PlayStation has announced Tetris Effect, a PS4 and PSVR game developed by Lumines designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi and developer Enhance Games. It’s the first of five game announcements to be revealed as part of PlayStation’s Countdown to E3 2018 lineup. It will be a modern and updated take on the legendary and iconic puzzle game Tetris, with its name being derived from a psychological phenomenon.
The Tetris Effect, or Tetris Syndrome, happens when people play so much of a game and it starts appearing in their thoughts, mental images, and even dreams. Its name is taken from the original Tetris game. For example, some may start hallucinating of falling Tetris blocks as they go to sleep or start imagining how to stack a bunch of boxes they see on the street so that they fit each other.
According to PlayStation Blog, PSVR support is optional, as even players who only own a PS4 can still fully experience the game. Impressively, it goes up to 4K and 60 fps on the PS4 Pro. Mizuguchi said that everything we see in the trailer has been taken directly from the in-game assets. For the first time ever in a Tetris game, the brand new “Zone” mechanic allows players to stop time and get out of hopeless game-over situations.
There will be over 30 different unique stages, each with its own music and visuals. Veteran gamers will appreciate the fact that fan-favorite Tetris modes like Marathon, Sprint, and Ultra will be included in Tetris Effect. Remember the old days of competing for that precious high score? All of that returns with a player grading and leveling system, as well as various difficulty levels to choose from.
More details and information about Tetris Effect will be revealed at E3 2018 next week and throughout the summer. Lucky E3 2018 attendees will be able to actually play a demo of the game on the show floor. Tetris Effect is slated to be released for the PS4 and PSVR sometime during Fall 2018.
