Tetris Effect is a block-dropping arcade-styledpuzzle video game developed by Japanese studios Monstars and Resonair and published by Enhance Games. The game was released worldwide exclusively for thePlayStation 4 on November 9, 2018, and features support for thePlayStation VR. AMicrosoft Windows version, with support forOculus Rift andHTC Vive, was released exclusively on theEpic Games Store on July 23, 2019. A version for theMeta Quest standalone VR headset was released on May 14, 2020.
| Tetris Effect | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) |
|
| Publisher(s) | Enhance Games |
| Director(s) | Takashi Ishihara |
| Producer(s) |
|
| Programmer(s) |
|
| Artist(s) | Takashi Ishihara |
| Composer(s) | Noboru Mutoh |
| Series | Tetris |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 4 Unreal Engine 5 (PS5) |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | November 9, 2018
|
| Genre(s) | Puzzle |
| Mode(s) | Single-player,multiplayer |
The game garnered high praise from critics and was namedGame of the Year by several publications. An enhanced version, namedTetris Effect: Connected, was announced forXbox One,Xbox Series X/S andWindows 10 during Xbox Games Showcase on July 23, 2020, and was released on November 10, 2020. The expansion was made available for existing platforms in August 2021. Versions forNintendo Switch andAmazon Luna were released in October 2021 and August 2022, respectively. APlayStation 5 version, with support for thePlayStation VR2, was released on February 22, 2023.
Gameplay
edit
As in the originalTetris game, the player must placetetrominos into a playfield to create complete lines, which are then cleared from the playfield.Tetris Effect adds themes and music across thirty different stages with gameplay tied to the beat of the music.[1] A new "Zone" mechanic allows players to "stop time", allowing the player to clear more than four lines at once, not possible in conventional Tetris games.[2] The game also includes a meta-game leveling system that leads to new challenges for players as they progress.[1][3]
Development
editTetris Effect has been in development since 2012, and is inspired by thephenomenon of the same name, where after playingTetris for a long period of time, players would continue to see fallingTetris blocks for some time after quitting the game. Co-producerTetsuya Mizuguchi had wanted for many years to produce a music-based game aroundTetris, but its licensing had been held byElectronic Arts, making it difficult to use. Around 2012, Mizuguchi began discussing withHenk Rogers, the founder ofThe Tetris Company which now owns the rights toTetris, about developing a version ofTetris set to music with a "zone" that players would achieve while playing, leading to the start of the game's development.[3] The game was released on November 9, 2018 onPlayStation 4 compatible with thePlayStation VR headset.[4] AMicrosoft Windows version, with support forOculus Rift andHTC Vive VR systems, launched exclusively on theEpic Games Store July 23, 2019,[5][6] followed byOculus Quest on May 14, 2020.[7]
Connected
editA version forXbox Series X/S,Xbox One andWindows 10 via theMicrosoft Store was announced on July 23, 2020. TitledTetris Effect: Connected, it was released on November 10, 2020 and was also made available toXbox Game Pass subscribers at launch. This version includes a new cooperative multiplayer mode, as well as the new competitive mode that pays homage to the first console versions of Tetris with its simplified visual style and stricter rules similar to those used during theClassic Tetris World Championship.[8][9]Connected was released onSteam on August 18, 2021, and was made available as the free multiplayer expansion for existing PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR, Epic Game Store and Oculus Quest versions on the same day.[10] TheNintendo Switch port was released on October 8, 2021, the same day the console’s OLED model was released.[11]
A physical release ofConnected forXbox Series X/S,PlayStation 4 andNintendo Switch produced byLimited Run Games was made available for preorder on June 17, 2022 and preorders ended on July 31, 2022.[12] The game was made available forAmazon Luna on August 26, 2022.[13] APlayStation 5 version of the game was released on February 22, 2023. It was also upgraded toUnreal Engine 5 to take advantage of thePlayStation VR2.
Music
editTetris Effect utilizes a vast array of songs alongside its visuals, all of which were original compositions by Hydelic.[14] The original soundtrack released in 2020,[15] and to coincide with the updated release withConnected, an additional album was released in 2021.[16]
| No. | Title | Usage | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Connected (Yours Forever) [In-Game Mix]" | The Deep | 5:27 |
| 2. | "Next Chapter" | Pharaoh's Code | 4:41 |
| 3. | "Pulse" | Karma Wheel | 3:05 |
| 4. | "Joy" | Jellyfish Chorus | 4:20 |
| 5. | "Bright Shadow" | Da Vinci | 4:15 |
| 6. | "Spring Field" | Prayer Circles | 5:19 |
| 7. | "Flames" | Ritual Passion | 4:08 |
| 8. | "Lunar Discourse" | Deserted | 5:41 |
| 9. | "You and I" | Dolphin Surf | 6:28 |
| 10. | "City Lights" | Downtown Jazz | 2:30 |
| 11. | "New Beginnings" | Spirit Canyon | 3:38 |
| 12. | "Temptation" | Jeweled Veil | 5:06 |
| 13. | "Boscage" | Forest Dawn | 3:54 |
| 14. | "3 Senses" | Kaleidoscope | 2:52 |
| 15. | "Around Me" | Turtle Dreams | 3:02 |
| 16. | "All Nations" | Celebration | 5:32 |
| 17. | "Moments" | Sunset Breeze | 4:07 |
| 18. | "Snows" | Aurora Peak | 3:37 |
| 19. | "Unfold" | Zen Blossoms | 3:38 |
| 20. | "Chains" | Yin & Yang | 4:03 |
| 21. | "'Aumakua" | Hula Soul | 3:28 |
| 22. | "Secrets" | Starfall | 4:09 |
| 23. | "Look Up" | Balloon High | 4:13 |
| 24. | "World of Colors (In-Game Mix)" | Mermaid Cove | 3:30 |
| 25. | "Hometown" | Orbit | 4:06 |
| 26. | "So They Say" | Stratosphere (Night) | 3:22 |
| 27. | "Here" | Stratosphere (Evening) | 3:59 |
| 28. | "Like Never Before" | Stratosphere (Day) | 5:23 |
| 29. | "Always Been but Never Dreamed" | Metamorphosis | 4:21 |
| 30. | "World of Colors" | (Full Release) | 3:03 |
| 31. | "Connected (Yours Forever)" | (Journey Credits) | 4:21 |
| 32. | "Morning Star" | Space Sprint | 5:57 |
| 33. | "Two of Us" | Gilded Horizon | 3:17 |
| 34. | "Walls" | Mandala | 8:02 |
| 35. | "Drowning Valley" | Rebirth | 4:53 |
| 36. | "Hope" | Rose Horizon | 3:02 |
| 37. | "Deep Dream" | Playlist: Sea | 3:16 |
| 38. | "All on You" | Playlist: Wind | 3:21 |
| 39. | "Lion Garden" | Playlist: World | 3:40 |
| 40. | "Mind Echoes" | Space Race | 5:09 |
| No. | Title | Usage | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Connected (Yours Forever) [Acoustic Mix]" | Tetris Effect Connected Announce Trailer (Nintendo Switch) | 2:06 |
| 2. | "Connected (Yours Forever) [Obvious Sky Mix]" | Tetris Effect Connected Announce Trailer | 4:50 |
| 3. | "Pusher" | Connected Area 2 | 5:09 |
| 4. | "Midnight Sky" | Connected Area 3 | 3:44 |
| 5. | "Roses" | Connected Area 4 | 5:17 |
| 6. | "Into the Darkness" | Connected Area 5 | 6:03 |
| 7. | "Falls" | Zone Battle | 5:21 |
| 8. | "Deserve" | Score Attack | 4:00 |
| 9. | "1989, Pt. 2" | Classic Score Attack | 5:06 |
| 10. | "Midnight Sky (Moon Lounge Mix)" | (Full Release) | 3:07 |
| 11. | "1984" | 1984 | 3:51 |
Reception
edit| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | (NS) 94/100[17] (PC) 90/100[18] (PS4) 89/100[19] (PS5) 93/100[20] (XONE) 80/100[21] (XSXS) 88/100[22] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| 4Players | 78/100[23] |
| Destructoid | 9.5/10[24] |
| Edge | 9/10[25] |
| Eurogamer | Essential[26] |
| Game Informer | 9/10[27] |
| GameRevolution | 3/5[28] |
| GameSpot | 9/10[29] |
| Giant Bomb |  [30] |
| Hardcore Gamer | 4.5/5[31] |
| IGN | 8.5/10[32] |
| Jeuxvideo.com | 17/20[33] |
| PlayStation Official Magazine – UK | 10/10[34] |
| Polygon | Recommended[35] |
| Shacknews | 9/10[36] |
| USgamer | 4/5[37] |
Upon launch day,Tetris Effect was met with "critical acclaim"[18][19] with many critics praising new game modes, the soundtrack, the visuals, and VR integration, with some critics calling it as a fitting love letter toTetris.[38]
The game won the award for "Best VR/AR Game" at the 2018Game Critics Awards.[39] It was nominated for the same category atThe Game Awards 2018,[40] and won both the Coney Island Dreamland Award for Best Virtual Reality Game and the Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game at the New York Game Awards.[41][42] TheAcademy of Interactive Arts & Sciences also nominatedTetris Effect for "Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition" at the22nd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.[43] The game won the awards for "Game, Puzzle" and "Original Light Mix Score, Franchise" at the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards, whereas its other nomination was for "Graphics, Technical".[44][45] It also won the award for "Excellence in Musical Score" at theSXSW Gaming Awards, whereas its other nomination was for "Excellence in SFX";[46][47] in addition, it was nominated for "Best Audio", the "Innovation Award", and "Best VR/AR Game" at theGame Developers Choice Awards,[48] for "Best Interactive Score" at the 2019 G.A.N.G. Awards,[49] and for "Audio Achievement" and "Music" at the15th British Academy Games Awards,[50] and won the award for "Best Audio" at theDevelop:Star Awards.[51][52] The game was also nominated for "Best Audio", "Best VR/AR Game", and "PlayStation Game of the Year" at the 2019Golden Joystick Awards.[53] During the24th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards in April 2021, theAcademy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated theConnected version for "Online Game of the Year".[54]
Eurogamer namedTetris Effect its game of the year for 2018, writing "It's a game of utter purity, a contemporary take on a timeless classic, and a genuinely inspiring and uplifting experience. It doesn't care about the zeitgeist, because it is, in itself, the history and the future of video games rolled into one. It's Tetris Effect."[26] The game was also deemed the best game of 2018 byGiant Bomb.[55]
Tetris Effect sold 4,372 units in Japan during its first week of release.[56]
Notes
edit- ^Development on theConnected version
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