Lumines: Arise – The Beat Drops Once More
From the very first beat, the music swept me right back into that hypnotic trance I remember so fondly from when I played my first Lumines game. I have a soft spot for music/rhythm games puzzle games. It is hard to explain unless you’ve played it before, but this series has always managed to capture that elusive mix of both rhythm, color, and flow that seems to makes time disappear. Within minutes, which quickly turned to hours , I was completely absorbed, lost to beat as the soundtrack pulsed through my headphones. Every block, every combo, every shimmering explosion of light and sound clicking into place with great satisfaction. This is Lumines as I’ve always loved it, beautifully refined for a new generation.
What Is It?
Lumines: Arise is the latest entry by Enhance and Monstars Inc, in the long-running puzzle series that is Lumines. Brought to life by the same creative team behind Tetris Effect: Connected and Rez Infinite. It’s a celebration of synesthesia, sound, sight, and in some ways touch, blending seamlessly into an experience that’s as much about how it feels as how it plays.
In Arise you get to play across more than 35 handcrafted stages each build around a couple of different songs. As you progress through the songs, the level transforms its atmosphere entirely, introducing new tempos, backgrounds, and emotions. One stage might have you diving through an ocean of glowing jellyfish, while another bursts into kaleidoscopic city lights, or hums quietly with neon rain and gentle synths. I even seen nuts, fruits and vegetable on screen. The variety is astounding, and unexpected. The soundtrack is the heart of the game provided by Hydelic and Takako Ishida, both veterans of Enhance’s greatest hits, it drives every moment forward.
Though not a rhythm game in the strictest meaning of the word, games such as guitar hero of frequency, the music still is an important element of the Lumines experience. Each track has this reactive element, meaning the blocks you move, rotate, and drop actually layers into the song, turning you into an active participant in the music itself and as you progress the songs often grow into a beautiful crescendo, before transitioning into the next one where the build up starts over again.
Gameplay
If you’ve played Lumines before, you’ll feel right at home. The premise is as deceptively simple as ever: Rotate and drop 2x2 blocks composed of two colors, and align matching squares to create explosive combos. Unlike a game like Tetris these do not disappear once created but rather once they are passed by a sweeping “timeline” that clears them in rhythm with the music. Timing your drops and combos with the timeline is important as being to early or to late could mess up your plans easily.
The fundamental rules remain the same, but this time, a clever new mechanic called Burst Mode adds strategic depth and tension to each match. As you clear squares, a meter fills at the top of the screen. Once it reaches at least 50%, you can trigger Burst, temporarily halting the timeline’s sweep to let you build one massive combo. During this phase, blocks of the opposite color are pushed away, giving you precious breathing room to keep expanding your cluster before the inevitable cascade. When Burst ends, the line clears everything in one satisfying chain reaction, often resulting in screen-filling explosions of light and music.
Learning when to activate Burst is a rhythm in itself. Go too early, and you’ll miss a chance to rack up a huge score. Wait too long, and the playfield may fill up beyond saving. It’s a mechanic that rewards experimentation and observation, and when you nail it, the payoff feels incredible. As I learned during my first playthrough, sometimes the smartest move isn’t dropping blocks as fast as possible but waiting a beat or two to set up the perfect combo.
The game’s Journey mode acts as its main campaign, divided into nine areas that each explore different emotional and visual themes. There’s a sense of progression that’s both tactile and emotional—the deeper you go, the more layered the experience becomes. For players looking to fine-tune their skills, the Missions mode provides structured challenges and training scenarios that teach core strategies, from mastering chain blocks to managing pressure zones. Once you’ve conquered the main story, you can dive into Playlist mode, creating your own curated set of favorite tracks and stages to enjoy in whatever mood suits you.
Multiplayer finally joins the series in full form with Burst Battle, a one-on-one competitive mode that lets you send “garbage blocks” onto your opponent’s playfield while trying to maintain your own rhythm. It’s fast, flashy, and cross-platform between PS5 and PC. Personally, I preferred to chill solo, but it’s a smart addition for those looking for a more competitive groove. There’s even a rotating lineup of online events and daily leaderboard challenges, keeping the experience fresh long after the credits roll.
Presentation, World-Building, Sound, and Graphics
Lumines: Arise is a visual and auditory masterpiece. Not straying from its well-known formula it aims for a zen or trance like experience while you play. The way it fuses light, sound, and motion is often nothing short of mesmerizing and as much a pleasure to watch as a bystander while someone else plays. Each stage feels like a living music video, reactive, dynamic, and full of small details that make you want to play “just one more" until you realize it is deep in the night and you really should be in bed. The art direction leans into strange, surreal and emotional territory, from cosmic backdrops to dreamlike underwater scenes. Some levels feature subtle environmental effects like water reflections or camera shifts that respond to your score streaks. The result is a game that’s constantly evolving before your eyes.
I reviewed the game on PC and the performance was flawless with steady framerate and the visuals that popped on my ultrawide 4K monitor. and yes there was ultra wide support, making the experience even better. The menus felt sleek and intuitive, filled with color and personality without ever feeling cluttered. Accessibility options are robust as well, letting players tweak nearly every aspect of the visual presentation. From reducing particle density to adjusting timeline motion or even enabling “No-Stress Lumines,” a relaxed variant that lets you enjoy the music without fear of failure. You can even stop the blocks from falling automatically, or turn off game-over conditions entirely for a purely meditative session.
The soundtrack is, as expected, phenomenal. Hydelic and Ishida have outdone themselves with 39 original tracks ranging from pulsing acid beats to techno to soulful vocal pieces. Each stage track builds momentum as you progress, layering percussion and synths to match your tempo. It’s an album of emotions in interactive form, and like Tetris Effect, it invites you to play with your heart as much as your hands. Nothing like just getting into a zone and play.
Parental Advice
Lumines: Arise is rated E for Everyone, and that feels spot on. There’s no violence, no inappropriate content, just a dazzling sensory experience filled with color, rhythm, and light. It’s a safe, positive, and even relaxing game to have in the home. Younger players might find the challenge high at first, but the many accessibility and difficulty options make it easy to find a comfortable groove. Usual disclaimer, YOU make the decision what is right for your family, we are just here to give you the info.
Final Thoughts
Lumines: Arise isn’t just a revival of a classic, it’s a love letter to the very idea of play that respects the player and lift them up even when they stumble. It captures that perfect balance of flow and challenge, wrapping it all in a colorful kaleidoscope of sound and motion that at times feels almost meditative. The newly added Burst mechanic adds a welcome layer of depth without compromising the purity of the core gameplay and the addition of multiplayer, avatar customization, and playlist modes ensures there’s always something to come back to. Add to this the extensive accessibility options and together this makes this the most approachable Lumines yet.
Even when it has been around for decades now, Lumines:Arise manages to feel both nostalgic and fresh. Whether you’re a long-time fan or brand-new to the series, this entry shows us why Lumines remains one of the most satisfying puzzle experiences ever made. It’s a celebration of rhythm, creativity, and connection, and it just might be the best version of Lumines to date.
It’s available now on PlayStation 5 and Steam, with optional PS VR2 and Steam VR support. I played the Steam version with a controller, and it ran beautifully. While we didn’t test VR for this review, the mode is included and looks to offer an even deeper level of immersion.
Thumbs Up — Because this is Lumines at its most evolved and immersive, celebrating music, rhythm, and the joy of play.
Title: Lumines: Arise
Developer: Enhance, Monstars Inc.
Publisher: Enhance
Platforms: Steam (PC, Steam VR Optional), PlayStation 5 (PS VR2 Optional)
ESRB: E for Everyone (Mild Fantasy Violence)
Release Date: November 11, 2025
MSRP: $39.99 Standard / $44.99 Digital Deluxe / $5.00 Upgrade
(review copy was provided to us by the studio's PR team)
About the writer: DadGeek (Rob) is the co-founder of GeeksVsGeeks. He is a product of the eighties and never let go of his geek interest and hobbies no matter how often someone told him to stop. His love for gaming and all things geek has been part of his parenting style and permeates throughout the whole family. A family of Geeks vs Geeks.
