June 4 was a big day for me, as I got my Nintendo Switch 2 that morning. You think that I would have rushed to try out Mario Kart World even Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour first, but neither christened my device. Instead, the first thing I played was Lumines Remastered. The PSP puzzle game has become a go-to console testing game for me over the years, as it’s a great test for control precision and screen latency. As I was playing it, sinking back into its familiar rhythm, a very serious question crossed my mind: Is Lumines the best game ever made? Then, came a second, more pressing question: Why the heck haven’t we gotten a new one in ages?
Little did I know that my prayers would be answered hours later when Sony’s State of Play kicked off with the shock announcement of Lumines Arise, the latest project from the developers of Tetris Effect. I couldn’t believe it. It felt like I had willed it into existence somehow. I couldn’t wait to play it — and I wouldn’t need to. As fate would have it, it turned out that I already had an appointment to demo it at Summer Game Fest (one I booked for a then “unannounced” game by Enhance). I was nervous to try it out. Could it really live up to what had ballooned into some very lofty expectations?
Yes, it could. Lumines Arise is everything I have ever dreamed of and so much more.
Return of the king
If you’ve never entered the church of the block, let me hand you a brochure. Lumines is a rhythm puzzle series that began its life as a PSP cult classic. In it, players drop two-toned square blocks into a horizontal, rectangular grid. The goal is to match colors together to create 4×4 squares, chaining them together as much as possible. There’s a twist, though: Matched squares don’t clear until a line, that moves to the beat of the soundtrack, passes over them. The real skill comes from creating combos out of boxes before the line comes back around. There’s no good comparison point for it. You could point to Puyo Puyo as an insufficient reference, but Lumines is just Lumines.
That classic hook hasn’t been changed for Lumines Arise. As soon as I pick up the control during my demo, I’m able to start dropping blocks and making chains without missing a beat. It’s an immediate pleasure to do so, too, as the Enhance delivers the tight controls and snappy feel that the series needs to succeed. That alone would already constitute a job well done.
Enhance isn’t just dropping the same game again with a few new songs, though. It’s offering its own spin on the formula in the same way that it did in Tetris Effect. The twist here is a new burst system. As I play and make combos, a number ticks up next to the screen-crossing line. When that number hits 40, I can press a button to enter burst mode. Doing so will create one mega block that I can build a combo off of as a timer ticks by. The longer I wait to use my burst, the longer time will stay in burst mode and allow me to set up an even bigger chain. If I play my cards right, I can create a block that takes over the entire well by the time the burst window ends.
It’s a smart addition, because it tests an entirely different skill for Lumines players. While the core game is usually about creating setups to elongate combos, burst time tests how well I can continue to build off of one square. I need to keep the color I’m matching free during burst time, lest I accidentally box myself in and waste the bonus period. It’s a subtle, but different change to the puzzle format that builds out on an elegant idea without throwing what works away.
Of course, what’s especially about Lumines getting the Tetris Effect treatment is the psychedelic imagery surrounding the puzzle board. My demo run took me through three themes, each one soundtracked by the original new music by Tetris Effect’s composer. For instance, the second phase gave the board a mechanical theme with my blocks turning into metal crates. The third one was the most memorable of the run, as the screen was surrounded by neon lizards and fireworks-like explosions. It’s a total spectacle and I am dying to see how it all looks in VR.
When I finished my run, a developer from Enhance looked a little surprised. He noted that the demo usually takes around 20 minutes, but I had racked up my score so fast that I was done in eight. He asked if I wanted another go since I still had 20 minutes left in my appointment. I didn’t hesitate: Hell yes I did. If that’s already my response after my first session of Lumines Arise, I can’t imagine how many runs are in my future.
Lumines Arise launches on PS5 and PC. It will feature PlayStation VR2 support.
