Enhance has been making games for many years, but the team truly cemented its place on the gaming map with its unique blend of puzzle games and stirring musical accompaniment. Tetris Effect remains a generation-defining reinvention of a classic franchise. Building on that success, Enhance has now applied the same treatment to Lumines with its latest release, *Lumines Arise*.
**Make the Beat Drop**
*Lumines Arise* follows the series’ classic formula: creating 2×2 squares of the same pattern and keeping as much of the board clear as possible. Like the best puzzle games, the speed and intensity gradually pick up as the game progresses.
In Journey Mode, players navigate through five different sections, each requiring them to clear a specific number of squares to advance. While it starts off easy, by the fourth or fifth section, the playable area shrinks considerably, adding to the challenge.
While the puzzle gameplay itself is a winner, *Lumines Arise* echoes *Tetris Effect* by wrapping it in a breathtakingly beautiful visual package. The backgrounds are immersive and varied—whether it’s a serene remote beach, a cozy snowy cabin, a tropical rainforest with head-bopping chameleons, or a bustling neon-lit metropolis. Each stage pulses and moves to the beat of the soundtrack, making it easy to get lost in the rhythm, sometimes to the point of losing track of the squares.
Even on Easy difficulty, Journey Mode poses a solid challenge, especially for players unfamiliar with the Lumines gameplay loop who might assume that making squares is straightforward.
**Visual Intensity and Accessibility**
Some stages, like Mirror Ball or Digital Human, ramp up the visual effects heavily. While these flashy effects look amazing, they can occasionally become distracting. For those who prefer a less intense experience, Enhance offers a robust suite of accessibility options.
These options allow players to reduce the intensity of visual effects, which is especially helpful in the game’s VR mode to prevent sensory overload. Additional modifiers include toggles for automatic block dropping, a full No Fail mode, and difficulty settings that influence the game’s overall speed.
Camera distance settings also help reduce the intensity of the playing field’s effects for players sensitive to sensory stimuli. There are even switches to disable spiders and snakes for individuals with those specific phobias.
Despite this customization, the game displays a photosensitivity warning upon startup to inform players about the visual intensity they might encounter.
**All Together Now**
The main attraction in *Lumines Arise* is Journey Mode, but there are other ways to enjoy the game. Missions offer specific challenges, such as clearing squares within a fixed number of moves or tackling quirky objectives. Some Missions even play with falling towers or introduce Tetris-shaped pieces—a nod to Enhance’s previous puzzle hits.
Multiplayer provides the other significant gameplay experience, though with a limited number of modes. Burst Battle stands as the primary competitive mode, where players compete to clear the most squares while sending garbage blocks to their opponent. Players can choose their preferred background and music tracks, adding a personal touch to the competition.
Leaderboard League features Time Attack challenges and a mode called Dig Down, which tasks players with keeping pace against a rising tide of blocks. While fun, these modes are somewhat limited and may lose their charm over time.
One standout feature of *Lumines Arise’s* multiplayer and overall presentation is its strong sense of community. Weekend events invite the entire player base to participate by playing any multiplayer mode they prefer. The more games completed, the more players contribute to a global goal, such as gathering Light to build a massive Vision construct. Everyone earns rewards to customize their Pon avatar, making the experience feel connected and celebratory.
In fact, the multiplayer hub, main menu, and even the end scenes of Journey Mode shine with vibrant NPC Pon avatars representing players who have logged in, all dancing along to the game’s festive soundtrack.
**The Soundtrack: The Heartbeat of Lumines Arise**
Music is *Lumines Arise’s* defining feature. The soundtrack, created by Hydelic, spans a range of genres including techno, house, rap, and even LoFi beats. The soundtrack works in perfect harmony with the game’s moving Timeline, which erases completed squares, and the continuously animated backgrounds.
Players aren’t required to play exactly to the beat; instead, the beat flows with them. If a background song speeds up, so does the Timeline, creating a compelling and toe-tapping challenge.
**Press Play**
Like *Tetris Effect*, *Lumines Arise* is as much a musical experience as it is a puzzle game. Without its series of killer tracks, the game wouldn’t work nearly as well as it does—fortunately, it has those in abundance.
The Journey Mode is entertaining from start to finish, and multiplayer sessions are engaging and lively. Enhance even includes a Playlist mode, allowing players to customize song orders and their associated backgrounds to their liking.
As someone who’s traditionally been more of a Tetris fanatic and less familiar with the Lumines series, I can confidently say *Lumines Arise* is an absolute triumph. The visuals rank among Enhance’s best work, utilizing both Unity and their proprietary Synaesthesia Engine to stunning effect.
The gameplay is wildly fun and unexpectedly challenging in spots, but above all, it remains a relaxing pleasure. Just sit back, immerse yourself, and let the beat drop.
https://www.shacknews.com/article/146765/lumines-arise-review-score
About the Author
