Lumines Arise brings the music puzzler back in a big way

One thing we certainly didn’t expect to see this morning at the PlayStation State of Play was the return of Lumines, in the form of Lumines Arise. We’re certainly not complaining; the first of the critically acclaimed music puzzle series began on the PlayStation Portable 20 years ago, so it’s great to see it return.

Not only that, the team working on this one are the same folk who made Tetris Effect, another trippy, music-charged experience that was transportative for many; Lumines Arise will also be available for PSVR2, for those who want to truly be a part of the pulsing beat.

Lumines is a puzzle mechanic that starts simple, but gets deceptively intense the more you progress. You rotate a variety of 2×2 blocks made up of one or two colours, forming squares of a single colour or pattern. The Timeline sweeps across the playfield to the beat of the soundtrack erasing completed squares and enhancing the music; combos add to the track, making for a pretty euphoric experience when you enter into a flow state. It’s a rad series, and I’m stoked that it’s back for a modern generation.

In the official PlayStation blog post, Takashi Ishihara, Director at Enhance, went into depth about the music in Lumines Arise. “In the announcement trailer, you got a taste of Lumines Arise’s phenomenal new soundtrack. If you like that, check out the single of “Only Human” on Bandcamp (coming to other streaming services soon) for a closer listen. Arise features brand-new music composed by Hydelic, who was also responsible for Tetris Effect: Connected’s award-winning score. And just as with Connected, everything you do in-game impacts the soundscape.”

Lumines Arise is coming to PS5, PSVR2 and PC, with no release date yet – but a demo will be avaiable in the coming months.