Published , by Brittany Vincent
Published , by Brittany Vincent
Tetris Effect is a PlayStation 4 exclusive with PlayStation VR support, and it's a transformative riff on the classic puzzle game. It's played like the traditional game we all know and love, but with inventive mechanics that make it even more of an experience than we've seen from other iterations. For example, the Zone ability lets you slow down time for a brief period as you continue to stack pieces and aim to clear lines. The result are things like the Ultimatris, Decahexatris, and Perfectris. What are those, anyway?
It's simple! You can clear several at a time simultaneously, which leads to some seriously impressive visual effects and personal satisfaction. Using this mechanic can elevate a normal, garden-variety score to new heights, and net you several different bonus rankings, such as the four-line Tetris, or the insane 20-line Ultimatris. It can be confusing to keep up with these flashy names and what they all mean, so we've put together a helpful reference for you to check when playing through Tetris Effect. Chances are, by the time you pull off an Ultimatris, you probably won't need our help anyway, but it'll be here just in case!
A Tetris occurs when you clear four lines at once. It's pretty simple to pull off, and you don't even really need to use the Zone ability to do so, so you'll be seeing a lot of it throughout each game. It's still quite satisfying!
An Octoris occurs when you clear 8 lines at once simultaneously. It's a lot trickier than just four lines, obviously, but it's not too hard to accomplish if you play your cards right.
A Decatris happens when you string together 10 line clears simultaneously.
A Dodecatris is awarded when you line up and clear 12 lines simultaneously. It may sound impossible, but this player certainly makes it look easy.
A Decahexatris occurs when you clear 16 lines simultaneously. Trey Harrison was the first person to achieve a Decahexatris in Tetris Effect, while playing with the PlayStation VR headset. Interestingly enough, Trey was able to achieve the coveted 16-line ranking while playing in VR, because it seemed to help him concentrate. This is likely true for most players, as it fully immerses you within the game with the puzzle right in front of your face. It's an interesting phenomenon, and one that many players who have tried Tetris Effect can attest to.
A Perfectris is performed when you clear at least 18 lines at once. It's a bit confusing, since the word root "perfect" certainly seems as though it should be associated wth a 20-line clear, like Ultimatris, the next item on the list. But no, it's just at least 18 lines. This is truly expert-level play.
An Ultimatris will occur when you clear 20 lines or more at once. If you've made it this far, consider yourself a veritable Tetris god. We bow down to you and your awe-inspiring skills. So far, the record is 21 that we've been able to find online, but the sky's the limit – at least, if you consider the sky the top of the Tetris board.
Looking for more Tetris Effect? Be sure to check out our review, or this collection of Tetris Effect gameplay footage from the game throughout Journey Mode.. It's a hypnotic, engaging experience that you won't soon forget, so make sure you give it a try if you're able!