Tetris Effect: Connected

Tetris Effect: Connected extends the magic of the original to multiplayer in familiar and innovative ways.

Tetris Effect gets the multiplayer of its dreams with four delightful modes

An already spectacular game breaks free of its solo constraints to become the definitive Tetris experience.

I thought I had seen it all with Tetris 99, so I’m really impressed to see how the brand keeps moving forward and giving us new things to try out. I’m not sure how the hardcore Tetris masters are going to feel about this one, but for a casual fan like me, this is about as good as it gets.

Tetris is one of the greatest video games of all time, and Tetris Effect: Connected is perhaps the best iteration of the classic puzzler yet. While this Switch port doesn't offer a great deal over existing versions in terms of features, it delivers the one key ingredient that its rivals cannot: portability. Sure, some will argue that Tetris Effect: Connected's unique brand of synesthesia only really comes alive when played on PSVR or an Oculus Quest headset, but we'd argue quite passionately that this game benefits far more from the ability to pick it up and play whenever, wherever. Just as the Game Boy and Tetris combined to create an irresistible, world-conquering fusion back in 1989, Tetris Effect: Connected has finally found the hardware that allows it to truly shine, making this an utterly essential purchase for all Nintendo Switch owners. Just don't forget those headphones.

Though it may harbor the same delightful and immersive single-player offerings as the 2018 original, there's no doubting that the online and competitive expansion to Tetris Effect has only heightened Resonair's work evermore.

Tetris Effect: Connected is as essential as it ever was and its PSVR2 debut adds yet more polish and immersive features to what was already the best Tetris game money can buy. I would award Tetris Effect: Connected more than ten out of ten I could, but I can't, so here we are. Buy it.

In summary, Tetris Effect: Connected is the easiest game to recommend, with just a couple of exceptions; In its purest form, it is Tetris, first and foremost, and from an aesthetic standpoint, it is a beautiful showcase of what VR games can achieve, almost perfectly now thanks to the improved performance and power of the PSVR2. But for those who have already played the previous version ad nauseum and/or don't own a PSVR2 (much less a PS5, as the console can still be tricky to find), it may not be worth the upgrade price, even if it is relatively cheap.

Tetris Effect Connected is an improvement from the 2018 version. Puzzle players will have a difficult time putting it down. It’s well worth experiencing the game whether you are new or a veteran.

It's crazy to say that Tetris, a game from 1984, feels brand new, but with Tetris Effect: Connected and a dash of virtual reality, it really does. The new single players offer a handful of new modes beyond simply trying to set a high score, and the multiplayer provides an ever-expanding set of new ways to play. It's a worthy addition to the PSVR2 launch lineup.