Connected and affected by the beat.
Somehow, the team at Enhance was able to trick my senses into feeling a rush of emotion while playing a rhythmic block dropping puzzle game. Not only that, this wasn’t even their first time doing this to me. Lumines Arise is the next puzzle game to be infused with synesthetic elements following the equally and delightfully impressive Tetris Effect: Connected. The big difference, Tetris Effect: Connected felt familiar while being a departure from the formula that worked incredibly well, while Lumines Arise feels like what Lumines should’ve always been.
In Lumines Arise you rotate 2×2 blocks of two different elements to form matching squares on a rectangular grid while every so often a Timeline bar crosses over the field clearing out matches. A simple premise that possesses a high ceiling for those looking to chase puzzle mastery and introduces the new Burst ability offering even more avenues for skillful play. Bursting allows you to stop a square from clearing for a certain amount of time allowing you to continue to build upon that block for screen emptying opportunities and massive combos. Or in my case, also used to help bail me out of sticky situations when the tempo was as high as my body temperature sweating from the almost overflowing grid. This version of Lumines feels as tight as ever but there’s so much more to what this iteration really is. Lumines Arise isn’t just a puzzle game, it’s a journey.
The single player campaign of Lumines Arise dubbed journey, is by far my favorite piece of the package. As you travel through the journey mode you’ll flip blocks in all of the soundscapes crafted for this game. Each one its own music, its own two blocks to match, and unique settings to tie it all together. The closest thing to playable whimsy and charm I’ve experienced in some time. There’s a moment in the level “Slice & Dice” where fruit and vegetables are flinging around the scene as you clear out pieces of broccoli and apples that somehow transported my mind to a kitchen in an animated film during an elaborate music number only to reach the climax and as the scene fades and song changes “Code X” rips the charm off the screen. This transition from dancing through the elegance of a pile of produce to hard shapes with an even harder beat is the journey Lumines Arise takes you on and nails it every beat of the way. This is only a snapshot of what awaits in journey, just a moment singled out from dozens of moments all worth steeping your senses in and soaking over and over. That’s because Lumines Arise isn’t just a puzzle game, it’s an experience.
Journey isn’t everything there are other modes and ways to invest your time in Lumines Arise. Whether it’s jumping into multiplayer to face off against other folks, creating your own playlists to have a custom joyride through some of your favorites, or jumping into the training and challenge modes to hone your puzzle prowess. All of which allow you to continue to explore the puzzles surrounded by sound. There’s also in-game currency to acquire which allows you to spin for new cosmetics for your avatar and player card adding an additional motivator to returning to bliss if collecting triggers your good brain juices. Everything you can do in Lumines Arise shares the same connection that elevates them– the experience. It’s hard to sit here and quantify why I think Lumines Arise is as good as it is. Why Lumines Arise deserves your attention. The easy out? You loved Tetris Effect: Connected and I’m telling you Lumines Arise was dipped in that same batter, fried twice, and slathered in that secret sauce recipe hot and dripping and begging to be devoured. If you haven’t played then I don’t know maybe I sound like I’ve lost it, and I mean, you wouldn’t be wrong but I am still totally right about Lumines Arise. That’s because Lumines Arise isn’t just a puzzle game, it’s a state of mind.
These last, I don’t know six weeks or so, have been some of the hardest in my life. Collectively, it feels like most of us are in varying degrees of despair. So having Lumines Arise be a trampoline for launching my brain out of my noggin and into the gaze of chameleons or a rain soaked forest with carefully crafted audio and visual overlays has been a brief moment of respite for a weary dreamer who’s trying to stay afloat. Not every game can be that, not every game wants to be. Lumines Arise to me is not just a mind altering experience, and not just an escape, but in some ways evokes some of the same emotional hardships I’m facing and I’m sure some others as well. It’s not a bandage, it’s not therapy, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t healing, freeing, on top of being entertaining. That’s partly due to the fact that Lumines Arise isn’t just a puzzle game, it’s a vibe.
Lumines Arise is everything you want out of a good puzzle game, out of a good Lumines title. Incredibly fluid gameplay and what feels like a persistent flow state paired with unmatchable audio and visual design that rivals the best of the genre. The artistry and science behind every crafted experience in Lumines Arise is musical matrimony. Gameplay and experience harmoniously intertwined between all aspects of heart, mind, and soul that urges you to connect with yourself and the world around you. That’s because Lumines Arise isn’t just a puzzle game, it’s a symphony of the senses.
We reviewed Lumines Arise on PlayStation 5 with a code provided by the developer. Lumines Arise releases on November 11, 2025 for PC and PlayStation 5.
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