Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 Preview
The world is divided into two different dimensions – in one dimension they play Japan’s popular Puyo Puyo and in the other they play Tetris. These games were not meant to coexist with one another and yet, under mysterious circumstances they now do. And this isn’t the first time it’s happened either, because as the name of the game implies, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 is the sequel to the beloved puzzle game that introduced many players to the fantastic crossover that we didn’t know we needed.
So how well does the second installment hold up? The good news is, this game is so colourful and addicting Puyo and Tetris fans are going to fall in love all over again. It is jam-packed with content much like how packed my Tetriminos are when I’m having a great game of Tetris. The somewhat bad news – the story is a little cheesy and the plot is basically an excuse for you to play Puyo Puyo and Tetris. Truthfully though I’m not complaining because I doubt many people play these games for a storyline anyway. In fact, having a defined goal, no matter how ridiculous it may be, is rather pleasant.
Where Puzzles and JRPGs Meet
In the all-new adventure of Puyo Puyo Tetris 2, you play as multiple protagonists who are on a mission to find out the reason behind the merging of the two worlds. You can choose to indulge in the storyline by selecting the Adventure mode, or forgo your main mission and try your hand at a variety of Puyo Puyo Tetris challenges instead. Of course, to unlock everything you will need to complete the Adventure mode, which is not only an eclectic mix of arcade fun with JRPG elements but also a great place to start your Puyo Puyo Tetris journey. It slowly introduces you to the game with a gentle learning curve, allowing you to familiarize yourself with Puyo Puyo and Tetris before combining the two together.
If this is your first time in the Puyo Puyo Tetris world, do not fear – the sequel is ready to teach you everything you need to know. With an optional Lessons page where you can learn the ins and outs of Tetris and Puyo Puyo, the game allows for an easy transition while also allowing veteran players to jump right into the action without having to go through a tutorial.
The creative takes on the renowned classics keep the experience fresh and exciting. In addition to the Adventure mode, you are also able to play multiplayer, against a CPU, practice your Puyo popping and Tetris line clearing, and more. There are so many different ways to challenge yourself and to hone your Tetris and Puyo Puyo skills, and having a roster of 28 characters to choose from makes it all the more exciting.
A New Spin
New to the Puyo Puyo Tetris world is the Skill Battle, which is where elements of JRPGs become more obvious. In these battles you play as a party of three characters, where each character brings their own special skill that can be used by expending MP. To win, you must attack your opponent by clearing Tetris lines or Puyos and sending them garbage pieces to deplete their HP. Likewise, you also have an HP meter that goes down with every garbage you receive. It can be very intense because you have to keep an eye out for yourself, your opponent, and when to deploy a character’s skill, but this is undeniably a fun spin to the game.
Filled with witty commentary and fully voiced by a cast of well-known voice actors, the adventure is such a treat to the eyes and ears. There hasn’t been a dull moment of conversation between the cheerful characters, and the number of times I laughed or went like “Hmm, relatable” to something that someone said is countless. Even if the story seems a little silly, the characters make such amusing comments in their interactions that it makes me love them so much more.
As a sequel to an already successful title, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 offers more puzzles for players to indulge in that will bring joy a second time. Offering endless hours of fun and quirky dialogue, there is a lot of action to unpack that will leave you popping Puyos and clearing lines for days. With all these different ways to play, this hopefully means we will get to unlock lots of trophies soon.
*** PS4 code provided by the publisher ***
