Lumines Electronic Symphony is a brick-based puzzle game consisting of dropping 2×2 blocks, onto a grid. Each square can consist of two colours, and it is up to the player to match these coloured squares and create a new square of the same colour. Once a block of the same colour is made, it will disappear once a vertical line, which travels across the screen, reaches the block. The game is over once the blocks reach the top of the screen.
Lumines Electronic Symphony may sound simple, but what gives the game its edge is how the gameplay is combined with music and visual styles. Each level consists of a song, which has its own unique visual style complementing the song’s tempo and feel.
When a level is completed, the next song mixes in seamlessly, while the background and colours of the level change completely. This visual change can cause some confusion and it does require some concentration not to lose track of the layout of the grid.
Throughout the game the player can also receive various bonuses; for example, the shuffle block, which rearranges all the blocks on the grid, or the chain block, which removes all blocks of the same colour touching each other. There is also an avatar on the screen that gives the player special abilities when activated. By tapping on the PS Vita’s rear touchpad the avatar’s ability is recharged over time, but this does cause a loss of concentration making it difficult to focus fully on the game.
Lumines Electronic Symphony
The vertical line, which travels across the screen, also varies its speed based on the tempo of the song playing. The slower the song, the slower the line moves, allowing the player to make bigger blocks or create more blocks in a cycle. The speed of the line on each level creates different challenges as blocks disappear slower, or even fall faster because of the song tempo.
Making the music and sound effects even more impressive is how the sound effects blend seamlessly into each song. The sound of tilting or moving a block sounds like it was part of the song from the start, and I have found myself moving a block for no reason other than to add a sound effect at a desired time.
Lumines also has a leveling system, where each block destroyed awards the player with XP. This allows the player to unlock skins, music, and avatars that can help them further themselves in the game. This adds a sense of replay value as I found myself returning to the game multiple times to see if I could increase my level and unlock everything.
Lumines Electronic Symphony
Lumines offers various gameplay modes:
- Voyage: the standard mode where the player can play through all levels and see how long they can survive.
- Playlist: allows songs to be added to a playlist, creating unique levels, with music the player wants to listen to.
- Stopwatch: how many blocks can be erased in a specific time limit.
- Duel: players compete via ad hoc network with other players.
- Master: gives the player specific challenges to complete.
World Block: renews daily, and consists of all the players playing that day to help clear a huge block consisting of 2 million squares. Each square the player clears in Lumines contributes to removing a square from the world block. Once the World Block is cleared, all players that contributed receive a well deserved XP boost.
Lumines makes use of the PS Vita’s unique control scheme, but not to a great extent. You can move blocks by sliding across the screen, or rotate blocks by tapping on them. Even though the touch screen works very well, the taps and slides do not always register quickly enough, so control and speed suffer in the later levels.
Lumines is a fun game that blends its gameplay, music, and visual style magnificently. With its large number of songs, game modes and content to unlock I have found myself coming back for to see what I can unlock next. Even though Lumines doesn’t really use the PS Vita’s touch controls to its full potential, it is still a great game that should definitely be given a chance by any PS Vita owner.
