subroutines).

My TRON 2.0 review can be found on page 318 of the book.

Again, I’d like to thank the curator/editor of the book, Felipe Pepe, for being patient with me. It took a long time to write, and I kept making endless revisions to the review. (Which was originally much longer, but had to be edited down to fit into two pages. So I had to pick and choose, which points about the game were the most important to address.)

http://twitter.com/felipepepe/status/713157546689839105" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Jizaboz]

I keep forgetting to check this out!

Looks like the PDF download is unavailable for now but there's probably a copy floating around somewhere.

(From download section on https://crpgbook.wordpress.com/2018/02/ ... -released/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

The book is temporary unavailable while we prepare the hardcover version. Thank you for understanding.

[TronFAQ]

Unfortunately, as part of the deal to get a physical hard copy version of the book printed, the creator of the CRPG Book had to temporarily take down the digital version.

After the book has been published and on sale for a while, he'll be allowed to put the digital version back online for download.

[TronFAQ]

The CRPG Book – which I contributed to, in the form of a review of TRON 2.0 – will finally be receiving a printed physical copy in early 2019!

https://www.bitmapbooks.co.uk/blogs/new ... ying-games" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you have any interest in the history of the CRPG (Computer Role Playing Game) genre of video games, you should at least check out the free online .PDF version of the book when it becomes available. But the physical version of the book will be released first. The project is non-profit, and all proceeds from sales of the physical book will go to charity.

As it turns out, a lot of people were against the inclusion of TRON 2.0 in the CRPG Book, because they don’t consider it a “true” CRPG. But it does actually fit the definition of a CRPG. So I’m thankful to the creator of the book, Felipe Pepe, for including it. TRON 2.0 deserves to be remembered.

[TronFAQ]

Since many were opposed to TRON 2.0 being in the CRPG Book: I went through a checklist created by the site RPGWatch, and wrote up a long, boring post.

https://ldso-tron.tumblr.com/post/17995 ... 9952678705" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Is TRON 2.0 a CRPG, even by one of the strictest definitions? The conclusion is, yes!

[Daddyo]

That'll be a fun book to go through. I plan to buy a copy. Are text adventure games like Zork in there?

[TronFAQ]

Are text adventure games like Zork in there?

Nope. The Zork titles are considered pure adventure games, so unfortunately they won't be reviewed in the book. They're only briefly mentioned in reviews of other CRPG games (that were inspired by Zork).

But there's a lot of history about CRPGs, dating all the way back to the early 1970s. The discussion about the old PLATO games is particularly interesting.