According to the review aggregator
Metacritic, the album received "universal acclaim" based on a
weighted average score of 81 out of 100 from 9 critics. The artistry was the subject of critical commentary.
Rolling Stones Jon Dolan characterized the album as '80s-inspired, synth-based, minimalistic, and industrial rock, inspired by the
David Bowie album
Low (1977). Dolan said the artistry on songs like "Building Better Worlds" and "Empathetic Trust" reflected the "
dystopian creepiness" of the film's premise of AI beings being introduced to humanity for the first time.
Sputnikmusics Raul Stanciu also wrote of the album's 80s influence, commenting on the relative inactivity of the band in recent times—given Reznor and Ross's success in film scores—and the application of the brand to this score.
AllMusics Neil Z. Yeung wrote that the techno-synth sensibilities brought to mind a cybernetically enhanced
John Carpenter and followed well from Daft Punk's score, with the themes of desire and tension bringing a humanistic physicality to the album.
Kerrang!s George Garner said that the balance of aggression and tranquility, something common in Nine Inch Nails's work, had been done—in a rare instance—with consistency owing to its context as a film score.
Consequences Liz Shannon Miller framed their appraisal around the legacy of Carlos's and Daft Punk's prior scores, considered key aspects of the franchise;
Pitchforks Sadie Sartini Garner echoed this sentiment, stating that the legacy of the franchise's music applied to this installment. Miller praised the artistic range of the instrumental score tracks, the emotion, and posited that, even if the film faded into general irrelevance like the prior installments, Nine Inch Nails had made a score that would endure just as the priors did.
(pictured), received praise from reviewers. Critics commented on the recorded songs for the album. Dolan said "As Alive as You Need Me to Be" was "black gold" akin to old-school works by the band, and wrote highly of the lyrics and artistry; Yeung lauded the lead single as the clear standout and a "jolt" of an addition to other singles in the band's catalogue. Stanciu characterized it as "infectious, dancefloor-ready", and straightforward, a representative summary of the overall goal for the soundtrack.
Stereogums Tom Breihan wrote that the lead single "genuinely kicks ass", and
Pitchforks Garner characterized the vocoder refrain of the repeated "yeahs" as "truly ridiculous". Dolan felt "Who Wants to Live Forever?" was "dejectedly gorgeous" and that Spanish singer
Judeline's assist to Reznor's "forlorn moan-croon" was, for Judeline's part, lovely and understated; Yeung wrote Reznor's vulnerability "soars" on "Who Wants to Live Forever?", alongside the harmony with Judeline;
Pitchforks Garner called it "the best" of the four vocal tracks and "among the most affecting and approachable [songs] Reznor has ever written", praising the "tender, quivering duet" Reznor had with Judeline.
Kerrang!s Garner said it was so affecting it could make the listener contemplate their own
mortality, finding the track "gorgeous" and Judeline's duet "haunting" and graceful, and Stanciu considered that song a highlight, praising Reznor's tenderness and Judeline's soothing delivery, feeling it was overall lovely and touching. Dolan felt "I Know You Can Feel It" was 90s-inspired
grunge and
trip-hop; Stanciu agreed with the trip-hop appraisal, feeling it created a thrilling feeling, and Miller speculated on the meaning of the lyrics "The moment it begins" from "I Know You Can Feel It", not knowing what scene it accompanied in the narrative due to the album releasing and being reviewed three weeks before the release of the film—they wrote this was not a standout track. Critics commented on the instrumental pieces of the score. Dolan wrote that the score was akin to the "beatless abstract bleakness" of the band's albums
Ghosts V: Together and
Ghosts VI: Locusts (both 2020), with
Tron: Aress droning synths, whirrs, and buzzes akin to the futurism of the score of the 1982 film. They said "Echoes" and "Infiltrator" were some of the best material on the album, and that they were nice twists on the "human hunger and android angst" long present in Reznor's work. Yeung characterized these instrumentals as categorical in either resembling
Ghosts or another Reznor-Ross score—or analogous to
The Slip (2008) or
Hesitation Marks (2013). They pointed out the uses of the motif established in "As Alive as You Need Me to Be" in the dance club vibe of "Infiltrator" and the darkness of "Target Identified". Stanciu wrote that the these tracks presented distinct themes or set "atmospheric soundscapes" for the film. Breihan wrote of tracks on the album that brought to mind
Carlos's score for the opening scene of
A Clockwork Orange (1971), and wrote that they found the "interstitial mood-music" on the record cool.
Pitchforks Garner cited "100% Expendable" as sounding similar to
A Clockwork Orange, and Miller likewise wrote that the style of "Building Better Worlds" sounded like the score for the opening scene of that film. Several critics commented on the 5:1 ratio of compositions to vocal songs. Yeung summarized the ratio with "...there are plenty of instrumental moments on
Tron: Ares that are just begging for vocals in a more fleshed-out version." Stanciu similarly pointed out the lack of vocals, and suggested that the four songs with vocals would have been suitable as an
EP by itself. == Track listing ==