Tetris Effect is a tile matching puzzle game that was developed by the Japanese studios Monstars and Resonair, and was published by Enhance Games. It is a spiritual successor to the original Tetris game that was released for the NES in 1984. Tetris Effect retains many of the same mechanics as its predecessor with the addition of some new mechanics and features. The game was released in November of 2018 and was available for a plethora of systems such as the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. In addition Tetris Effect was developed to include virtual reality support making it the first Tetris game available for VR. One distinct addition to Tetris Effect is the distinct level design that incorporates vibrant visuals with lively soundtracks. These levels are heightened by the virtual reality version which will be something I focus on for a large portion of this review.

Tetris Effect as mentioned has two versions, one is the regular version which is played on a regular screen monitor, and the other is the virtual reality version. Both versions are no different to each other when it comes to game mechanics and game features. However, each feature and mechanic provides a fundamentally different experience depending on what version is being played.

First I want to talk about the game visuals. The game developers created vibrant and lively game levels that are organic and reactionary to the players gameplay. Playing such levels on a monitor provides a good experience but it is in the VR version where the visuals truly immerse the player. A great example of this would be the water level which showcases some of the best visuals the game has to offer. The player begins the level by being deep underwater which begins to change the more the user clears lines. With each cleared line more particles begin to populate the level and these particles explode on the user's immediate view. The use of particles adds a layer of immersion to the gameplay and prevents the game level to be static and boring. In addition, the sound of the game evolves as the game level changes and it is also in sync with the player's piece movement. The combination of both sounds and visuals provide a fundamentally different experience where the user is able to immerse themselves in the environment as they are able to freely observe without restraint. This makes the overall gameplay much more exciting as the player focuses on advancing the game environment by clearing lines.

A new mechanic that was implemented in the game is called Zone. This new Zone mechanic allows the player to place several pieces at once which allows them to clear as many lines at once. When the user decides to use the Zone mechanic the game environment begins to slow down and stays in a state of slow motion. The user then can try to clear as many lines as possible and even clear a decahexatris which is a 16 line clear. This game mechanic allows the player more ways to express themselves mechanically as they are able to go above the limitations of older games as they only allowed a limited amount of line clears. Furthermore, this new mechanic is enhanced by virtual reality as the user is able to immerse themselves during the slow motion and concrete and feel in the zone to clear as many lines as they possibly can.

The game can be played by a large range of users which include casual users and competitive users. For casual users they will find the game to be very entertaining and visually stunning. In addition to its core Tetris is a very simple game to understand therefore any user that has no previous experience playing Tetris will find it easy to pick up the game and learn its mechanics almost instantly. It is this simplicity that makes the game be available for various different demographics. One demographic in particular that would enjoy the game would be an older generation that grew up playing the original NES Tetris game. The reason that such a demographic would find the game enjoyable would be because Tetris Effect retains most of the old mechanics of the original game, and does not include newer mechanics. New mechanics such as the ability to hold a piece or be able to preview more than one piece. Because Tetris Effect in virtual reality provides clean and crisp visuals and classic Tetris mechanics it will attract competitive players. These competitive players can take advantage of the low latency that many of the virtual reality headsets provide which can improve performance.

When judging a game it is important to understand it's limitations and its shortcomings. For Tetris Effect one of its biggest shortcomings is visual cluttering. As mentioned one of the greatest aspects of the game are its stunning visuals and particles. However, there are times where particles can begin to clutter the view of the user and can cause unnecessary distractions. These over the top particle effects can be pleasing to watch by some but various users can find it frustrating to have particles blur their field of vision. In addition another asset of Tetris Effect is its old school mechanics and its lack of newer ones. While some might think it is good that the game takes a more originalist approach to some who are used to the various new mechanics might find the game boring or less interesting to deal with.

Like mentioned many times throughout this review the one of the greatest assets of Tetris Effect are its magnificent visuals. However another aspect that makes the game great and has an impact on why the virtual reality version is much better has to do with the virtual reality headset. First it is important that we talk about latency. Latency is the time delay between the user being able to observe a change on the screen. Typically computer monitors or TV screens have low latency as technology gets better. However a virtual reality headset such as the PlayStation VR has very low latency. Because of this the user will be able to react much quicker to game events. This is important for a game such as Tetris because it relies on the users ability to make quick decisions. These decisions cannot be made quickly if there is any sort of delay which can cause an inaccurate piece placement. With the virtual reality headset however it makes it much easier for the user to be able to make much faster decisions with the minimal delay. This will eventually lead to more precise moves and greater game results. In addition the use of the virtual headset allows the user to zone in to the game without any outside distractions, and prompts them to focus solely on the gameplay as it is the only thing they can see and nothing else.