Old-school Tetris is a simple experience you can easily play for hours on end, and the effect it has on your subconscious can actually lead to you “playing” it involuntarily in your head after setting the controller down. This phenomenon is the inspiration for Tetris Effect,a bizarre take on the classic puzzler coming to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR later this year.
Rather than take place on a basic 2D plane like the majority of Tetris spinoffs, Tetris Effect puts you in a living world that changes based on how you’re playing. This includes everything from music and backgrounds changing to the game pieces shimmering or dancing, all in perfect timing to the music.
“From deep beneath the ocean to the furthest reaches of outer space and everywhere in between, Tetris Effect‘s 30-plus stages take players on a wondrous, emotional journey through the universe,” said developer Enhance Games in a press release. “The core of the game is still Tetris — one of the most popular puzzle games of all time — but like you’ve never seen it, heard it, or felt it before.”
Enhance Games is the company behind titles like Rez Infinite and Lumines Remastered. CEO Tetsuya Mizuguchi also produced Meteos while at Q Entertainmentfor Nintendo DS.
The areas shown off in the trailer largely focus on space and underwater environments, but this won’t be all you’ll find in Tetris Effect. The game’s official website also includes images of a gorgeous snowy forest, with snowflakes falling in front of the game board as you set the pieces.
Tetris Effect includes popular modes like Marathon, Sprint, and Ultra, and additional modes will be announced before the game’s launch. It also includes “Zone,” an ability that allows players to stop time to keep themselves from losing a game, or to get some extra points.
In addition to traditional play on a television — it will run at 4K and 60 frames per second on a PS4 Pro — Tetris Effect will be playable via PlayStation VR. This will let you see the environments in 3D, though it probably will also increase your chance of playing games in your sleep.
Tetris Effect comes to PS4 and PSVR this fall. A demo will be released prior to launch and the game will be playable at E3 next week.
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