Tetris® Effect: Connected

i love this game so much bro holy crap. you need to give this a shot even if you aren't the biggest tetris fan.

This is the best video game.

Don’t take me too seriously, I just had to get that out. It’s hard to even write about this one.

It’s Tetris and I mean that as the highest compliment- I’m inclined to agree with some that Tetris as a game is fundamentally perfect.

This series is about overcoming challenge. Given the context in which Tetris originally became popular, that’s baked into its history, beyond its gameplay. Effect distils this to turn Tetris into a game about life, which is full of challenges. It’s thematically relevant to its gameplay and reflective of the series, serving as all of a celebration of Tetris, of life (on multiple scales) and as a perfect match to its gameplay.

Of course, that gameplay in itself is wonderfully responsive and tight, with a great number and variety of modes. It must also be a challenge to add much of substance to Tetris, but over the years I’ve found new modes in new entries incredibly engaging, as they encourage thinking about Tetriminos in different ways.

Effect does not buck this trend- all its modes have a distinct appeal and clearly encourage practicing different skills such as downstacking, while steadily escalating (both naturally as the game speeds up and given specific challenges, such as more difficult layouts in the Combo and Target modes). I could nitpick about how much I would love to see here- as in, I would never get tired having more- but ultimately I don’t feel as though anything is missing.

Effect is a game that feels so overwhelmingly complete in what it wants to offer, in all its fundamentally perfect gameplay, thematic conceit and the emotional impact of its themes. Its philosophy on life is inspiring, deeply thought out and beautifully conveyed. There are multiple visual motifs up for interpretation, expanded on in thematically linked stages, leading up to one of the greatest finales in gaming. The greatest points the game has on life cover unity, ambition and personal growth and frame the world beautifully.

The Deep is an incredible introduction. Deserted is a microcosm of the game’s themes. Dolphin Surf is perfectly invigorating. Metamorphosis makes me tear up every time. Those are just my favorites. Every stage also has you become part of the game as your inputs go along with the music: it’s all connected. You’re part of it too. It’s just beautiful.

It isn’t just conducive to the gameplay, I viscerally feel this game in a way I don’t with any other: maybe after twenty years of playing, Tetris is just so baked into me that I can stew in the vibes, maybe a lot of it is to do with how Tetris is proven as so effective in soothing trauma, but this game is undoubtedly magnificent. I don’t think anything can be literally perfect, but think this is as close as any video game has gotten.

Stop reading this. Go play.

I played this before back when it was on Game Pass, but having it on my Steam Deck makes it the perfect game to play on the train when I'm going between where I live and where my partner is getting her PhD a few hours away. I haven’t wanted to marathon through the campaign (if you can call it that), nor have I sought to get high scores on each mode (I know I’m not a Tetris pro and will never pretend otherwise), but it’s perfect to throw on a pair of headphones and vibe out to the amazing soundtrack and visuals for what is almost certainly the best version of Tetris out there. My train rides fly by when I was playing this.

Game doesn't work correctly on multi-monitor displays. If trying to play on anything but the monitor this app reads as the first monitor it'll fail to read the resolution correctly and set it to 480p with no way to change it. Scaling doesn't work correctly in app with any monitor aspect out larger than 16:9 either. You can't even just put it windowed on the first monitor then move the window because the "Window" setting still forces itself to be a borderless window. If you don't have the most basic of computer setups, don't bother with this title since the developers couldn't be asked to make the app correctly.

I've never been a Tetris player. Before this game, the total amount of time I had spent playing Tetris in my life was probably less than 5 hours. The VR aspect looked intriguing and mesmerizing, so I decided to give it a go.

Here we are 100 hours later. It's an excellent game both in and out of VR (which is great, since I've since given up on VR thanks to SteamVR becoming unusable trash). The music is excellent, and other than multiplayer always using the same few tracks, has great variety. The music, visuals, and gameplay are all integrated together in a really pleasing way, and all of the graphical effects are beautifully done.

The game is stable and has few issues aside from the online multiplayer acting up a bit sometimes.

It goes on sale for 50% off very regularly, I'd absolutely recommend anyone to purchase it when it's on sale. Even if you don't think you care about Tetris :)

Great soundtrack
Timeless gameplay
Excellent ambience
Single player campaing better enjoyed while high.
Ranked multiplayer
Online functionality and crossplay

The best, most beautiful version of Tetris ever made. The music, the visuals, the variety- it's exhilarating while also endlessly therapeutic. It also looks STUNNING on the Steam Deck OLED and HDR displays. Forever a place to help process the world inside your mind.

RTX Tetris

But really, everything you'd expect from modern Tetris, plus the zone mechanic, make this a good addition to anyone's library. There's also classic (NES I think) Tetris, and a bunch of other modes too. The campaign does a good job to show the fancy graphics. All game modes are available offline, and you can play with friends locally, no internet connection required. It's futureproofed so that even if the servers are shut down, you can still enjoy all playable content this game has to offer (that's how I unlocked the Tetrimidon connected VS boss).

Also, the soundtrack is nice, mostly electronic music, but also some other genres too. If you're streaming and want to play it as background music, Enhance seems fine with it, or at least that's what the website says.

Immersive, great visuals, reactive music, zone mechanic is nice, variety of modes, multiplayer's fun.

If you're looking for a Tetris title, you can't go wrong with this one.
10/10

This game really makes you feel like your playing Tetris but with more Effects, while your monitor/VR headset/TV is Connected to your PC/console. 8/10.

Tetris combined with an amazing soundtrack that reacts to your play. Lots of gamemodes, online competitive and coop modes. And beautiful, beautiful visuals. Please play this on the fanciest screen you own.

So it's Tetris but with fancy visual and sound effects, right? Yeah, it is, but Tetris Effect is so much more than just that.

It's a statement on the ubiquity of Tetris and the universality of its experience, that effortlessly transcends languages, generations and cultures. It's a tribute to the simple and ingenious design of Tetris gameplay loop, augmented with the power of modern hardware and a deepened understanding of game design that occurred since 1985. It's a guide to achieving a Zen-like state of mind when reality fades into the background and your mind is absolutely absorbed in the task of finding the right spot to put the next block as quick as possible. It's a philosophy of unity and self-improvement and a testament to our shared humanity, backed by a multiplayer experience that puts it all into practice. It's a scientifically optimised dopamine generator and a superb brain exercise. It's a transcendent interactive audiovisual experience with evocative visuals, captivating music and a great sense of rhythm and flow.

I love so much about this game. I love using it to kick start my brain in the morning. I love playing it on my Steam Deck when travelling. I love playing it with my friends. I could write even more lengthy paragraphs like this one, but let me just tell you about one thing I find genius about it. It's the seemingly useless experience bar and levelling system that doesn't change anything about the gameplay itself. What it measures is your actual skill and it's surprisingly effective at it. The blocks don't fall slower as you level up, the margin of error is exactly the same, yet somehow revisiting early stages that used to make you sweat and panic is now a victory run. You have practised, you have learned to see shapes and patterns better, you developed muscle memory, you learned tricks, you learned to improvise. You've improved, you know it and it makes you more confident.

Tetris is timeless, it will live on past our life-spans. It will be played way into the future, be it in a glorious space age, a dystopian nightmare or in shoddy saloons of a post-apocalyptic wasteland. It will keep bringing people together, giving them joy and prompting them to self-improve. Tetris Effect is definitely not the final iteration of the classic formula, but it's currently the most advanced, polished, accessible and addictive way to be a part of the Tetris journey started almost 40 years ago by Alexey Pajitnov. Tetris Effect is more than a sum of its parts, it sends out a powerful message of humanity and hope.

This game is amazing, simply wonderful. I first glimpsed this game on the PS4 and was like "Oh neat, Tetris got a visual overhaul. Wait a minute it's forty dollars?!" I'd played Tetris before so I just completely ignored it after the sticker shock, Years later after I made the switch to PC I saw it again on discount. So I played it and was shocked again by it.
This game is a joy to the ears and a visual feast besides. Every stage (yes, stage) has a different song attached to it and reacts to you placing pieces and clearing lines. As you clear lines and get closer to beating the stage the music and background changes. The campaign is diverse and surprisingly long with three difficulty choices to play them through. Easy, medium and expert. The difficulty decides how many lines you need to clear and how fast the pieces drop.
Aside from the campaign there are several different modes to play through. All of the usual suspects are here. Marathon, sprint, endless, etc. There are some oddball ones too like mystery. Mystery is a mode where the goal is to reach 150 lines cleared, but periodically a randomizer will be inflicted upon you and you'll just have to deal with it. For example fragmented blocks, bombs that destroy everything within the blast radius unless you clear the line it's on, the camera zooming in on the field, lines being jumbled around, not being allowed to hold pieces, not being allowed to see what pieces are coming next, freakishly large pieces. And my least favorite of all:
screen flip.

TL;DR this game is very good. However as much as I love it I'd wait for a sale. Yeah, it's good but 40 is still pretty steep for Tetris even if it's good.

After three years it should be cheaper, but besides the price the game itself is good.

"What if Tetris focused entirely on presentation?" was never a question I had asked before. I'm happy to report that the answer is that it's actually really good! The visuals and music are both excellent and respond to your gameplay very well. There's a good variety of levels and some of them get pretty intense. I haven't tried the extended modes yet but it's hard to go wrong with this gameplay, so focusing on aesthetics makes a strong package.

It's hard to call a game "perfect" but this is definitely very close

It has that tetris gameplay everyone is familiar with but combined so perfectly with music, along with a bunch of different modes, themes and relaxing music

It's one of those games I always come back to for a quick play session now and then and anyone who likes anything remotely tetris should own this game

It's Tetris on 🍄 and with amazing ☮️ music to chill out.

Price is a bit expansive, but worth it on 50% off sale!

One of my favorite ways to experience Tetris. The environments are amazing, the music is astounding. It's really beautiful. And playing in VR is on a whole different level. The feeling of flying in orbit to just watching the environment come to life around you is just something you have to experience yourself to understand.

Really great game with a unique time stop mechanic to make massive attacks, BUT for fuck sakes make sure you use ethernet since the net code seems to be very wierd when it comes to wifi networks. I have played on my campus (which has Wifi 6) and even on my 5G hotspot it DCs way to often. My opponent freezes or glitches out and everything dies so be sure to use ethernet

My first Tetris funny enough and it was so worth it. Great visuals and music and tons of fun replayability with tons of gamemodes to choose from but also to chill in-game and in VR as well.

A fun twist on Tetris as we all know it with a variety of different gamemodes. Whether you like modern or classic Tetris, there's something here for everyone to enjoy. Multiplayer makes it especially fun. Recommended!

The visual effects are way too much, I'm only 35 and it was needlessly hard to see anything on the screen without squinting. Guess I don't like the gimmick.

Beautiful visuals and hours of fun. This game is timeless after all.

Cool game but definitely not worth 40 bucks. I got it on sale for 50% off and it still feels like such a short game for the price! Most of the cost must've gone into the music budget, which is absolutely awesome to be fair. Nobody plays multiplayer from what I can tell

i got washed 10 times in a row in online matches

journey mode is fun

great game. i enjoy

This is by far one of the most addictive and trippy things I've ever played in my life with an incredible soundtrack and an outstanding atmosphere in the art and graphics. This was not at all what I was expecting. Strangely enough, it took full advantage of my brother's ATMOS surround sound system and his 4K HDR resolution and color depth at his house, too. Even on my meager 1080p resolution on a GTX970m and simple 5.1 surround (using headphones), I'm still floored by it! I highly recommend this--especially recommended playing in the dark... but be warned, there are a LOT of fast moving and flashing graphics, so be aware of that if you're prone to epilepsy. I LOVE this game!

If anyone shall ever tell you that video games don't count as art

Direct them to this game

Pure emotion, art, and fun.

10/10

The definitive way to play Tetris + excellent multiplayer "battle Tetris". If you like Tetris buy this without regret!

a game that immerses you not as a player, but as a human being, and reshapes your understanding of the world around us. a connection to nature and the universe itself

It's gorgeous and has so much sauce. Controls are tight and with tons of options, and it's Unreal Engine and runs on ancient and modern machines.

The multiplayer community is still thriving. I can't recommend it enough to you if you like tetris - and the zone mechanic is SO MUCH FUN both in singleplayer and in multiplayer.

Terrible game.

It is IMPOSSIBLE onlime. the mechanics dont make sense. I have been playing Tetris over 30 years this zone shit is awful. Worst version of tetris ever. Only good single player

Chill music, tons of game modes, and a very fun VR setting that drops you right into the setting. The one thing that takes some getting used to is the Zone mode, which is a "power" that stops time and allows you to clear as many lines as you can beyond just a Tetris.

Also, this is coming from a horribly intermediate player, for you more technical players, I don't know what they did, but they seem to have nerfed the 4-wide somehow. I mean, you could still set up for it, but it doesn't work as well as it does in Puyo Puyo Tetris. So, if that was a concern for you, give Tetris Effect a try!

What I'm curious about is if the Classic mode works just like the old-school NES version. (For those of you who don't know, the Classic Tetris lore goes deep.)

But anyway, I come back every once in a while whenever I just want to relax.

it's a great tetris game, if anything, the best you can buy in current times.
if you're not experienced with tetris and want a relaxing game, you should buy this game
if you are experienced with tetris, you should also buy this game,
if you hate tetris, buy this game anyways, it'll change your mind :)
TLDR: buy the game, it's good
bassbook approved

i have no idea what the game mode is or what a zone is i am just playing tetris i like placing the blocks

I never play Tetris and never really like puzzle game, but until now I get really hooked up for the first time.

Very relaxing and beautiful Tetris experience. Pop some earbuds in for even more of an experience. Tetris Effect is even more stunning in VR.

I am usually not good at most Tetris games because the pieces speeding up over time make me nervous and I start making stupid mistakes, but, there's a chill mode in this where the pieces don't speed up and you don't gameover. Which is great for those who are like me, or aren't good at Tetris or puzzle games, or just want a relaxing experience.

Without a doubt, I'd say this is the best Tetris game I've ever played, and I fully recommend it. The soundtrack and visuals are absolutely amazing.

It's Tetris but with bright lights, pretty colors as well as dynamic and beautiful music. What's not to like?

Good Tetris game :3
Splendid visual and sound design.
Feels really good to play.

Tetris with a modern twist and an awesome soundtrack!

This is one of the best tetris games ever made for sure. Only thing I wish is that it was a bit more customizable when it comes to local coop and marathon. Music selections would be nice, such as classic themes. I realize that was not the point of this game, but this game does have the opportunity to be the greatest tetris game ever made. I think Tetris Forever is going to dominate this game. But you should still buy this.

for some causal tetris that will blow your mind with the visuals its an A+++ easy recommend especially if you wanna have a trip in vr

I first played this in VR and i was blown away by the graphics, and while the immersion is not as great on a screen i still love the visuals, music and game play, the way the game speeds up together with the music is a great difficulty modifier and made the game more challenging as someone who has played a lot of tetris. The "zone" mode is a cool addition, even though i am not good enough to get a high level of -tris.

the ending song and visuals are probably my favorites in this game and made me weirdly emotional.