Tetris Effect: Connected PSVR2 Review. Tetris Effect was a revelation when it released on the original PSVR back in 2018. Bolstered by the Connected update which released later in 2021, which introduced online co-operative multiplayer and a variety of classic competitive modes, Tetris Effect blossomed into what would arguably be the best Tetris game ever. Perhaps it should come as little surprise then that Tetris Effect: Connected on PSVR2 takes an already astounding game and improves upon it yet further still by taking advantage of the cutting edge features afforded by Sony’s latest lump of VR technology.
Tetris Effect: Connected PSVR2 Review
The Best Tetris Game Ever Gets Even Better On PSVR2
To be clear, in terms of content Tetris Effect: Connected on PSVR2 is identical to the original PSVR version of the game with the Connected update which released in August 2021. What you’re getting with Tetris Effect: Connected on PSVR2 however, is a series of technical upgrade that elevate the core experience even further beyond what we’ve experienced already.
The most eye-opening of these (quite literally) is the huge uptick in visual fidelity that the PSVR2 version of Tetris Effect: Connected brings over its OG PSVR predecessor. Ably supported by the OLED lens and 4K resolution, HDR visual presentation that the PSVR2 provides, Tetris Effect: Connected has never looked better and effortlessly looks leagues clearer than the oft-times blurry presentation seen in the previous PSVR version of the game. In particular, the combination of OLED screens and HDR supports really lets the Tetris Effect’s cornucopia of colours really pop in ways that they just couldn’t before, whether that’s sandy blocks falling down in the desert with dusty particles whiffing off them, or a mesmerising fluid sky of jellyfish, PSVR2 takes Tetris Effect: Connected to an all new visual level.
Tetris Effect has always been about the impact it has on your senses. With its debut on the original PSVR back in 2018, this meant an audiovisual assault on your eyes and ears to craft a puzzler like no other. Emboldened by the capabilities of PSVR2, developer Enhance takes that concept even further still. The haptic feedback that is built into the PSVR2’s headset comes alive when you move from one stage to the next in Journey mode, while shifting into the Zone is also conveyed palpably through the headset, immersing you yet further still in the experience.
Speaking of the Zone, Tetris Effect: Connected makes neat, though somewhat understated use of the PSVR2’s eye-tracking capabilities too. Blinking for a second or longer transports you into the Zone (so long as you have built up your Zone meter sufficiently) and time slows down accordingly, allowing you to pull off some natty T-spins and other such moves en route to a Perfectris 18 line clear. Honestly, though shifts into the Zone could easily be accommodated by a button press, using your eyes this way feels oddly more natural – as if it should have been that way all along.
One thing that must be noted is that while you can play Tetris Effect: Connected with the PSVR2’s Sense controllers, you really shouldn’t. Though the controllers are beautifully designed for the most part, they just don’t suit the rigors of Tetris Effect: Connected where it not only becomes all too easy to rotate a tetromino too far (or too little), but on more than one occasion I’ve also found myself hard-dropping tetrominoes by accident and stuffing up a perfectly good run in the process. As such, the trusty DualSense controller is the way to go here thanks to the super precise D-pad that it boasts over the PSVR2’s Sense controllers.
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Improvements aside, Tetris Effect: Connected still remains the best Tetris game ever in the opinions of this humble scribe. Deftly maintaining the generational appeal of Tetris while deftly and thoughtfully augmenting it with multiplayer functionality, modes for every mood and an unparalleled audiovisual presentation that is quite unlike anything else on the market, if you’ve not played Tetris Effect before and have found yourself in possession of a shiny new PSVR2, this is your chance to address that oversight. Equally, if you’ve been playing it like a mad person on both PS4 and the previous generation of PSVR, your save will carry over to this new version of the game too. Which is nice.
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 a ten out of ten score if I could, but I can’t, so here we are. Buy it.
Tetris Effect: Connected is out now on PSVR2. Owners of Tetris Effect: Connected on PS4/PSVR can upgrade to the PS5/PSVR2 version for just $9.99/£9.99.
Review code kindly provided by PR.