Apelar para Tetris foi um ato de desespero: era um momento em que minha cabeça precisava de foco, mais do que tudo, e estava em um daqueles períodos em que as ideias estão em um turbilhão entrópico, a tarefa de organizá-las e pô-las em ordem parecendo tão plausível quanto catar folhas num tornado. Ouvi falar do tetris effect, e toda a aura mitológica e zen ao redor do jogo me convenceu de que ele era exatamente o que eu precisava para induzir clareza mental emergencial.

Não esperava que Tetris simularia tão bem o que eu sentia que precisava: receber em ritmo crescentemente frenético uma carga de problemas e encontrar as formas mais delicadas e eficientes de guardá-los e prepará-los para a execução (na maioria dos casos, efetivada pelo mais poderoso soldado do reino dos céus, um anjo na forma de um “I”). Ao transformar a tarefa paralizante de pôr em ordem a caixola em uma versão gamificada e linda do mesmo problema, encontrei um bote salva-vidas. Chegando às noites após dias frustrantes e cansativos, era em Tetris que eu encontrava a síntese que mantia meu estado mental coeso e inteiro, os tetriminos em fluxo torrencial remendando meus neurônios, me trazendo cada vez mais próximo de uma paz interior que não reconhecia faz tempos.

Eu nunca havia jogado Tetris de verdade antes de Tetris Effect, e comecei no modo “Normal” falhando o primeiro estágio. Após algumas semanas de jogo, fui ficando melhor, consegui completar o jogo, e eventualmente começar a fazer estágios inteiros sem mal sujar a minha matriz. O estado de fluxo é algo que cobiço em tudo que faço, sendo o mais próximo que considero de uma experiência religiosa - amo futebol por como ele me faz esquecer quem sou, como me faz dissolver em uma poça primordial onde preocupações terrâneas parecem uma noção ridícula, tão insignificantes diante do que é estar no momento. Portanto, não é com leveza que afirmo que Tetris Effect hoje em dia para mim representa um botão imediato de fluxo, um porto seguro sempre disponível nas tempestades mais escabrosas que acabam aparecendo no meu ecossistema. Nada disso seria possível se Tetris Effect fosse apenas Tetris: a magia por trás dessa iteração é de como pegaram o ritmo natural que o jogo já tem e o implementaram em uma orquestra cinestésica impecável, transmutando-o em uma experiência que dança junto de você - às vezes a música e o jogo aceleram, te apertam, empurram até o ponto em que não dá mais, e logo após a tensão dissolve em catarse absoluta; a velocidade diminui, e apenas por um milésimo (não há tempo para ego no Tetris) você vislumbra o quão incrível é estar dentro disso tudo, antes de escorrer de volta para a poça primordial.

Tetris Effect Connected answers the question "what the hell else can you do with Tetris?" Turn it into a psychedelic pseudo-rhythm game, it turns out.

I was weirdly resistant to playing this, having found most of the effects shown off in trailers to actually be kind of distracting. Tetrominoes that pulse to the music, or the way the well is pushed far back on the screen... it just seemed like it wasn't that readable. Thankfully, you can tweak a lot of these effects to your liking, and I think toning some of it down really doesn't take away from the mood Tetris Effect is trying to sell you on.

The main campaign is surprisingly short and never really becomes a challenge, and it never really deviates from the core gameplay style of Tetris. I do think they could have done more here mechanically (maybe one level could be played Rensa style, another has you going against an AI opponent, that sort of thing), but the main draw really is the music and atmosphere. The campaign, I realize, is something you play more to relax than it is to be challenged.

Thankfully, Connected adds a whole host of multiplayer modes when you're in the mood for something more difficult. My favorite of these is a score attack mode that plays by NES Tetris rules. No holds, no slamming down tetrominoes, just some classic raw dog Tetris against an opponent. Since it's all about who gets the highest score, the game doesn't end the moment one player screws up and fills up their well. I've often found that when I tap out first I'm left hoping my "opponent" does better than me. I think there's an argument to be made that this isn't a proper competitive mode at all, you aren't really fighting against each other so much as you are the game itself, which is a clear contrast to more popular modes where you actively send junk to the other player. Whenever I lose one of those I hope my opponent goes to hell and dies.

There's also a co-op mode where you and two other players go against three waves of AI opponents. When your "zone" meters are all maxed out, your wells combine into one shared zone that allows you to stack several rows of junk onto the AI. For the most part this multiplayer campaign is pretty easy, but the final level, "Cosmic Horror," is a nightmare. I swear the AI cheats in it. Unfortunately, "cosmic horror" has really abysmal queues, so each time my party disbands I have to sit around for another ten minutes hoping to find two other lunatics willing to play with me.

Tetris Effect Connected isn't my favorite Tetris game. That's probably The Grandmaster, but it's doing something pretty unique and I think it's a whole lot better than I was initially willing to give it credit for. Connected is definitely the version to play, and as someone who greatly prefers to play Tetris both with and against other human players, the multiplayer really adds a lot.

Saying I've never really got Tetris sounds absurd, after all it carries with it this aura of having existed forever, being this fundamental timeless entity, but the reality is I simply see no reason to sit down and grind out high scores in games. This isn't the death knell of every arcade game, there's plenty of appeal to many of them simply from getting through all of their levels for the first time and calling that it, but Tetris is a suitably monotone experience that I kind of feel like I've seen what there is to see after 15 minutes of playing and so I move on.

This is a simplification of course, and there is more to see in Tetris; put in enough time investment and you'll start to briefly enter flow states, and so too you end up experiencing the tetris effect as everything just starts naturally clicking and you stop having to think quite so actively. Tetris Effect is the first time I've really understood this; partly because all the different music, visuals and associated vibes to be seen in the game give a good motivation to keep playing beyond the first hour or two, but also because, for me at least, the intense and stunning audio-visual elements are perfect for helping encourage me to slip into those flow states where you so naturally find yourself seamlessly planning a whole move ahead, your fingers effortlessly shoving the pieces where you planned for them to go whilst your eyes scan around figuring out that next move in advance. It's immensely satisfying when all of this just starts to come together.

I'm still not in love with Tetris, and I found myself putting down Tetris Effect for good once I'd completed the hard mode campaign, but I am thankful that I do finally get the appeal now.

Tetris Effect:
I'm yours forever
There is no end in sight for us
Nothing could measure
The kind of strength inside our hearts
It's all connected
We're all connected in this love
Don't you forget it
We're all connected in this love

Me, not leaving a space for the square piece: Shit! Fuck!

I don't have a lot to say about Tetris Effect: Connected. It's essentially a re-release of the original Tetris Effect with some bonus modes added and new platform availability. If you haven't experienced either versions of this game, it's worth giving it a shot for the first level alone, which will either hook you, or turn you off immediately. The OST is breathtaking and perfectly compliments the unbelievable amount of particle details flowing around on the screen. Tetris Effect was my introduction to the ever-evolving genre of Tetris games, and I don't regret any second I spent in this game. It's a captivating experience when you find the right mood and time of the day to sink into it, as it's definitely a dopamine supplier.

The original Tetris Effect is one of the best games ever made, to the point that it was all I played for a few months straight when it originally released; I forewent a heap of other big 2018 releases just so I could keep playing it again, again and again again. That’s the mark of a good fuckin’ game right there! Maybe a perfect game, even…

If the original Tetris Effect had a flaw, though, it was that the experience could be quite isolating. It had a certain aura of loneliness that stood in stark contrast to its uplifting core message that humanity is a single-stacked mass of glowing, breathing blocks that deserve to be together in instrumentality, not held alone and apart. Singing “it’s all connected” is all well and good, but the sound of that voice can ring hollow when it’s bouncing off the walls of your empty living room.

I think Tetsuya Mizuguchi and his team may have been aware of this, too - because Connected is all about making the original Effect’s promises into a reality. It’s hard to know when this update was actually conceived of, but announcing it a few months into the original lockdown and delivering it during that harsh 2020 winter feels like a heartfelt gift from Monstars and Resonair to the planet. A puzzle game’s plea for love and mercy at a time when it was most needed.

I feel kinda guilty about ignoring the gift, though. This DLC/v1.5/whatever-it-is primarily focused on multiplayer, and not since Tetris Battle Gaiden have I seen a game actively innovate on what communal Tetris could be. I doubted this would be any different than other Tetris games that had tried and failed to unite players in the past. I checked it out for a bit at launch last year, but kinda left the Connected content by the wayside for a long time. I thought it wouldn’t be my kind of thing; only after watching three Tetris Pros absolutely demolish the Co-Op Journey did I begin to understand what I was missing out on.

The non-competitive multiplayer in this is a total delight, so much so that I beat the whole thing in one sitting with two random online dudes from Brazil and Japan in the middle of a random Sunday morning/Saturday night/Sunday night. We worked together to battle the stars and keep the galaxy’s light alive, all from our respective corners of our world. It was awesome to see three people span continents to co-operate and communicate via the medium of Tetris Ghost Pieces. “Put your S block here!” “Rotate the line!” “Put down your T piece here, and then I’ll put my square on top!” - I heard these people saying these things without ever registering a word. That’s crazy. That’s cool. That’s connected. And arguably it’s all the more powerful when played online with players across the globe.

Tetris Effect: Connected is the change it wants to see in the world. If you liked the original game - or are just a fan of Tetris in general - I highly recommend checking the online content out. Who knows? We might see each other out there, beyond the time.

Initially, I questioned whether it was worth buying this game during the Steam Spring Sale. "It's just Tetris", I thought, "You can play it online for free."

Not only is this by far my favorite version of Tetris, it's an experience unlike any other game I've played. The visuals and sound design are breathtaking on their own, but combined with the tense gameplay of Tetris, they instantly put you in a zen-like state of dropping pieces, lining them up, and planning out your next moves. Honestly, I think it's a concept that can only work as a Tetris game; since the game is so easy to understand and so widely known, the game can focus entirely on creating a sensory experience and tapping into what makes the game so much fun in the first place.

Also, it just feels amazing to play, with responsive controls, all the QOL features from past iterations of Tetris, and a plethora of modes to test the limits of your skills. And even if you're not into that, there's a completely faithful recreation of NES Tetris available from the get-go, showcasing a further understanding of the game's legacy. It is absolutely worth the 20 dollars I spent on it, and I would recommend anyone who remotely likes Tetris to do the same.

Tetris Effect takes the tried and true Tetris formula and coats it with a vibrant and at times jaw dropping new job of paint. Gorgeously detailed areas, popping particle effects, overpowering ost performances - it all blends together to create an experience unfamiliar to me in video games, but one I most welcome.

It's a huge shame though with how safe they play it in terms of the gameplay. The new freeze mechanic adds a nice layer of strategy but it's basically Tetris for 4 hours straight and that's it. I feel like they could have done so much more given how expressive the game already is, even if it is still fun (Challenging as well. On normal difficulty, I was having a bit of a challenge; the faster pace in some of the levels towards the end was a bit disappointing as well as it was harder to focus on the mesmerizing visuals.)

Despite it slightly disappointing me from the promising start, Tetris Effect is a beauty of a title that everyone should experience at least once in their gaming careers. You can tell the developers truly cared for the source material and aimed at creating something special, even if it was was way too safe in areas it shouldn't have been.

Up until the last level, Metamorphosis, Tetris Effect Connected was an amazing, zen experience. I don't even like Tetris and I was blown away by the sheer VIBES of this game. Turn off the lights, sit alone, and put on headphones. Zone out. If you're good at Tetris it's like a 2 hour campaign and then there's some great co op and versus modes too for online play or local. I had a lot of fun playing with some friends, but the campaign is brilliant too. The music is phenomenal and the visuals are indescribable. It is a total reinvention of Tetris as we know it.

It took me 1 hour and 48 minutes to reach Metamorphosis. I have just now finished up at 7 hours and 6 minutes, meaning i spent over 5 hours on that last level over 3 days. I kept dying on the sped up part at 60 rows - you'll know what I'm talking about. I was on the phone with my friend who was narrating to me beat for beat an episode of American Dad and I reached 89 rows. Rather than get discouraged, she told me to just put an episode of American Dad up on my other monitor. I did that and won easily - it almost didn't feel like a challenge.

Roger made me strong. Klaus made me brave. Steve did nothing for me. Basically, if you get stuck, don't let it get to your head. This is a fantastic game that would have been perfect if not for the biggest difficult spike of all time at the end there. This, however, is the perfect iteration of Tetris. It's on Game Pass. Get it.

Of all the games that needed a next gen version, Tetris Effect is not one of them. But I’m so glad that it got one.

Tetris Effect is my first real Tetris game I’ve ever played, and it’s one of the most meaningful games I’ve ever played. One of the few games that regularly makes me tear up. Sometimes it’s from the beauty of the visuals, sometimes it’s from the beauty of the music and lyrics, and sometimes it’s the beauty of the mechanics. This is one of the best versions of what is arguably the best video game of all time, and we really are lucky to be able to experience it.

It's funny that I bought Humanity and Tetris Effect on the same day. Apparently, they have the same publisher and the same composer.

I've never been a Tetris person, maybe because EVERYONE around me used to play it in childhood.
Here I was attracted not by a new take on Tetris but rather by a lot of good words that I heard about the music in this game and I was looking for a puzzle game.

Can't add much to the Tetris aspect here, but the music is GOOD and as an overall experience - it's super satisfying. If you're not sure - get it on Sale.
It's a good pace changer between souls-like, new boring AAA games and cheap indies.

O melhor Tetris do mundo

Uma das experiências mais relaxantes que eu já tive jogando um jogo. O bom e velho tetris com um roupagem completamente diferente, instigante e, acima de tudo, emocionante.

Incrível como cada uma das 27 fases tem uma temática completamente única e, dentro de cada uma delas, uma música também diferente. Para explodir totalmente a mente, as mexidas nas peças fazem parte da composição sonora dos estágios. Por vezes, mexer de forma rápida, cria sequências bem legais nas músicas e isso é MUITO legal.

O modo "História" que não possui história e inclusive é chamado de "Journey" é realmente uma jornada (e das mais belas).

É tão gostoso de jogar que você pode se pegar indo sem o mínimo sentimento de cansaço, pois cada fase consegue manter um clímax entre mais agitado e mais calmo e você só vai.... curtindo, apreciando e relaxando.

Além disso, o modo "Effect mode" traz variados tipos de desafios para dar um fator replay ainda maior e esses são tão divertidos e relaxantes quanto os da "Journey".

Sem desmerecer todos os outros tetris que existem por aí, mas na minha opinião, esse é o melhor tetris que existe. Os Devs fizeram algo excepcional ao trazer algo completamente novo para um dos tipos de jogo mais antigos que existe.

Uma das experiências mais marcantes e diferentes que já tive em video-games. Sem diálogos ou história, esse jogo utiliza apenas a jogabilidade de um bom e velho Tetris e combina com elementos visuais e trilhas sonoras incríveis, na tentativa de dar uma aliviada no seu estado de espírito e, de fato, te acalmar depois de uma semana estressante.

O que torna tudo isso ainda mais brilhante é a forma com que os desenvolvedores conseguiram encaixar as mexidas e encaixes das peças de Tetris ao decorrer das fases com as batidas que compõem a música do ambiente. E os visuais complementam tudo isso perfeitamente bem, imagino como deve ser incrível jogar em VR.

Eu joguei esse jogo no momento ideal da minha vida e acredito que ele pode chegar a ser estranhamente emocional, pois me deixou com olhos lacrimejando ao terminar a última fase do modo "Journey". Na verdade, desde a primeira fase eu já tinha achado a experiência visual e a música sensacionais. Não há outra palavra pra descrever senão maravilhoso.

It's all connected. We're all together in this love, don't you forget it.