The text below was published on the PlayStation Blog.
Life is rhythmic. It has a pulse. As living beings, we experience highs and lows. Sometimes together, other times alone. Games have the power to connect directly to that rhythm, stimulating all your senses and putting you in a flow state. Everything around you disappears as you immerse yourself in the game world. When that happens, it’s a magical feeling that can awaken powerful emotions within you.
You’ll feel this to the fullest with Lumines Arise, a new entry in the critically acclaimed series that began on PlayStation Portable 20 years ago (available as Lumines Remastered on PS4). Lumines is back, and for everyone who’s been a fan since the original, I hope you’re excited for this new chapter, built from the ground up to take audio, visual, and gameplay synergy further than any previous title in the franchise.
Embark on a Journey Paved with Sound and Light
Lumines Arise for PlayStation 5, with optional PS VR2 compatibility, is more than just a puzzle game—our goal is to hit you right in the feels. You emerge from darkness in the first stage (a glimpse of which you saw in today’s announcement trailer), and each stop on the journey across 30+ stages evokes a different, complex emotional response. From lush jungles, oceans teeming with life, and snakes poised to strike, to more electronic frontiers like Tokyo’s bustling streets and the infinite expanse of outer space. All with visual flourishes to trigger synesthesia.
Simple Mechanics, Surprising Depth
It all starts with seemingly straightforward puzzle mechanics. If you’ve never played Lumines, here’s how it works: rotate and position 2×2 blocks comprised of one or two colors, forming single-color/pattern squares. The Timeline sweeps across the playfield to the beat of the soundtrack, wiping away completed squares in its path. This creates gentle time pressure to form squares and build upon them, creating larger and larger squares to complete combos and score even more points.
You race to create combos, constantly mindful of the Timeline’s steady motion, feeling the DualSense controller’s rumble as music pulses between your ears and the vibrant, animated background draws you in. That’s when you enter a flow state, and the world around you disappears. Your pulse quickens while your breath holds still.
Introducing Burst
Now, to spice things up! We’re introducing a brand-new feature to Lumines’ core gameplay: Burst. As you play, you charge a gauge displayed above the Timeline. When ready, tap a trigger button to activate Burst and anchor a formed square in the playfield. Build it as large as possible before time runs out. Watch screen-clearing combos rack up massive points when Burst completes and the Timeline begins clearing that color again. Clear enough squares to meet the stage quota and you’ll advance to the next environment.
Avatars are also back. Customize yours with the largest catalog of designs in the series to date, and we’ll add more post-launch, so stay tuned for updates. It’s the perfect way to express yourself and your personality as you embark on your journey through the game.
Music for Your Ears… And Eyes
In the announcement trailer, you caught a taste of Lumines Arise’s phenomenal new soundtrack. If you liked it, check out the “Only Human” single on Bandcamp (coming soon to other streaming services) for a closer listen. Arise features original music composed by Hydelic, who also scored the award-winning soundtrack for Tetris Effect: Connected. And much like Connected, everything you do in-game impacts the soundscape.
More News Coming Soon
Stay tuned for details about a demo launching later this summer that you might even want to play with friends.
Now that you’ve seen and learned more about Lumines Arise, I hope you’ll agree this isn’t just a standard puzzle game. It’s a light and sound experience that will move you like no other. We’ll have much more to share as Lumines Arise’s launch in Brazilian spring approaches.
