Puyo Puyo Tetris 2

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2
	Cover art
Developer(s)	Sega
Publisher(s)	Sega
Director(s)	Naohiro Hirao
Producer(s)	Mizuki Hosoyamada
Programmer(s)	Naoko Shimura
Artist(s)	Akira Mikame
Composer(s)	Hideki Abe
Series	Puyo Puyo ; Tetris
Engine	Hedgehog Engine 2
Platform(s)	Nintendo Switch; PlayStation 4; PlayStation 5; Xbox One; Xbox Series X/S; Windows;
Release	NS, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S WW: December 8, 2020; JP/AS: December 10, 2020; ; Windows WW: March 23, 2021; ;
Genre(s)	Puzzle
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2^[a] is a puzzle video game developed and published by Sega. It is an installment in the Puyo Puyo series and a direct sequel to Puyo Puyo Tetris. The game was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on December 8, 2020 with a Windows version released on March 21, 2021.^[1]^[2]^[3] The game was released to generally positive reviews.

Gameplay

Like the previous game, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 revolves around the two different gameplay styles of the Puyo Puyo and Tetris series respectively. Players can choose between Puyo style, which involves arranging colored blobs (puyos) and matching them together to set off combo chains, and Tetris style, which involves placing shaped blocks (tetriminos) to create lines and removing them from the grid. Players compete against each other with the style of their choosing, with the aim of sending garbage to their opponents, causing their play field to overflow and eliminating them. The game features all the modes featured in the original Puyo Puyo Tetris, including the Swap and Fusion modes which feature both styles.

In addition to a new story and characters, the game introduces new modes, such as Skill battles which allow for character based skills and items to quickly change the game. It was also stated to have an improved online mode from the first game, allowing for more competition in leagues and free play, as well as new modes.^[4] In Adventure mode, the players traverse an overworld and engage in Skill Battles with other characters in the story, that acts more like a JRPG.^[5]

Story

After the events of the first game, the worlds of Puyo and Tetris are separated once more, leading to all of the characters forgetting the memories they gained from their previous adventure. Strangely, the two puzzle worlds merge once more, seemingly caused by a brand new character, Marle. Ringo first encounters Tee and his crew in Suzuran, who are encouraged to pursue the mysterious force by the Keeper of Dimensions, Ex.

After Ringo gathers Amitie, Arle Nadja, and Carbuncle the characters are introduced to the S.S Tetra's crew, and they pursue Marle. Eventually, they learn that she had brainwashed many of the citizens of Primp Town into constantly desiring to battle. Through the act of battling, Tee's crew and Ringo's friends free the citizens from Marle's spell and eventually find and defeat her.

Marle reveals that she herself had been under the control of another new character, Squares. The cast of characters travel aboard the S.S Tetra to ask for Ex's guidance, who creates a path of various riddles to help Marle recall the circumstances surrounding the merging of worlds and Squares. After regaining her memories, Marle explains that she is the human incarnation of the Will of the Worlds, and that Squares was created by her to focus on maintaining the order of the world.

The group of friends travel to the edge of the two worlds and face off against Squares, who wishes to destroy both worlds entirely due to their merging disrupting the natural order. As they battle Squares, Marle comes to the realization that Squares has the mentality of an infant despite his older appearance and voice. Marle calms Squares, and the group help quell the power he had progressively gained over the course of the adventure. After saying their sentimental goodbyes, the worlds separate once more.

Development and release

The game was showcased during Nintendo Direct Mini presentation in August 2020, and was released in December for Nintendo Switch.^[6]^[7] The game was also released in the same month for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S^[8]^[9] and PlayStation 5.^[10]^[11] A Windows version on Steam was released on March 23, 2021.^[12]^[13]

Three updates were released in 2021: the first update for January added four additional playable characters including Sonic the Hedgehog from the series of the same name.^[14] In a second update, released in February, four new characters were added from Puyo Puyo 2, the Puyo Pop Fever games, and Puyo Puyo Chronicle. Accessibility options for color blind players were added, alongside three new songs and multiplayer support for certain modes previously only playable in single-player.^[15] New challenge rules were also added.^[16] In March, the final update was released, adding four characters from the Puyo Puyo series, the ability for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 players to participate in online play together, four additional songs, a spectator mode (allowing players to watch online matches), and a harder "Super Spicy" difficulty setting,^[17] in addition to also adding twenty new user avatar pictures.^[18]