Summary
- Like their movie counterparts, Tron 2.0 and Tron: Evolution bring human players onto the Grid to enjoy neonpunk adventures.
- The Wachowski sisters developed Enter The Matrix to emulate the iconic action of the movies and provide important context.
- Split Fiction features two authors transported into their stories inside a digital realm.
The concept of a game within a game has evolved significantly since its inception in the 1980s, with some games set entirely in digital worlds to replicate the feeling of being in cyberspace. This evolution is thanks to revolutionary films such as The Matrix and Dark City, which introduced the idea of virtual realities to mainstream audiences.
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8 Enter The Matrix
The Wachowskis Created A Game That Is Important To Matrix Canon
- Developer: Shiny Entertainment
- Release Date: May 14, 2003
- Publisher: Infogrames
- Systems: PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, PC
- Rating: T For Teen
The Matrix franchise made audiences both fear and love the concept of an entirely digital world. The series’ creators, the Wachowski sisters, capitalized on this by developing Enter The Matrix. By choosing either Niobe or Ghost, players engage in a story that is directly linked to the events of The Matrix Reloaded and even clarifies certain scenes and plot points from that movie.
The gameplay closely resembles that of Max Payne, featuring the signature slow-motion ability seen in the films as Niobe and Ghost shoot their way through programs and agents. While it may not be flawless, at the time, it was the only way for fans to immerse themselves in The Matrix in video game form, blending running, shooting, martial arts, and cerebral storytelling into one experience.
7 Saints Row 4
Saving The Human Race As A Digital Superhero
Saints Row 4
- Released
- August 20, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
The original series of Saints Row games got increasingly silly and over-the-top with each entry, and Saints Row 4 is a prime example of that, leaving behind the crime organization aspect. Instead, Saints Row 4 turns the Saints, especially Boss, into superheroes trying to save the people of Earth who are stuck in a virtual reality-like prison.
The change in direction led to a division among Saints Row fans, with some disliking how Saints Row 4 no longer resembled the older games, while others were fond of it. It helps that Saints Row gave players an open world to explore and go wild, thanks to the superpowers that made the Boss feel like a character from Marvel or DC.
6 Tron: Evolution
Programs And Viruses Battle For The Fate Of The Grid
- Developer: Propaganda Games, SuperVillain Studios
- Release Date: November 26, 2010
- Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios
- Systems: PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360, PC
- Rating: T For Teen
Tron helped pave the way for movies like The Matrix, featuring characters in a computer world where Programs are beings with free will and thought. In Tron: Evolution, a Program known as Anon fights a virus known as Abraxas that is corrupting the Grid, resulting in a lot of running, jumping, and riding through a prequel story to Tron: Legacy.
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Tron: Evolution is a simple but fun movie-licensed game that replicates the look of the movie rather well for the Xbox 360/PS3 era, even featuring the film’s soundtrack by Daft Punk. With some fun light cycle chases and hack-and-slash gameplay, it is still one of the best ways for fans of Tron: Legacy to experience the Grid.
5 Superhot
A Puzzle Shooter With A VR Twist
Superhot
- Released
- February 25, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
From an experimental indie title to a massive franchise, Superhot features a protagonist playing a video game that is immersive to a dangerous degree but is addictive to play. Superhot features a unique gameplay mechanic where time only moves when the player does, so it requires forethought and precise movements to complete each scenario.
As the short but sweet campaign progresses, Superhot gets more intense, with more ways for the enigmatic red enemies to execute the player, but the same goes for the reverse. It encourages players to experiment with different items and weapons to use while also uncovering more of the story, which gets more confusing as it goes on.
4 Assassin’s Creed 2
The Animus Is A Virtual Method Of Time Traveling
Assassin's Creed 2
- Released
- November 7, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft
- Platform(s)
- macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Gamers spend so much time in the Assassin’s Creed games as the assassin character that it becomes easy to forget that the story of games like Assassin’s Creed 2 is being experienced through the eyes of the modern day. The Animus is essentially a virtual reality device that allows a person to relive the memories of an ancestor through a simulation.
While the first Assassin’s Creed deserves recognition, most fans suggest that newcomers start with Assassin’s Creed 2. It raised the stakes, created an improved open world, and introduced a memorable and charismatic protagonist in Ezio Auditore da Firenze. Nearly every subsequent title would build upon the stealth and action gameplay of Assassin’s Creed 2, expanding it in various ways.
3 Tron: Identity
There's A Digital Mystery To Solve On The Grid
Tron Identity
- Released
- April 11, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Bithell Games
- Genre(s)
- Visual Novel
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
After a long hiatus, Disney finally continued the Tron universe with Tron: Identity, taking place after the events of Tron: Legacy and showing the Grid dealing with the aftermath of Clu’s death as a detective program known as Query investigating an explosion. It also has elements of visual novels, utilizing a mix of 3D and 2D visuals.
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While it may not be as action-packed as Tron fans may expect from the franchise, it still delivers on the neonpunk atmosphere that Tron: Legacy made such an impact with. Tron: Identity also features the deepest story in the Tron universe, and, while it may be short, it features many alternate branches that can make each playthrough different depending on the player’s choices.
2 Split Fiction
Two Authors, Two Players, And Two Digital Realms Coming Together
Split Fiction
- Released
- March 6, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Hazelight Studios
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
From the same award-winning developers behind A Way Out and It Takes Two, Split Fiction is another co-op adventure, but this time, it is a virtual misadventure that blends two genres. One character is a science fiction author, and the other writes fantasy, and they are stuck inside a machine that is meant to immerse them in their respective worlds, but it glitches.
From beginning to end, Split Fiction feels like a love letter and a parody of pop culture, especially the video game world, as the machine’s malfunctions bring the characters through different worlds. From the little Easter Eggs to the blunt references, Split Fiction goes all out with fan service while still providing an entertaining thrill ride filled with difficult challenges and puzzles.
1 Tron 2.0
The Closest Thing Fans Had To An Official Tron Sequel
Tron 2.0
- Released
- August 26, 2003
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Monolith Productions
- Genre(s)
- FPS
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox (Original)
Before Monolith Productions was shut down in 2025, it made a name for itself with several strong first-person shooters like Tron. 2.0. It was a game that created a sequel story to the original Tron ten years before Tron: Legacy came around, focusing on Alan Bradley’s son, Jet, on his own adventure to save the Grid from a threat.
Tron 2.0 replicates the way the original film looked but expands upon it. It’s pure neon but with all the items and environments meant to look like geometric circuit boards. It has the Identity Discs and light cycles, but it also features new weapons, such as a sniper rifle, shotgun, and SMG to make the action more engaging without losing the Tron-like visuals and sounds.
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