(Image courtesy of SteamDB.) “Celebrating 40 years of the franchise, ‘Tetris Forever’ is informational and innovative.”
Aaron Preziosi
Connector Editor
“Tetris,” in many forms, has been a cultural mainstay for many decades. Originally created by Russian programmer Alexey Pajitnov in 1984, “Tetris” quickly caught on in the Soviet Union and drew the attention of Henk Rogers, a Dutch Indonesian game designer who secured licensing rights for “Tetris” and was instrumental in distributing the game to a global audience through third parties. In 1996, the two were able to meet in person and form The Tetris Company, maintaining exclusive ownership of the “Tetris” franchise and becoming the sole licensee of the game’s rights.
The Tetris Company was even responsible for creating a “standard” for all “Tetris” titles, standardizing aspects of the game across every single release, including piece colors, rotation mechanics, and control schemes, which created an undeniably iconic image for an even more iconic game. “Tetris Forever,” developed by Digital Eclipse, sets out to tell the story of how the franchise evolved by showcasing over 15 versions of “Tetris,” an all-new interactive timeline and documentary exploring the history of “Tetris,” its creator, and the people who helped the game become the unrivaled success it is now. It even features versions of “Tetris” never officially released outside of Japan, plus an “all-new Tetris game” called “Tetris Time Warp,” which has players jumping between several historical versions of “Tetris” on the fly.
“Tetris Forever” is no doubt something the serious “Tetris” enthusiast will appreciate, while also inviting casual players to celebrate “40 captivating years of Tetris” by lining up funny shapes as other games in the series have done many times over in the past. From playing against each other in heated competitions watched by thousands of people, to playing the game for hours on end only to reach an unintended “end,” to refining their skills so much they see falling pieces in their dreams (see “the Tetris effect”), “Tetris” fans are always finding new ways to express their love for the sensational puzzle game. This is the legacy “Tetris” has left on our culture. Everybody knows it, and everybody can play it thanks to The Tetris Company’s drive to preserve and continue their game’s legacy long into the future. The only thing needed to play “Tetris” these days is a web browser, and it can be done for free, with fancier, more celebratory versions such as “Tetris Forever” available for purchase elsewhere.
However, as influential as “Tetris” is, and as great as “Tetris Forever” is at being a celebration of that influence and its history, it may not be a worthwhile purchase for most fans. While the game is important as a documentary, a common sentiment among players is that “Tetris Forever” is simply overpriced for what it is. While it offers over 15 versions of “Tetris,” some even being released worldwide for the first time, it’s all still “Tetris.” Furthermore, “Tetris Forever” lacks online multiplayer, which has been a dealbreaker for many fans as the feature has become a mainstay feature for most “Tetris” releases. At a middling $35, “Tetris Forever” is available on Steam and console marketplaces and succeeds in being a celebration of everything “Tetris” has become.
Grade: B
