Tetris Worlds (Online Edition) (Xbox)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.0 stars Good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 6.1 (3.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Ryan Davis
• Reviewed on: 06/26/2003
• Released on: 06/13/2003
• Originally published on GameSpot: Tetris Worlds (Online Edition) (Xbox) Review

A year after releasing Tetris Worlds on the Xbox, THQ has released an updated version of the game. The only appreciable difference between the 2002 Tetris Worlds and the 2003 Tetris Worlds is the inclusion of Xbox Live support. Indeed, this is a pretty significant addition, and it makes Tetris Worlds a significantly more recommendable title, though that recommendation comes with some caveats.

Graphics and sound have never been make-or-break categories for Tetris games, though this didn't stop Radical Entertainment from making Tetris Worlds one of the flashier versions of the game to date. Each mode has its own themed backdrop, where you'll see barren deserts, erupting volcanoes, an icy tundra, and more exotic and fanciful landscapes. Tetris Worlds shows off a little flair from time to time with particle and lighting effects, though you'll probably be too focused on the game at hand to give notice. The music is made up of noodley ambient techno and industrial tracks, all of which are completely forgettable. Thankfully, the Xbox version of Tetris Worlds allows you to rip your own soundtrack, if you prefer.

Tetris Worlds is composed of six different flavors of Tetris: square Tetris, cascade Tetris, sticky Tetris, hot-line Tetris, fusion Tetris, and plain old white-bread Tetris. By tweaking the existing rules of Tetris or adding entirely new rules, each mode requires you to come at block management and block placement with a slightly different strategy--though, for better or for worse, they're all still Tetris. Any of these modes can be played solo or against up to three other players on a single Xbox, and more importantly, you can also play square Tetris, cascade Tetris, and standard Tetris against three opponents via Xbox Live. Square and cascade Tetris can both be played in knockout mode, where extra incomplete lines are added to the bottom of your opponents' fields when you clear multiple lines. Standard Tetris can also be played in knockout mode, as well as in race mode, where the goal is to simply clear lines and reach the next level of difficulty before your opponents. Finally, the game features a lounge mode, which takes the focus off straight competition and instead serves as a sort of chat room. The online mode in Tetris Worlds comes with all the Xbox Live fixings, including voice-chat support, friends lists, and quickmatch and optimatch options, as well as a stat-tracking system to let you see how you stack up against other Tetris Worlds players. The whole online experience is well executed, and if you've been playing Tetris all by yourself for all these years, this version of Tetris Worlds will show you exactly what you've been missing.

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