Let me start this off by saying I am a huge Tetris fan. I like Tetris probably a little too much. My love for the game got so bad at a stage that it was outlawed in my house because I wasn’t getting around to doing all the important stuff one needs to do in life and instead you could find me, somewhere in a corner, desperately trying to beat the next high score.
So it’s no surprise that the very first game I went into when I got the PlayStation VR 2 was Tetris Effect: Connected and not because I thought it would make a cool VR game or that I expected to be blown away but just because it was Tetriis. The rest was just a bonus.
Now I’m not going to waste anyone’s time explaining what Tetris is. You either already know, or you don’t in which case you need to stop reading right now and go find the game and play it then you can come back. What I will say is that Tetris Effect: Connected for the PSVR2 is the absolute best way to play Tetris. Without a doubt.
If the name sounds at all familiar to you it’s because Tetris Effect first debuted in 2018 and it blew minds. It took everything that fans of the game loved about Tetris and put it into a visually stunning and responsive virtual world. Then just a few years later, Tetris Effect: Connected was released.
Essentially it was the same as the VR-exclusive Tetris Effect but made available to regular players for the very first time. The one big addition to this port was a multiplayer mode that let players team up to take on bosses or fight against each other.
Now with the release of Tetris Effect: Connected for the PSVR 2, they’ve taken all these additional modes players fell in love with while still retaining the visually stunning effects to bring you a game that’s impossible not to appreciate, even if Tetris isn’t for you.
Firstly, Tetris Effect: Connected is mind-blowingly great. The amount of particles and effects and responsiveness that engulfs all your senses is hard to explain and something that really should be experienced. Sure, it’s just Tetris, but it’s also the best possible version of Tetris around – with some cool add-ons for returning players, to sweeten the pot.
One of these great new additions is that the PSVR 2 tracks your eye movement so you can initiate Zone mode by closing your eyes. This feature takes a while to get used to, and closing your eyes goes against all prior Tetris training, but once it clicks it’s the most natural yet futuristic feeling and it always feels cool no matter how many times you do it.
The game has also taken advantage of the DualSense feedback and it’s a wonderful feeling. I spent my time playing using the PSVR 2 controllers because that’s what felt most natural and comfortable for me, however using the DualSense instead of the VR2 Sense controllers is as easy as switching the DualSense on and if you prefer using a D-pad this is a great option.
Tetris Effect: Connected also brings some new modes to the game like a single-player Classic Score Attack mode (which is where most of my time went) and the ability to play Master and Purify Mode in Endless, which is great for when you want to sit back, relax and see how long you can stay alive.
Tetris fans who already own a copy of the game on PS4 can pay to upgrade their game to the new PSVR 2 version without having to purchase a whole new game. Still, if you’re on the fence about whether or not the PSVR 2 changes enough to make the cost of buying the game or upgrading worthwhile I can tell you without a doubt the answer is yes.
While none of the changes are significant, they don’t need to be. Tetris Effect and Tetris Connected were already great games, Tetris Effect: Connected just takes everything great and sets it on fire to make one of the most immersive feelings you will ever get while playing everyone’s favourite line-building game.
