Enter the Zone With New Info on Tetris Effect's Gameplay

Doing lines

by Stephen Tailby Mon 25th Jun 2018

Some may have laughed at Sony's first Countdown to E3 announcement, but we here at Push Square Towers are extremely excited about Tetris Effect. Tetsuya Mizuguchi's penchant for entrancing players with audiovisual splendor paired with the timeless Tetris formula seems like a match made in heaven, and a new PlayStation Blog post highlights one way this new game is mixing things up.

A brand new 'Zone' ability allows you to pause blocks as they appear atop the grid, allowing you to place them with more care. When in the Zone, any lines cleared mount up at the bottom, and when the meter runs out, normal play resumes and your Zone lines disappear. This means that you're able to get yourself out of a sticky situation, but it also introduces a whole new layer of strategy that experienced players can use to extend the game to rack up crazy scores.

Head on over to the PlayStation Blog to see some clips of the new mechanic in action, as well as a more detailed description on how it works. From where we're sitting, it sounds like a great addition. What do you think of Tetris Effect's new gameplay mechanic? Do you want to see a fresh take on the classic, or would you prefer the core of the game be left untouched? Step into the Zone in the comments below.

[source blog.eu.playstation.com]

Stephen has been part of the Push Square team for over six years, bringing boundless enthusiasm and a deep knowledge of video games to his role as Assistant Editor. Having grown up playing every PlayStation console to date, he's developed an eclectic taste, with particular passion for indie games, arcade racers, and puzzlers. He's also our go-to guy for Sonic-related matters, much to his delight/chagrin.

1
AdamNovice
Mon 25th Jun 2018

So hyped for this. Enhance are hugely talented and Rez Infinite's Area X mode is still the best VR experience I've had.

2
Quintumply
Mon 25th Jun 2018

@adf86 Yeah, this is looking really good. Can't wait.

3
Dan_ozzzy189
Mon 25th Jun 2018

I remember the C64 version, apart from the awesome music it had the ability to pause the game by pushing up on the joystick. Unlike newer versions since then you could still see the play field so it became more strategic. The thing i absolutely hated about the supposedly awesome GBA version was you could get to level 9 or whatever the max level was and even with an empty play area you didn't physically have enough time to even move the pieces to the extreme left or right! A ridiculous oversight that totally ruined the game for me. I hope this is doesn't have that. I bought the ubisoft version and instantly regretted it, totally dreadful.

4
wiiware
Mon 25th Jun 2018

As long as the music in the trailer is in the game, I'm in

5
Quintumply
Mon 25th Jun 2018

@wiiware It is

6
gbanas92
Mon 25th Jun 2018

@adf86 100% agreed! Every time I think about all the awesome VR experiences I've had, I always loop around to Area X as "the" experience!

7
wiiware
Mon 25th Jun 2018

@Quintumply Nice

I can't get that music out of my head lol

8
sketchturner
Mon 25th Jun 2018

After playing hundreds of hours of Gameboy Tetris, I never thought I'd buy a new Tetris game (other than the spectacular Tetrisphere), but this new game has me very intrigued.

9
sketchturner
Mon 25th Jun 2018

Btw, anyone who enjoys Tetris or Lumines owes it to themselves to play Groovin Blocks. It is a rhythm focused game that is spectacular once you get the hang of it. My wife and I had a blast competing for high scores.