The theme of the second parts, sequels or sequels is always complicated as they shouldn’t look like their predecessors if they don’t want to bore you by being more of the same, but they shouldn’t innovate too much because they end up being unique and lose the captivating essence of the original. Because of this, I have conflicting opinions about Puyo Puyo Tetris 2.
Basically we’re facing the same game, but it’s 1% of the changes trying to tweak the concept of Tetris which does it pretty well and Puyo Puyo Tetris was one of them. In the latter, the Japanese Puyo Puyo mixed with Tetris and thanks to some kind of magic it finally worked. Although I’ve been playing local multiplayer most of the time, it also has a very well-designed adventure mode which is completely unexpected. Of course, the narrative is certainly not going to win a Nobel Prize in Literature, but it is a very successful and fun addition where the fate of the world depends on you as you stack blocks of Tetris and gelatinous creatures full of colors.
The story is just as simple as the previous one, but it can be said that a lot of work has been done on it, so those who want to disconnect from the world for a while and immerse themselves in crazy manga adventures are definitely a lot of fun will. The protagonists are Ringo and Tee, but the title features a variety of characters who bring the adventure to life and you will see that each one is crazier than the last. I did the analysis of its predecessor for Switch and being able to enjoy it on the hybrid console itself is a very important factor as you cannot always be connected to the internet. Instead, I played Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 on Xbox Series X, and I have to admit that I didn’t feel like sitting in front of the TV and going through history than doing it while riding the bus.
If you are unfamiliar with Puyo Puyo then don’t worry as there is a very intuitive little tutorial that will teach you the basics of the title. It is true that I am already a veteran of Puyo Puyo, but it is also true that I am generally better at Tetris and usually win more games in the latter. However, one of the best things about Puyo Puyo is the very long combos that you can chain together if you are lucky and right. If it does, your rival will be killed almost instantly. It is therefore not advisable to relax for a second while you are playing, so as not to give your opponent a hold, to create a madness on the screen and destroy you. If you want to quit Adventure Mode, you have to play Puyo Yes or Yes. So be careful while the charismatic tutorial is great.
If, like me, you are one of those people who like to give everything and always get three stars on every challenge, you know that you are facing a very demanding title. This is one of the reasons that justify how well the workout comes in, but yes, I recommend you turn off the automatic difficulty level that Sega thinks the game is balanced with as it only comes from the latter who likes stress and frustration should actively play with it.
By the way, do you bring something new? Not much, actually. This edition offers us a wide range of multiplayer modes and the option to play only Puyo Puyo or Tetris. However, if the latter is what catches your attention the most, I recommend getting better at Tetris Effect: Connected as it offers a much more refined experience with Tetraminos than Puyo Puyo Tetris 2. The alternate mode (a A short time for each discipline ) is back in this edition and it’s still just as fun while in Fusion Mode you have to be prepared and with your eyes open as the madness can explode at any time as this is the place where both puzzles merge.
This time, however, there is one way that takes the cake: Art fight (skill fight). Here you can fight with a total of three characters of your choice (although the menus are terrible and only annoy your opponent if you’re playing in local mode), each with different traits and a style similar to a game of combat. When I was younger I glued to the screen for many hours with Puyo Puyo for Dreamcast, and this mode wakes me up in the same way as this classic. Pressing the button that corresponds to your character will trigger their special ability as long as the ability bar is not empty.
It is also very important to launch a relentless attack to pull the life away from your rival. Some characters are more difficult to understand than others, while there are some that offer novice perks, but it’s something Sega has always had great control in such arcade titles, so I have no doubt that with a little practice it can be anything will feel more balanced.
The art fights are great fun and I played with my partner for hours. However, I think the multiplayer will be the best title, although I expect it will be filled with extremely skilled people who won’t even let you stack the first few blocks before they’ve already destroyed you with the special skills. I still think this mode should have its own story mode where you can learn to combine the different characters correctly and explain each one of them ‘s skills. However, it is basically another modality within a work that is practically identical to its predecessor, but with small changes and a new story.
In general, I’m glad that Sega didn’t touch the Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 gaming experience very much. The title offers us a mixture of two very different puzzles, and the result is very natural, but while it’s a very fun title, it should come with more content. If you already have the old version, you’re just buying a new story and art combat mode, and hopefully a bigger multiplayer community too. So you’re the only one who knows if it’s worth paying for it. However, if you haven’t played the original, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 is a very fun puzzle game that will last you for years, especially in local multiplayer (if you don’t toss this stuff on your head).
