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You know, ever since I was a small child, I’ve always had an affiliation Tetris blocks. So I’ve spent hours navigating them, clearing lines and humming the tune as I rack up countless points. However, after a decade or so it gets a bit stale, even Tiny Towers didn’t hold my attention for long. I mean, don’t get me wrong now. Tetris is good and all, but wouldn’t it be cool if someone did something else with these blocks and made them great again? Luckily enough though, someone came along. Studio Chilled Mouse has stepped up and answered the call, not only did they make Tetris blocks great they added in some banging tunes too. However, it has been an uphill battle in seeing the creation of their games as other endeavours Chiptune and Chime Fat never met their goals.

Fill the grid with cubes, and get massive scores for combos.

Well, Chime of course had already released on Xbox 360 back in 2010 (HOW DID I MISS THIS?). Nevertheless, its sequel has finally arrived in the form of Chime Sharp to PlayStation 4 with new tracks and game modes making for the penultimate experience and being a first-time player all I can say is that I am in love with this game. I sat for consecutive hours just enjoying the music and setting new high scores. The premise is incredibly simple. Each level has its own track, grid and set of shapes. So your goal is simple to create blocks and cover the grid. The grid can be covered multiple times and the blocks can be extended, when you form a block there’s a short time period where you can increase the size (thus increasing score) which in turn covers more grid. There’s also a pulse that makes its way across the screen, any blocks left un-attended will vanish ending your multiplayer, so you have to keep on your toes to get the best score possible.

It doesn’t take long to unlock them all, but it does take time to master.

So what is it that makes Chime Sharp so special then? Well, it’s the game’s dynamic music. You see, it just gets better and better as you progress through the level hitting high scores. So when the beat picks up, I felt my actions got quicker as played to the rhythm, all the tracks are decent too, while I certainly have my favourites, overall the selection of songs on offer are brilliant, and there is a variety of artists featured such as CHVRCHES, Chipzel, Steve Reich and many more talented composers. In other words. There’s some great stuff here, and it certainly keeps you playing whether you’re in for a treat if you’re using a sound bar or a decent pair of headphones.

The 16 levels on offer don’t take long to unlock and beat, while the extra game modes require a certain amount of skill to unlock there’s still plenty on offer to keep you coming back for more especially with the addition of leader boards. I just hope there will be some additional content in the future as the game really does deserve solid success, but that can’t be done without community support. Chime Sharp won’t break the bank either priced at £7.99 its well worth the money. This is one of the genuine decent score attack puzzlers on the store at the moment.

“Chime Sharp” is what happens when you mix Tetris with great chiptune music.

As far as I’m concerned Chime Sharp is a must buy, a complete no brainer if you love puzzle games, score attack and kick ass music. It’s addictive and engaging, and I haven’t played an indie game that’s engrossed me this much since I played Resogun. In the matter of fact, I’ve already hit some of the top 50s on the leader boards, and I intend to top my previous scores. Chime Sharp has got its hooks in me, and I really hope there will be some bonus content on the way in the future because the music is just as brilliant as the gameplay! Tetris has always been great, but dare I say it, Chime Sharp might be even greater.

Pros:
+ Tetris blocks are still cool
+ Addictive
+ Fantastic Music

Cons:
– Addiction can be dangerous
– It’s stopping me from playing Nioh
– Can’t beat that guy in No 1 spot.

Gameplay: 5/5
Graphics: 5/5
Sound/music: 5/5
Controls: 5/5
Replay value: 5/5

tgg grade 5 out of 5

Verdict: 5/5
Tetris was never anything other than great, but some how Chilled Mouse has achived the impossible. As Chime Sharp is even greater than Tetris.

Title: Chime Sharp
Developer: Chilled Mouse LTD
Format: PS4
Genre: Puzzler
Resolution: 1080p
Release date: 21/02/17
Difficulty: Medium
Spent time: 4 hours
Average grade internationally: TBA% Gamerankings.com
PEGI age rating: E
Price: £7.99