Best New Idea - PSLS Game of the Year Awards 2018

Developers are constantly coming up with new ideas for games. Whether it’s fresh mechanics, remixes of old ideas, or a whole new take on something as simple as difficulty options, games in 2018 were filled with new things to discover and conquer. Some ideas completely took us by surprise, wowing us and making us rethink what was even possible in games. What broke the status quo this year? Here are the PlayStation LifeStyle nominations for Best New Idea in 2018.

Best New Idea in 2018 Winner

Tetris Effect

Read our review.

Tetris might be an old idea, but Tetris in virtual reality is all new, bringing an incredibly fresh perspective to the classic game. We had our own Jenni Lada tell us why this was the best new idea in gaming in 2018.

“Tetris has been around since 1984. It is hardly new. Virtual reality didn’t start finding a place in the video game world until Sega’s VR-1 motion simulator in 1994 and Nintendo’s Virtual Boy in 1995. But it wasn’t until 2018 that the two met and hooked up, creating the stellar Tetris Effect in the process. It uses incredible, changing landscapes and immersive sounds to put you into a zen space as you attempt to clear as many blocks as possible. Once you drop tetrominoes, you just can’t stop.”

Reader’s Choice Winner

God of War’s Leviathan Ax

Kratos traded out the Blades of Chaos for new weapon—the Leviathan Ax—in his bearded reemergence. While we ultimately got back that classic Kratos, the chained blades never fully overtook the ax. This frosty weapon allowed for completely new combat scenarios and puzzle solving, being a very important part of Kratos’ adventure in the new God of War. Honorable mention here goes to the single shot camera in the same game, a camera that never cuts away from the very beginning of the journey, right to the very end credits.

Don’t miss our full lineup of nominees for the PlayStation LifeStyle Game of the Year awards. We’ll be revealing more winners all throughout the week, leading up to the Game of the Year on Friday December 21.