Published , by Brittany Vincent
Published , by Brittany Vincent
Anyone can take a story about the former God of War raising a son or the Wild West and spin it into a great game. But there are few studios who can take the quintessential puzzle game of Tetris and create something beautiful that surpasses even the original.
Tetris Effect, a PlayStation 4 exclusive, isn't just a new skin overlaid on the game we all know and love. It's an experience, and one that even those without an intense fascination for the franchise should spend at least a few moments with. That's why it wins the prestigious honor of our Best PlayStation 4 Game of 2018 award. Incidentally, it also took home our award for Best Music of 2018, thanks to its lush soundscapes and thumping beats. Seriously – we need the official soundtrack on vinyl yesterday.
This innovative riff on an established game, with all its fantastic ways to play, dazzling musical accompaniments, and intense visuals, is the definitive way to enjoy Tetris. Just go ahead and pack up all those other versions. You don't need them anymore. All you truly need is a PlayStation 4, optional PlayStation VR headset for further immersion, and a love for games that intersect with music to transcend what we think we know about puzzle games to start with.
Everything about Tetris Effect makes it an absolute joy to play, from its stunning visuals to its new "Zone" mechanic. The Zone effect will let you slow time for a short duration of time, letting you complete lines at a rapid pace to clear out the board before it reaches the top and it's game over.
You can opt to play through the game as usual, completing stages and clearing the puzzle board of lines, or you can try out several different game modes that find you tirelessly working to find places for each shape as it falls at lightning speed, or as they appear instantaneously. There's a different way to play for just about everyone, whether you're currently feeling classic Tetris or want to tackle something a little more difficult.
It's somewhat fruitless to make an attempt at explaining how surreal, beautiful, and atmospheric Tetris Effect actually is until you've had a chance to give it a try. So if you're building a PlayStation 4 library this year, consider adding Tetris Effect to liven up yours or your loved ones' menagerie of titles. You'll be glad that you did.