Tetris Effect

 

Game Pass Game of the Week

Number 3. April 18 2021

Tetris is one of the earliest games I can remember playing. Other than Solitaire, it's probably the first PC game that I played. Well, that is, if you don't count games that ran on the Commodore 64. Tetris has been around for so long that it seems silly to describe it or write about it. And yet in 2018 the game was given a new lease on life with the release of Tetris Effect. Now you can play it on Game Pass.

If by some odd chance that you have never heard of, or encountered Tetris, it is a puzzle game. The player rotates and places pieces of varying shapes to fill a line. The pieces drop from the top of a box. The goal is to continue playing as long as possible by preventing pieces from stacking to the top of the box. As the game progresses, the pieces drop faster until they come at a frantic pace. The game is simple to learn and is positively addictive.

Tetris Effect has been a popular and highly rated game since its' introduction. It builds on traditional Tetris in a couple of interesting ways. First, it adds a competitive mode where players can play head to head. Certain moves will transfer your pieces to your opponent, making it more than "who can last the longest". For the single player, there are two modes, Journey and Effect. In Journey mode you play a regular game of Tetris in stages that increase in difficulty. Effect mode has a series of special games that emphasize combinations, or speed, or some other variation on the game. In one version you play upside down which is surprisingly hard.

The sound design is a key aspect of the game. Each stage in Journey or Effect has special music and background graphics. The songs are surprisingly good and have a social depth that you would not expect in a puzzle game.

What I like

I should start by admitting that I love Tetris. I always have. I loved it as a crude eight bit graphic running on my VGA monitor. And I still love it in HD on my console. The game is addictive. It's oddly challenging and relaxing at the same time. At the end of the day it's just Tetris, but then that's what makes it so great.

I like the variety of the game play. In addition to the Journey mode, there are thirteen effect games. Journey mode has twenty-seven  stages. Effect mode's thirteen modes are broken into four groups: classic, relax, focus, and adventurous. For a simple game that drops pieces in of only seven shapes, the variations to choose from is incredible.

I also enjoy the sound design. I played Tetris Effect for hours through my television's speakers. I found the music charming, but didn't appreciate its' quality until I put on the headphones. I never would have imagined that a game that is nearly forty years old would have amazing sound. If you play this game, do yourself a favor and put on a decent pair of headphones.

What is just Ok

At the end of the day, it is just Tetris. Sure, I love Tetris, but it is, well, Tetris. As such, and regardless of the variety of modes available, the game does get repetitive. 

What I am not crazy about

I find the background graphics a little distracting. The backgrounds have motion that will distract your attention and will affect your focus on the puzzles. Worse yet, the colors often blend onto the game-board making it hard to see the pieces, especially the queue for the next piece.

All in all

I love Tetris and I love this version of it. I have been playing the game on and off for decades and this version is by far my favorite. For me, Tetris is a great way to wind  down after blasting through some fast paced shooter. Sure, Tetris can get very fast and very challenging, but even so retains a relaxed mellow feel. This is one of those games that should always stay on your console for those times when you don't want stress in your gaming.