Despite the several chapters of game tips and 'how to play' tutorial, Lumines never really explains Puzzle mode. Creating a cross out of blocks should be easy, but good luck without trolling the internet for a forum discussion on the topic. Mission mode gives gamers a certain number of moves to clear all the blocks given, increasing in difficulty along the way from simplistic to thought provoking.
Versus CPU mode is where things start really heading south for Lumines. Once gamers enter the mode, they see a split-screen where they are battling against a computer player; attempting to squeeze their portion of the screen small enough to where they run out of playing space and loose. It is addictive, simple, and over rather quickly. Although the game purports the mode as a 'tournament', after beating your first computer opponent, gamers are greeted with a message explaining that they will need to purchase the 'Versus CPU pack' to continue. This is where the gamer backlash begins.
Although the Arcade lists Lumines as a 'Full Game', it is not quite complete. To date, the developers have released four expansion packs to allow gamers to continue their puzzle gaming pleasure for additional monies. While the use of micro-transactions via Xbox Live is debatable, Lumines fails miserably by showing gamers what they are missing. Most developers are at least clever enough to hide the missing bits from gamers until they release the items over Live Marketplace, and actually buy them. If Q Entertainment had simply hidden the Versus CPU mode at initial release, they would not know any better. Allowing gamers to start their 'Full Game', then asking for additional cash to continue makes them look money hungry, and cheapens a potentially great puzzle game.
As a multi-player game, Lumines again stumbles. The single console multi-player is solid and plays similarly to the Versus CPU mode. This might tie over those looking for some puzzle action in the same house, but the key to a gamer's heart is through Xbox Live. Unfortunately, Lumines delivers a choppy lag-infested Live mode; at least at the title's launch. Attempts to verify whether the recent update to the game had solved the lag issues that made it nearly unplayable at launch found an empty game on several occasions. It seems as though even the gamers not dissuaded by the game's pricing and micro-transactions have even given up on playing it, at least over Live.
Lumines is the big game that couldn't; a puzzle game with a great reputation has been seared into gamer's minds as an evil money grubbing swindle. It is too bad, because Lumines does offer a simple and addictive, though not perfect, puzzle game worth checking out for those with the stomach for the seedy side of Xbox Live Marketplace.
