Launching today on Nintendo Switch is Ekstase, a Tetris-like puzzler that’ll have you making shapes in more ways than one.
Described as “a love letter to Berlin and its techno scene,” Ekstase is a falling block puzzler that features bright, flashy visuals and a soundtrack full of techno beats. While it looks almost identical to Tetris on the surface, the gameplay isn’t quite the same; instead of clearing lines, a scan line wipes out a particular colour of block each time it passes. Here’s an official description:
In Ekstase, shapes of 3-5 blocks fall from the top, and as soon as they hit something, they fall apart. The scan line changes color every cycle and removes the squares you formed with blocks of the same color.
Flow mode: Flow mode is the frictionless “jump in” game mode in which the game adapts to how you play. Are you getting better? The game will ramp up its difficulty. Are you getting worse? The game becomes easier. In doing so, the game teases out a “state-of-flow” in the player, a state in which you are fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, involvement, and enjoyment.
Beat99: Beat99 is the rhythm mode in Ekstase . The goal is to rank up your multiplier by dropping shapes to the beat. You’ll be given 99 “lives”, dropping a shape subtracts one life, missing a beat subtracts ten! Try to survive as long as possible and try to score as high as you possibly can.
Classic mode: In Classic mode, you set the challenge. Choose the number of colours and the speed of the shapes.
Time Attack: Can you stack efficiently? Prove it in Time Attack mode. Beat the highscore in a set amount of time.
Two rotation modes: Ekstase can be enjoyed in two different play styles; play style “A” and play style “B”. In A you rotate the colors in a stationary shape, in B you rotate the shapes. This way you get two games for the price of one!
With different colour palettes to choose from to aid those who are colourblind, as well as custom button mapping and options to turn off any distracting backgrounds, Ekstase sounds like it could be a good fit for a wide range of players.
If you’re interested in giving it a go, the game launches on the Switch eShop today for £13.49 / $14.99. Carefully fall down into our comments section below and let us know if you’ll be checking it out.
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