Lumines Arise

The concept of Tetris Effect is iterated on with confidence, paired with a singular use of technology that seeks to evoke emotion at every turn.

From coconuts to black holes and watch parts, Lumines is back in fine voice.

It's an electric concept that works just as well in Lumines Arise as it does in Tetris Effect.

Like Tetris Effect, it is one of my favorite games to play in VR, but I don’t think you are missing out on the core experience if you’re not wearing a headset. It’s like the difference between watching a movie at home full of distractions, or watching a movie in an IMAX theatre with an attentive crowd. The latter experience is more enthralling, but the story, soundtrack, visuals, and performances are the same.

Enhance's Tetris Effect follow-up is a loud and brash, if somewhat unrefined, synaesthesia puzzler that’s more visually dynamic than its predecessor, but often at the expense of gameplay clarity.

Following up on the brilliant Tetris Effect was no easy feat, but Enhance has done it with Lumines Arise. At its core is an excellent puzzle game with lots of depth, and mechanics that gel perfectly with the emphasis on music and spectacular visuals. It's jam-packed with fun features that provide so many different ways to play, including series-best multiplayer and a great range of challenge modes. There are some very minor gripes if we're being really picky, but fans can rest assured that this is the big, flashy comeback Lumines deserves.

I have to confess that I'm more of a Tetris fanatic and haven't typically had an affinity for the Lumines series, but I will say that Arise is an absolute triumph. The visuals are some of Enhance's best, utilizing the best of both Unity and its own proprietary Synaesthesia Engine. It's wildly fun and unexpectedly challenging in places, but above all, it's a relaxing pleasure. Just sit back and let the beat drop.

Lumines Arise brings back the puzzle series in a spectacle of lights and music.

Lumines Arise successfully refines a proven formula with thoughtful mechanical additions, exceptional audiovisual design, and a wealth of modes, though HDR support is sorely missed.

Lumines Arise is a successful return of a formula that still works today, dressed in an aesthetic that unabashedly pays homage to the Japanese Experimental Wave to which it belongs by DNA. When everything clicks (music, effects, difficulty, grid readability), it's exactly the kind of experience that makes you say 'just one more skin and I'll stop,' only to realize an hour has passed.