Tetris set to music and light that react to every move, with a stage-based Journey, Effect modes and cross-platform co-op and versus, playable in VR on Quest, PC and PS VR2.
Tetris Effect: Connected is a puzzle game with deep rhythm ties, developed by Monstars, Resonair and Stage Games and published by Enhance. It expands Tetris Effect, which launched on PS4 and PlayStation VR in November 2018. Connected first released on Xbox and Windows on November 10, 2020, without VR. The VR-capable versions followed on Quest, SteamVR and PS4 on August 18, 2021, and on PS5 with PlayStation VR2 on February 22, 2023.
How it plays
The rules are classic Tetris, but the music, backgrounds, sounds and effects, and even the pieces themselves, pulse and change in time with how you play. Journey Mode is a campaign through themed stages, and four Effect Modes offer other challenges. The Zone lets you stop time for a moment to clear extra lines.
Connected adds cross-platform multiplayer. In the Connected mode three players link their boards to fight AI-controlled bosses, while Zone Battle, Score Attack and Classic Score Attack are competitive. In VR the effects surround you; on PS VR2 you can enter the Zone by closing and opening your eyes, using eye tracking.
Comfort
Meta rates it comfortable. You sit still and play with a gamepad or motion controllers, so there is no artificial movement. VR is optional on PC and PlayStation.
What to know before buying
- It lists for $29.99 on the Meta Horizon Store and $39.99 on the PlayStation Store, where the listing covers PS4 and PS5. It is also on Steam, and on Xbox, Switch and the Epic Games Store without VR.
- On Quest it runs on Quest 2, Quest 3, Quest 3S and Quest Pro.
- It has a single-player campaign plus online co-op and versus; PlayStation online play needs PS Plus.
- It is rated PEGI 3 (ESRB Everyone). Text is in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish and Chinese, with more languages on PlayStation.
