Hot Heart

Not sandbox in that there is one big world, but that there are 5-6 different 'big' areas and then the game plots different race courses through them... or you're free to go off, explore and do your own thing. Sort of like lots of mini-sized Test Drive Unlimiteds/Burnout Paradises areas. So, it was kinda 'cost-cutting' in that they only needed to make a few maps and then just stick checkpoints in different places.

Seriously, though, my zone-out games would be Carmageddon (the original sandbox driving game?), Prototype or Spider-Man: Web of Shadows. Drive, smash or swing your way about the place.

DEAN! Ban him. BAN HIM! Oh, wait, we only ban for Burnout Paradise. But you should know, as per the forum rules, that everyone here believes Burnout 2 is the best. Though Burnout 3 was pretty good too (and it does feature Jimmy Eat World).

Can't speak for Settlers of Catan. Ticket To Ride is a decent 'gateway' game. Pandemic is the co-op 'gateway' game (Castle Panic is fairly decent, too). You probably won't see it mentioned around a lot, since it's not so well-known, but I think Relic Expedition would be pretty good, because it's not ridiculously simple yet is by no means complex. Plus, the theme does show through as well. Really depends on what sort of stuff he likes though. A few of us had a brief discussion a while back on Twitter regarding classifications and preferences with regards to theme and mechanics and such and I've started to get a feel of what I'm drawn towards and what my friends like. The real problem is that 'designer board games' don't tend to be cheap...

I'm actually slightly skeptical, partly because I feel James Gunn films tend to fall slightly short in certain ways, but I really liked that last scene for the most part.

Only a brave few of us dare call attention to his shit moderating.

It's a fair effort! Scene heading should be EXT. QUARRY, WALES and you need to have dialogue marked as THE DOCTOR/DOCTOR WHO with everything in a slimmer centralised column, and no need for speech marks. I was actually going to make some joke versions of 'more leaked X-Men Apocalyspe script snippets' but I've been kinda busy with other things, plus they probably wouldn't be that funny.

I saw someone else tweet about it and thought they were jokingly exaggerating, but having seen it mentioned there, too, it actually sounds like it's a legitimate, totally fucked up thing.

Relevant: http://io9.com/transformers-age-of-extinction-the-spoiler-faq-1598579492

Lost Odyssey was another on my list, but didn't want to overload in one post. Really great JRPG from one of the original Final Fantasy creators. Trims all the fat off the grindathon template and introduces some interesting tactical considerations that trump levelling up a bunch. Also, it has the greatest game advert of all time. OF ALL TIME. Also ALSO. Even without playing the game, you totally need to 'experience' the fantastic collection of short stories inside the game. You're robbed of the significant contexts in which you discover them as you play, but that's no biggie. You will cry manly tears. Here's the playlist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSQ6nCiq5jY&list=PL4FE03279FA2A0C42

Can't say I recall things being fiddly. I do enjoy the fighting because the cover system is neat and you can scramble about with an enjoyable amount of chaos going on. As for the bullet sponge concern, it might be a problem if you haven't upgraded weapons enough, but I had a souped-up assault rifle that tore through everything with ease by mid-point.

Really should finish my 'Lost Gems of Last Gen' article... Spider-Man: Web of Shadows. Nails the mechanical aspects of Spider-Man unlike any other game (Spider-Man 2 had swinging AND THAT WAS IT) and is pretty fun to boot. You can go from mid-air battles to street level to fighting on the side of a building with fantastic ease. You can actually swing straight into enemies and boot them off into the distance, which is all I've ever wanted from a Spider-Man game. The QTEs suck (but are quite comical) and the voice-acting and writing are hit and miss but the overall story is somewhat interesting. Plus, Tricia Helfer as Black Cat. MEOW! Alpha Protocol. Kinda tricky and finicky for the entire first section but stick with it (and go for a pistols and stealth build) and there's a lot to love. Your decisions in missions, intel purchases and conversations, have an impact, both big and small, on how the story plays out and all the connections between the various characters (you'll never get all the background info in one playthrough). It has a neat conversation system, before the Walking Dead games adapted it somewhat. Plus, you can make a guy with a great big bushy beard! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. Probably best to go for the PC version if you do decide to give it a go, as that seems to have the fewest glitches. Anyway, this is a game by developers who clearly love the franchise and had some neat ideas, but not enough time to fully deliver on them (probably how most 'flawed but fun' games occur). What you get for a reasonably low price (I'd say at least 50% off is the time to bite) is a fun little beat-em-up that somewhat apes the Arkham games but tries to add a little more variety to the proceedings. This isn't always achieved successfully, and the actual 'cadence' of the combat is a slower one, with very deliberate timing required, so it can feel clunky until you become accustomed to it. Each turtle has dozens of unique animations and all play very differently, so it provides a great deal of variety. You've got a story mode, a training dojo, a challenge mode and even a sidescrolling arcade mode that helps the combat shine even more in certain ways (and allows for four player local co-op like the olden days).

Or worse! Oh, wait, you said Ontario.

Brewskis!

MOM'S SPAGHETTI!

Oh, I totally forgot to mentioned I played a two-player game of Seasons, too. I remember seeing it and being tempted, but passing because it's only up to four players. The premise is that you are duelling wizards showing off magic spells and things in a tournament throughout the year (hence, 'seasons') so you'll have your hand of 9 basic cards and then you have to decide to store 3 each for two later years as the season track goes round. In each season, you'll roll the appropriate dice (one for every player, plus an extra) and that will govern certain things you can do and resources you'll receive, some will be more plentiful at certain times of the year, while more scarce ones can net you more crystals (VPs) if you 'transmute' them. Each player will pick one in order, with the remainder advancing the season track that many dots). So you'll be figuring out the best timings for your cards, making sure you can get them all played, balancing which resources you'll need or when best to transmute them for more crystals, etc. I played with a very basic setup, and it was still a lot of fun. There's an element of getting your long-term earning cards out first, saving your multiplier ones for later, making use of recall and replay abilities. I believe the more advanced cards open up more aggressive play, and more than two players is supposed to make the game drag a bit. Definitely good for two people though, and the artwork is beeeaaautiful. Though Dean's Epic Spell Wars game sounds closer to the game I envisioned when I first heard about the concept. Will definitely have to look into that. I like games with a slightly humorous theme, which is also why I've backed Assault on Doomrock (besides it looking like a cool D&D questing card game with some deep combat mechanics).

That would be pretty cool, but incredibly complex. Space Alert is a lot of fun in that respect. Otherwise, the next closest might be Space Cadets. In other news, I did get to play A Study In Emerald the other day and it was good fun. Tense at times because you really need to know who's on your team, lest you end the game with a 'teammate' in last place. Only slight issue was one player misunderstanding how that worked, so he was in last place when he decided to assassinate another player's main agent, who turned out to be a Restorationist (automatically ending the game). Funnily enough, he killed the guy who was in first place and since there were no other score multipliers or things affecting it, that guy won. Now, with a few more games this shouldn't happen. Partly because the guy learned his lesson, plus shouldn't have been doing something so risky when in last place anyway. In fact, because he was the only Loyalist, he only needed to beat one other player (Restorationist in last place, all others get eliminated, automatic victory for Loyalist). Additionally, the guy who got assassinated wasn't recruiting more agents as 'buffers' (can't target someone's main agent if they have other agents) and if the Loyalist player hadn't been so foolish, a bunch of us would've stolen back his point-giving cities and put him in last. ...which really would've helped the Loyalist. Whoops. Anyway, I still enjoyed it and look forward to discovering the further depth to it, and the various strategies thrown out by the cards. It was cool seeing someone steal a Double Agent after faking a bid for it... or one player acting coy about holding a Double Agent token for a powerful agent (allows you to look at someone else's identity) that only he wasn't bidding for, after I'd blocked it a few times and then someone completely shutdown the city so no one got it. At one point I was considering stealing an agent with a token I had for them but realised the guy was on my team and a better moment might present itself. Plus, next time, we'll have the full five players.

The Cabin in the Woods. Supposedly going from Netflix so decided to get round to watching it, and glad I did. I'm not a fan of horror films, but had heard this was not your typical one. It most certainly is not. It's a postmodern take on things, akin to Scream, but to say too much would spoil it somewhat. I will just say that it's a good watch, and the third act is gloriously outrageous.

Technically, not so much from the videogame but... End of an era.

Crap, have I even played a new game this year yet? I think the only 2014 releases I have so far are Broken Age: Act 1 and Luftrausers, and I've not really touched them. Haven't been particularly taken by anything yet, and The Witcher 3 has been delayed. Still, Firefly Online is due soon...

During the USA vs. Germany game...

I'll probably watch it, and it'll probably be alright. I don't care if they 'change' things because every incarnation does. I was just bothered by all those terrible lines and some bad voice-acting. ALSO MICHELANGELO LOOKS LIKE SHREK AND DONATELLO LOOKS LIKE JAR JAR BINKS