Recap: With more than 170 million copies sold, Tetris is the best-selling video game to date. Created by Russian game designer Alexey Pajitnov, it launched in 1984 but didn't become a mainstream success until its appearance on the Nintendo Game Boy in 1989.
Tetsuya Mizuguchi, the rhythm game legend best known for hits like Lumines, Child of Eden and Rez, unveiled his latest creation on Wednesday. It's called Tetris Effect and it's coming to the PlayStation 4 (with PlayStation VR support) this fall.
Tetris Effect is based on the real-life phenomenon by the same name which occurs when people devote so much time and attention to a specific activity that it begins to overrun their psyche. It's described as a new take on the legendary tile-matching puzzle game, one meant to "amplify and enhance that same magical feeling where you just can't get it out of your head, and not just the falling shapes, but all the visuals, the sounds, the music --- everything!"
Tetris Effect will feature more than 30 levels that react to your every move. The audio, background elements, special effects and even the Tetris pieces themselves dance, pulse, shimmer and explode in perfect sync based on how you are playing.
The game at its heart is still Tetris and it'll include several fan-favorite modes like Sprint, Marathon and Ultra as well as new variants like Zone which allows players to freeze time to either maneuver out of a potentially game-ending scenario or clear extra lines for bonus rewards. Additional modes will be announced later this summer, we're told.
A playable demo of Tetris Effect will be on hand at E3 next week. When the game finally arrives this fall, it'll be offered in full HD on PlayStation 4 and in 4K / 60 frames per second on the PS4 Pro (and of course in 3D with PS VR).