Tetris Forever Review (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, & PC)

Digital Eclipse has had a great run with the first entry in the Gold Master series, The Making of Karateka, and the second entry, Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story. It’s fitting that their third entry be Tetris Forever, following one of the most successful franchises in gaming history. Even after the numerous media you may have tracked down, whether articles, documentaries, or even the new biographical thriller film, there is still a heck of a lot of new stuff you’re going to learn in the new game. You enjoy an interactive video game documentary created by the best studio for the job. 

The end result is pretty informative and, to boot, adds a walk down history lane of some of the most exciting iterations of Tetris. Now, not all the games have made the cut. After all, there have been 220 variations released on 65 different platforms. That’s all over 40 years of Tetris history. But Digital Eclipse has done a fantastic job of streamlining the most vital pieces of information that cater to gaming enthusiasts and history buffs alike. So, if you’re considering playing the new game but aren’t quite sure if it’ll be worth your time, we’ve compiled all you need to know beforehand in our Tetris Forever review below.

A Simple Idea

Tetris needs no introduction. I bet everyone has played a version of the game, and if not, you can easily pick up how it works. All you do is move different shapes of falling block pieces to the left or right to complete lines. As soon as you complete a line, it disintegrates, creating more space to play and increasing your score. Over the years, the game has received over 200 iterations, some highly successful and others veering dangerously close to the edge of weird and strange. But in all the iterations, the basic concept remains the same, and that has been the beauty of Tetris: that no matter what, the game will always remain timeless. 

It’s been 40 years since Tetris was first created by Soviet software engineer Alexey Pajitnov, and this is where Tetris Forever kicks off, with a deep dive into his inspiration and early development process. Digital Eclipse, as always, adapts the same interactive gameplay style as the first two entries in the Gold Master series. You scroll over an engaging timeline UI where you can explore the history of Tetris through carefully curated archival photos and candid interviews. Alexey Pajitnov goes on to tell us a wonderful story of how he was inspired to create the game while working at the Computer Center of the Soviet Academy of Sciences. The game was meant to be a pastime, a fun thing to take his mind off work. 

Aligning Interests

And then, of course, the story we all have heard most about Henk Rogers, the guy who spearheaded the partnership with Nintendo that skyrocketed Tetris to a global audience. The film is certainly a more dramatic reflection of the challenges Rogers faced cutting the red tape in the Soviet Union. But now, you get a personal account through interviews and even discover details you probably never knew. Together, Alexey and Henk take us through their passion for Tetris and the journey the franchise has walked through all these years. And it’s all very informative, if not at times bogged down by nerdy details. But this is all an essential undertaking in gaming: to document how far we’ve come via actual gameplay that has made all of the success in the industry possible.

Besides the two partners who’ve cozily remained good friends, we also hear from other major influencers in the Tetris journey. And it’s all just simply exciting to walk down history lane, whether via interviews, archival photos and footage, and more. There are these neat descriptions across the timeline that you may also find quite the treat. And to catch your breath, you’ll jump into some of the most historic Tetris variations that have evolved over the years. Yes, even the original browser-based game. You know, the one with the brackets for the shapes, green in color against a black screen. It’s the version Alexey developed on the Electronika 60 in the mid-1980s. This version just brings a different kind of joy; one that really solidifies how much time has passed and the leaps technology has made. 

Tetris Forever

In total, you can play 18 Tetris games. It’s definitely a much lower number than you may have expected. However, considering licensing issues, it’s still impressive that there is a good enough variety to churn through. Probably, the same licensing issues have made it so most of the games available are from the retro era. Like the aforementioned original game, that’s barely the barebones of all Tetris eventually came to be. There are versions of the Apple II, Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, and Nintendo’s Japanese-market consoles, the Famicom and Super Famicom. 

Most notably, you have Bombliss variations, which feature bombs used to destroy surrounding pieces. Battle Gaiden makes it to the list, too, that added battling mechanics. This one was only released in Japan. So, it’s nice that a global audience can now play it. But the games include even more weird additions, like a Go game and Hatris, which isn’t really Tetris. This one isn’t as popular. So, you may not have heard of it before. But it essentially plays like a Tetris game, except you stack hats on top of one another. The games get even more strange, though, with some variations that have you stacking body parts. Yup, eyes, noses, and you get the picture. 

There are so many variations out there that perhaps including them all would have strayed from the essence of Tetris Forever. The agenda here remains to celebrate the history of the franchise, and its fundamental concepts. Still, there’s a high chance more games will be added in the future. So, if you’re disappointed that Tetris X, Tetris 64, Tetris Worlds, Tetris Zone, Tetris Splash, Tetris DS, and Tetris Effect, among many more, are missing, don’t fret. Pending ironing out licensing issues, there’s still a chance you might enjoy playing these, too. 

Time Warping

And, of course, the man of the hour: Tetris Time Warp. This is the new game added to the franchise, developed by Digital Eclipse exclusively for the Tetris Forever interactive documentary. Well, it’s not really a “brand new” game, only tweaking the gameplay you’re used to a bit. You start playing in a modern Tetris game. The goal is to complete ten lines. Once completed, you unlock a special random piece. Upon completing the line for that piece, you will trigger a “time warp” that transports you into a different Tetris game from a different era. There are a variety of special blocks that translate to multiple eras you can explore, all in one game. With each era, you’ll complete a specific challenge, often under a strict time limit. Beat the challenge, and you gain extra points before being transported back to the present.

You can tell the different eras are more like re-skins of the base game. But it still is exciting to travel through time in short bursts of time. The time limit also puts pressure on you to climb up the ranks as high as you can. Plus, you can up the ante and invite friends along for the ride. Through multiplayer, you can compete with up to four friends. It’s a neat, fresh idea that can entertain gamers who are less interested in history lessons. But, ultimately, Tetris Time Warp doesn’t do enough to keep you returning for more rounds. It simply is a fun discovery journey that, once completed, will have served its purpose. I guess the same goes for the timeline, where once you learn the history of Tetris, there really isn’t much to keep you coming back for more. 

Verdict

Thumbs up to Digital Eclipse for compiling the history of Tetris in one digestible product. They’ve done such a great job of arranging the archival photos and videos in ways that are easy to go over. Even including candid interviews of Alexey Pajitnov and Henk Rogers, showcasing their inspirations, friendships, and challenges in the bringing of Tetris to the globe is engaging. Some of the information you learn here is completely new and musters a special kind of joy. But most of all, that thrill of walking down history lane will probably be best enjoyed by history buffs. 

There’s no doubt lots of informative archival pieces and contemporary footage to learn about how far the franchise has come. And even appreciate the engaging UI used, from the photos to the videos and 3D representations of vital information. Some of it may, admittedly, be a bit boring to follow along. Especially for Tetris fans and gamers at large who are simply looking to enjoy playing through history. For those gamers, you may enjoy the classic games on here. And, hopefully, even more exciting Tetris variations will come.