The best Rhythm Game experience since Tetris Effect

No one understands the beautiful combination of music and video games quite like Tetsuya Mizuguchi. The legendary Japanese game developer has been producing experiences that eloquently combine the two mediums for decades, resulting in beloved classics like Rez, Child of Eden, Tetris Effect, and perhaps most importantly his latest release, Lumines.

He has always strived to incorporate elements of synesthesia into his designs, focusing on how the implementation of both music and mechanics can continuously affect the player in a large yet intimate way. If you start to feel emotional during the opening level of Tetris Effect as the blocks fall into place along with the swelling music and neon-drenched visuals, Tetsuya Mizuguchi is the reason.

Now, building on the monumental success of Tetris Effect, Lumines Arise applies the same marriage of music and mechanics to a familiar puzzle formula to incredible effect. It draws you into a state of rhythmic contemplation where dozens of minutes can pass in an instant. It is a journey in and of itself, and one well worth taking.

Every adventure begins with a single step

Unlike Tetris, Lumines was always designed around its fundamental use of music. The original PSP launch title featured a banging soundtrack of spectacular music from a range of genres all coming together to form a single electronic whole. Each stage had its own song and color scheme, with the way you placed blocks in a grid dictated by the changing rhythm. You became one with the music, a brilliant idea that serves as the very foundation of Arise.

The moment-to-moment gameplay remains relatively unchanged as you are still tasked with a selection of falling 2×2 blocks to form squares of matching color. Doing so will make them disappear while rewarding you with points and combos depending on how many end up in a similar cycle on the screen. It's exciting more, with few rhythm games that can make time disappear in much the same way. When the remaster launched a handful of years ago, I spent countless hours chasing high scores and unlocking new tracks. I was impressed by how, despite going through the same modes over and over, it rarely felt repetitive.

The basic framework of Arise is exactly the same, but its musical choices are significantly more geared towards evoking an emotional response. Some songs are somber or contemplative and almost life-affirming in the way melancholic lyrics are combined with images that sweep across vast landscapes of the natural world. Others are more violent and driven, with the vibrations from the DualSense controller making my hands buzz with anxiety as I tried to keep up with the falling obstacles. Each new song is a surprise, and most of them are masterfully arranged throughout the main campaign.

It's time to go on a trip

Astronaut themed scene in Lumines Arise.

Known as Journey, the campaign won't take you more than a couple of hours to beat on your first playthrough. Again, I don't think its longevity is quite the point. You are then encouraged to run through it several times in search of cute creatures known as Loomii, which fly around the main menu much like the spirits in Tetris Effect.

Each one represents a different player, and throughout the campaign, you can enter Burst Mode with a quick press of the shoulder buttons to build up special moves made up of multiple blocks to save them. I haven't saved the 1000 Loomii found in the campaign yet, so I have no idea what happens when you do. Either way, their presence brings so much life to this digital world of music and color.

Chameleon-themed scene in Lumines Arise.

I ran into a few visual issues during the review, including the Loomii characters getting stuck in the grid geometry instead of flying out like they should.

You can even customize them by spending points earned by playing an in-game gacha, where you can earn new head shapes, insignia, and names to use on your online profile. It represents some of the only raw development found in Lumines Arise, which is likely to put off those looking for something more substantial. I'm the type of rhythm gamer who will be content to play the same stages over and over again in pursuit of high scores, but if you're not, Lumines Arise might not be the game for you.

There are some quest-based modes to pursue outside of Journey and online multiplayer options, but aside from creating your own playlists, there's not much on offer here. Bit of a shame, as there was so much potential for additional spins on the campaign or even a more curated approach that doesn't just feel like Tetris Effect with a fresh coat of Lumines paint.

Music means everything to everyone

Lumines Arise builds on its combination of sound and image. Each level must draw the player in and make them ask obvious questions as the delicious presentation of each stage changes before their eyes. A step followed a spider on top of the screen as the blocks represent spheres of webs and uncracked eggs. Its eight dark limbs move in time with the beat, becoming more violent as the song shifts and changes. You can also spend stages following astronauts reaching the edge of our solar system, dancers making music at a festival, or seahorses eloquently swimming through the ocean.

So much of Lumine's Arise feels like a celebration of life as we know it, and a reminder of how beautiful the natural world can be when you take the time to stop and stare. The amazing combination of music and mechanics gradually draws you into a state of ease where each level blends into the next, making you appreciate the artistry on display before it suddenly comes to an end.

There's a reason this campaign is called Journey, because it feels like you've been on a rollercoaster of rhythmic emotions that changes the way you look at games like this. Part of me thought Enhance Games couldn't replicate the sublime brilliance of Tetris Effects, but it has done just that and then some.