Nintendo Indie World: Loop Hero, Tetris Effect, and more coming to Switch
Nintendo's Indie World stream featured several surprises, such as Loop Hero and Tetris Effect getting Switch ports.
Tetris Effect: Connected Pushed Back, Now Releasing August 18
The Tetris Effect: Connected update, which adds multiplayer across all platforms, has been pushed back to a new August 18 release date.
The Connected update will bring free multiplayer modes to all platforms, including Oculus Quest, Epic Games Store, PlayStation consoles, Xbox consoles and the Microsoft Store on PC.
The game will also launch on Steam for the first time on the same day, bringing both the base game and the expanded new multiplayer content packaged into one release now titled Tetris Effect: Connected. At launch, the game will be discounted for two weeks on Steam to celebrate its release on the platform, bringing the price down 25% and including the DLC from the digital deluxe edition at no extra charge.
On Quest, the update will also include a resolution boost for those playing on Quest 2 with “new performance or fidelity graphics options,” while on PS4 the update will add remote play capabilities.
Enhance also confirmed that the Connected update will support crossplay across all existing platforms, quite a feat given how some titles still have compatibility quirks when it comes to crossplay. Players across Oculus Quest, Xbox Game Pass, Xbox and PlayStation consoles, Epic Games Store and Steam will all be able to play together via shareable 4-digit room codes and online matchmaking.
A multiplayer beta launched in mid-June across most platforms, which ran until July 12. The beta also came with details of all the new multiplayer modes arriving in the Connected update, which you can read more about here.
Tetris Effect: Connected will be available August 18 as a free update for existing platforms and as part of a new release on Steam with PC VR support.
Tetris Effect: Connected Multiplayer Update & Steam Launch Pushed to August
A month ago Enhance Games announced that Tetris Effect: Connected would be bringing its multiplayer gameplay to all currently supported devices, as well as a Steam edition this month. Having conducted beta tests over the past few weeks, it seems that the July launch was a bit ambitious with the release for all editions pushed back to August.
It’s going to be quite the epic launch by the looks of it. First, you’ve got the Steam edition’s arrival which will include support for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive (no mention of Valve Index or WMR). The Steam debut will come with a 25% discount and a bunch of extra goodies including a seven-track soundtrack sampler by Hydelic, eleven Tetris Effect-themed 4k PC desktop wallpapers and seven Tetris Effect profile avatars; only in the first couple of weeks.
And then there’s the free multiplayer update – the “Connected” part if you hadn’t guessed – for Oculus Quest, PlayStation 4, PlayStation VR, and the Epic Games Store. This will facilitate full cross-platform gameplay between all the versions so VR and non-VR players can go head to head. The update isn’t just about connecting players either. Remote Play will be unlocked for Playstation 4, bonus features will include a new Spectator Mode, as well as PAL and “Slow” speed modes; plus Oculus Quest 2 owners will get improved performance to boost the graphical fidelity.
And that’s just the bonus stuff. Originally rolled out last year for Xbox and PC via the Microsoft Store, Tetris Effect: Connected adds a multitude of different competitive modes for fans of the iconic puzzle title. These include ‘Connected’ a co-op mode where three players team up and connect their Matrix playfields in an effort to beat AI-controlled bosses. You also have ‘Zone Battle’, a PvP match using standard Tetris rules. The twist being a time-stopping Zone mechanic to easily build up lines to attack your opponent.
All of this should make the original Tetris Effect even better, quite a leap considering VRFocus gave the PC VR edition of a full five-star review, saying: “Tetris Effect has lost none of the prime gameplay quality that the series is known for, it’s still as addictive and difficult to stop playing as ever. Quite frankly, Tetris Effect is the best version of Tetris. Just as important, the title suits experienced and new VR players alike.”
Enhance Games will be launching all of this on 18th August 2021, so be prepared for some puzzle mayhem this summer. For further updates, keep reading VRFocus.
‘Tetris Effect’ Multiplayer Mode is Coming to All Platforms With Cross-play & New Features
Tetris Effect (2018), the VR-compatible reinvention of the iconic ’80s stacker puzzle, is getting a host of fresh features soon that will bring some new online multiplayer modes, and cross-play to all supported platforms.
The so-called ‘Connected Summer 2021’ expansion is said to hit PSVR, SteamVR headsets and Oculus Quest sometime in late July. A free beta of the expansion is releasing June 23rd to July 5th for players on PlayStation and Epic Games. Oculus Quest and Steam access is by invite only.
The new cross-play function will allow you to create private rooms with a four-digit alphanumeric code so you can directly connect with friends across all supported platforms. Private matches will also include a spectator mode, which allows four to six spectators to watch and emote in real time. Provided you don’t opt out, ranked matches will also include all players of the game.
Here’s a rundown of each new multiplayer mode coming to Tetris Effect:
- Connected – Form a three-player team to try and defeat A.I.-controlled Bosses (or player-controlled Bosses, during the Full Moon 24-hour event every weekend)—connect your Matrices as you all enter the Zone and clear Lines together to deal massive damage.
- Zone Battle – A one-on-one competition played with standard Tetris Effect settings, with the key to victory being adept use of the time-stopping Zone mechanic. This mode is a great way to test out the skills you’ve built up in single-player.
- Score Attack – Another one-on-one competition played with standard Tetris Effect settings, only here no Line Attacks are exchanged. If your score is higher than your opponent’s when both games end, you win. Think of it as “single-player competitive Tetris.”
- Classic Score Attack – A one-on-one score attack competition played using old-school Tetris settings, so no Hard Drops, no ability to Hold a Tetrimino, only one Tetrimino shown in the Next Queue, Tetriminos spin a bit differently—they Lock Down immediately when they touch a surface, etc. This unforgiving version of Tetris is what’s used for pro competitions such as the annual Classic Tetris World Championship.
Some other new features include ‘PAL Speed’, which recreates the game’s 8-bit European version, and ‘Slow Speed’, which basically ups the difficulty by making Tetrimino movements slower.
Catch the full explainer video from developers Enhance Experience below:
The post ‘Tetris Effect’ Multiplayer Mode is Coming to All Platforms With Cross-play & New Features appeared first on Road to VR.
Tetris Effect: Connected Gets PSVR Beta Next Week, Release In July
A new post on the PlayStation blog has confirmed details for the upcoming Tetris Effect: Connected expansion, which adds multiplayer game modes and will be available as a free update for all owners of the base game.
More importantly, a PlayStation beta will run next week, with the full launch set for late July.
As with the original game, all of the new modes are playable both in and out of VR — you can choose to use your PSVR headset, or simply play flatscreen without it. The blog also confirms that everything remains backwards compatible on PS5, for those who are using a PSVR headset on the next-gen console.
There’s a bunch of new multiplayer modes, too. Connected mode sees you form a team of three players, fighting against an AI-controlled boss, as shown above. Zone Battle is a simple 1v1 mode that follows the same rules as single-player Tetris Effect, but in a competitive environment. Score Attack is a similar 1v1 mode, but the aim is to build the highest score in the round’s limited time.
Classic Score Attack is the same mode, but with old-school Tetris settings — this means no hard drops, no holding pieces and only one visible piece in the pieces queue. Tetris blocks in this mode will also lock immediately when touching a surface, which is slightly less lenient than other modes. This is supposedly the “unforgiving” version of Tetris that is played professionally in competitions. There’s also PAL Speed and Slow Speed game modes as well, which you can read about here.
Come the public release, cross-platform play will also be supported and will be automatically enabled for ranked matchmaking. For private games, you can share a 4-digit room code with your friend, which will work across all platforms. Up to four others will also be able to join matches between friends as a spectator.
The PlayStation beta will be available to download for owners of Tetris Effect on PS4/PS5 from June 23, 8pm PDT and will run until July 5. The full release is set for “late July”, which should also include other platforms like PC VR and potentially Quest, though we have no confirmation of the latter just yet.
You can read more about the Tetris Effect: Connected update over on the PlayStation blog.
Tetris Effect: Connected Finally Supports Oculus Quest, PSVR and SteamVR in July
Eight months ago Enhance Games announced Tetris Effect: Connected, a multiplayer version of the videogame where you could compete across five new modes which feature co-op and PvP gameplay. At the time it was only for Xbox and PC via the Microsoft Store. Next month that all changes as all versions of Tetris Effect will get the multiplayer update, plus there’s going to be a Steam edition.
With the rollout of Tetris Effect: Connected in July PlayStation 4, PlayStation VR, Oculus Quest and the Epic Games Store will be fully cross-platform compatible with each other. Whilst the Steam version will include support for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Friend Match players will be able to invite players from other platforms via a shareable 4-digit alphanumeric “Room ID” code alongside their platform’s own invite system. This cross-platform should help maximize the player base for Ranked Matches.
Plus there are a bunch of bonus features coming in the update. Spectator Mode (Friend Matches Only) will allow between 4 and 6 additional players, depending on the mode, to join a match as spectators. PAL Speed (Classic Score Attack Mode, Friend and Local Matches Only) has been designed to replicate the feeling of the European PAL format of the Tetris game from the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). And Slow Speed (Zone Battle Mode, Friend and Local Matches Only) is great for beginners with a longer entry delay for new Tetriminos and slower horizontal movement.
But before Tetris Effect: Connected arrives, Enhance Games and the development teams will hosting a beta test period starting this week. Depending on the platform Tetris Effect (Owner’s Beta) will be a free download for current owners or a Closed Beta which is only accessible via a code from Enhance.
Tetris Effect Best Test dates:
- PlayStation 4:
- CLOSED INVITE ONLY: June 17 – June 23 – Apply here.
- OPEN TO TETRIS EFFECT OWNERS: June 23 – July 5
- Epic Games Store:
- CLOSED INVITE ONLY: June 17 – June 23 – Apply here.
- OPEN TO TETRIS EFFECT OWNERS: June 23 – July 5
- Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Microsoft Store PC (including Xbox Game Pass):
- CLOSED INVITE ONLY: June 17 – June 23 – Apply here.
- OPEN TO TETRIS EFFECT OWNERS: June 23 – July 5
- Steam:
- CLOSED INVITE ONLY: June 17 – July 5 – Apply here.
- Oculus Quest:
- CLOSED INVITE ONLY: June 23 – July 5 – Apply here.
Due to the beta tests Enhance Games has yet to confirm when in July the Tetris Effect: Connected update will launch. When that does happen VRFocus. will let you know.
Tetris Effect Is Finally Coming To SteamVR With Connected Update
The PC VR version of Tetris Effect finally lands on Steam this summer.
A store listing for Tetris Effect Connected, the most recent version of the game, has appeared. No release date outside the summer 2021 window has been given at this time. The page lists official support for Oculus and HTC Vive headsets, though this being on SteamVR and this being Tetris, it’s a pretty safe bet that you’ll be able to load up just about any SteamVR-compatible headset and play it. Check out the Xbox announcement trailer below.
Tetris Effect was previously exclusive to the Epic Games Store on PC, where it did still feature SteamVR support. But Tetris Effect is just one of a handful of VR games available on that storefront, meaning its Steam release is still significant. It’ll definitely be one to try on the HP Reverb G2.
In its base form, Tetris Effect offered a radical new take on the classic puzzling game that let you play in immersive VR environments with incredible audio and visuals. We enjoyed it on PC and PSVR, though it shines brightest on Quest, where the game sold much better compared to other platforms.
As we reported last year, the Connected update for the game introduces full multiplayer support with both competitive and cooperative modes. This version of the game still fully supports VR and should also be coming to other VR platforms in due course.
Elsewhere, publisher Enhance is working on another PS4 game with optional PSVR support – Humanity.
Will you be checking out Tetris Effect Connected on SteamVR? Let us know in the comments below!
Best Puzzle VR Games Available For Oculus Quest 2
Looking for some mind-bending puzzle games to play through on Quest 2? Here are our picks.
The Oculus Quest library is only growing larger and stronger by the day with a few options available in most genres. For puzzle fans, we’ve put together this list of some of the best in the genre available on Quest. Some are inventive and creative, some are mind-bending and challenging, but there should be something for everyone.
Here are our picks for the best puzzle games available on Oculus Quest.
A Fisherman’s Tale
Before its more recent game Maskmaker, Innerspace released the acclaimed A Fisherman’s Tale on Quest in 2019. It’s a short yet incredibly charming puzzle game, with ingenious puzzles will make you rack your brain until you finally reach that critical ‘a-ha’ moment that feels so satisfying.
A Fisherman’s Tale was nominated in our Best of VR 2019 Awards for the Best PSVR Game/Experience, Best Quest Game/Experience, Best PC VR Game/Experience, and overall Overall Best VR Of 2019. You can read more in our review.
Cubism
Cubism is a deceptively simple game. Each level features a 3D wireframe shape into which you have to fit different Tetris-like block pieces. The puzzles get harder and the pieces more complex – it’s a slow and measured puzzle experience.
Even better, the game’s recent updates include 120Hz and hand tracking support. The latter in particular is a near-perfect fit for Cubism – all you’re doing is picking up pieces and placing them into the wireframe, but it’s enough to create a sublime hand tracking experience. This isn’t a ranked list, but if it were, Cubism would be my personal #1.
You can read our review of Cubism here (written before hand tracking support was added) and read our impressions of the hand tracking update here.
Floor Plan 2
Floor Plan 2 feels like a VR episode of The Muppet Show, not just in the hilarious absurdity of its world but also in the constant, invigorating ingenuity of its puzzles. It is a logic-based puzzle game in a completely illogical world and one of the best recent releases on the Quest platform.
Read more in our Floor Plan 2 review.
Puzzling Places
This game takes the staples of 2D jigsaw puzzles and brings them into VR with a new element — all of the puzzles are 3D models of real-life places, brought to life through highly detailed photogrammetry captures. The 16 included puzzles range from landscapes to individual objects, each with accompanying ambient sounds that build up as you solve. It’s a slow, meditative but also appropriately challenging puzzle game that offers a similar yet fresh take on traditional jigsaw puzzles.
You can read more in our review.
A Rogue Escape
This is a tough, short (1-2 hours), claustrophobic puzzler that will set you stuck in the cramped confines of a submerged submarine. There’s no hand-holding here, resulting in an immersive yet excruciatingly slow set of submarine-based puzzles. If you’re looking for an incredibly short but difficult experience, then this might be the best option.
You can read more in our A Rogue Escape review.
Tetris Effect
If you’re a fan of Tetris, then Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s Tetris Effect is an absolute must-play. It launched first on PSVR and PC VR before finally making its way over the Quest platform in 2020.
It is exactly what it sounds like – it’s Tetris in VR. However, it’s matched with a spectacular, powerful and at times hypnotic amount of visual and audio flair. While these visuals have had to be pared down slightly for the Quest release, we still deemed it the definitive version of the game across all platforms – the lack of tethered wires on Quest remains priceless.
You can read more in our Tetris Effect Quest review.
I Expect You To Die 2
Five years on from the release of the original, I Expect You To Die 2 is a game that executes a specific style of grueling puzzle game incredibly well. It’s a trial-and-error affair where you’ll spend an hour testing things, only to realize that the solution was obvious and right in front of you the whole time. It’s the mark of a quality puzzle — one where the solution is hidden not through obscure design, but through your own short-sightedness — but it can also mean a slow burn and periods of heavy frustration.
You can read more in our review.
The Room VR: A Dark Matter
The latest installment in The Room series is also its first installment in VR. This isn’t a mobile or PC port either – The Room VR: A Dark Matter is made entirely for VR from the ground up.
Developer Fireproof hasn’t lost its penchant for incredibly clever and creative puzzles in the transition. Read more in our review.
Myst
This seminal PC game made its way over to the Oculus Quest late last year. It’s an upgraded and all-around solid port of the original PC title that will have you reaching for a notebook or a friend to help work your way through the tough puzzles.
It’s a game everyone should play once and the Quest 2 port provides you with a modern but faithful way to do so. You can read more in our review.
Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs
While the Angry Birds franchise started on mobile, its first foray into VR is a completely natural transition and results in an extremely fun VR puzzle game. It’s an intuitive VR title that’s perfect for VR beginners and veterans alike.
The campaign levels do veer slightly to the easy end of the spectrum, but it’s also a game primarily targeted at kids. This isn’t to say it’s not enjoyable for all ages though, and the custom level builder and online sharing functions mean that you’ll be able to create and play more levels long after you’ve finished the campaign.
You can read more in our review.
What are your favorite puzzle games on Quest? Let us know in the comments.
Oculus Quest 2 verdreifacht aktive Spieler/-Innen in Tetris Effect
Wie Tetsuya Mizuguchi in einem Interview mit dem Famitsu Magazin sagt, habe der Release der Oculus Quest 2 die Zahl der aktiv Spielenden verdreifacht. Zudem deutet Mizuguchi ein neues Projekt an.
Quest 2 verdreifacht aktiv Spielende in Tetris Effect
Leider geht aus dem Interview nicht hervor, ob sich Mizuguchi mit der Verdreifachung auf die Quest-Plattform bezieht oder generell auf die VR-Version. Diese ist nämlich auch für PlayStation VR und PC VR erhältlich. Da sich Software auf der Quest scheinbar sehr gut verkauft und die Oculus Quest 2 laut Zuckerberg auf dem besten Weg in den Mainstream ist, würde es uns nicht verwundern, wenn sich Mizuguchi auf alle VR-Spielenden bezieht.
Zudem sagt er, dass er den Eindruck habe, dass es immer mehr Leute in der Virtual Reality gäbe, welche nicht aus dem Gaming-Bereich kommen.
Aktuell arbeitet Mizuguchi und sein Team an Humanity, welches einen optionalen VR-Support auf der PlayStation VR erhalten soll. Mizuguchi gibt aber auch einen Hinweis auf ein kommendes Projekt, welches auf Rez Infinite bzw. der Area X beruhen könnte. Er bezeichnet die Area X aus Rez Infinite als einen Prolog für die nächste Arbeit.
(Quelle: Upload VR)
Der Beitrag Oculus Quest 2 verdreifacht aktive Spieler/-Innen in Tetris Effect zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!
Tetsuya Mizuguchi: Quest 2 Tripled Tetris Effect Active Users, New Project Teased
Monthly active users of Tetris Effect have tripled since the release of the Oculus Quest 2, Tetsuya Mizuguchi of Enhance Games has revealed.
Speaking to Famitsu magazine (as translated through Google), Mizuguchi described the growth as “remarkable”, adding: “since the release of Quest 2, the number of monthly active users [for Tetris Effect] has tripled. The numbers clearly show that many users are playing with Quest 2.”
The developer didn’t specify if Quest 2 (where Tetris Effect plays best) has tripled the number of users simply on that platform or for the game as a whole – Tetris Effect is now available on practically every platform both in and out of VR.
“I feel that VR is starting to reach a layer that we didn’t expect. It seems that the number of people who are really ordinary people and do not play so many games, but want to try VR has increased,” he added.
Last week Facebook revealed that more than 60 developers had made over $1 million on the Quest platform since the launch of the original headset in 2019. Mizuguchi didn’t specifically confirm it, but these numbers suggest Tetris Effect could be among those titles.
Enhance published Tetris Effect along with another classic game modernized for VR – Rez Infinite. Currently the team is also working on Humanity, another game with optional PSVR support. But Mizuguchi also revealed that the team’s next project will expand on the Area X level introduced in Rez Infinite. “In particular, “Area X” of “Rez Infinite” was developed as a “prologue to the next work”, so that concept was developed with the concept of the next generation and XR technology to improve the overall resolution,” he said. “I want to raise it and make more detailed games.”