Developers of movie tie-in games can please fans (and, yes, critics) if they give them a separate story that goes beyond a mere retelling of the film. "Tron: Evolution," while not a thrilling game, succeeds because the story has been set in between the original 1980s film and the present-day sequel. It helps bring players up to speed on what's happened since we last hung out with Kevin Flynn in the Grid.

You play as Anon, the system monitor Flynn has created. Most of the action involves free running, just hauling from one place to the next in acrobatic leaps and glides across spans and along walls when there is no floor to run on. The game is similar to the 2007 EA offering "Mirror's Edge," but with a third-person perspective.

With a powerful light disc in hand, Anon doesn't face a serious threat from anyone in the game, which makes the fighting (and the occasional puzzle-solving) thin in terms of challenge.

Unlike the popular "Tron" arcade game back in the day, "Evolution" fails to deliver on some classic "Tron" elements. Light cycle and light tank battles are present, yes, but they don't offer the tension and excitement they should. The visuals are what viewers would expect, but they suffer from repetitiveness as you progress.

I wasn't the biggest "Tron" fan when I was a kid, but returning to the Grid in my adult years has been exciting. While it's not the game I was hoping for, "Tron: Evolution" does a good job of bringing Flynn's Arcade into the 21st century. At the least, gamers can enjoy it as a weekend rental.

CHRIS CAMPBELL, Scripps Howard News Service