DECEMBER - WIN a R500 Takealot Voucher with iGame's Game of the Moment

[Spartan]

iGame's Game of the Moment :

WINNER WILL RECEIVE A R500 TAKEALOT VOUCHER.

Entries close on the 2nd of January at 5pm

• Have you recently played a game that sucked you into its virtual world?
• Do you feel guilty when you have to stop playing this game?
• Were you so glued to it that it caused sleep deprivation and emotional trauma?
• Has your significant other threatened to leave you unless you put down that blasted contraption and spend time with her/him?
• Have you awoken to find cheese curls in your pants and an empty red bull can fort surrounding you?
• Did you forget to shower and scare the neighbour's cat with your yeti musk?
• Have you grown a beard without even noticing?
• Has the beard sprouted out of nothingness even though you are a female?
• Did you accidently cut the couch open with your unclipped gamer toenails?
• Has this game brought out the inner child or the inner hermit in you?
• If this game was a female, would you date it?
• Are you already dating it?
• Should we leave the two of you alone?

If you have answered yes to any or all of the above questions, TELL US ABOUT THIS GAME!

Start your post with:

Entry: Game name

Follow it up with a short gut-wrenching, heart-warming, disco loving, stomach busting, panty dropping or emo kid punching paragraph describing your game of the moment. Tell us about the game and what it did to you, make us want to play it. Be creative or be funny or make us feel all warm and fuzzy like the armpits of a carebear. Users can start posting below.

The user/poster with the best writup about his/her game of the moment will win a R500 Takealot voucher.
Every month a new thread will be created and at the end of each month one winner will be selected and only one winner will walk away with even more cash to fuel his/her gaming addiction.
An iGame staff member will contact the winner at the end of each month and send the voucher via e-mail.

How we will pick the winner:
If the writeup prompts any of the iGame staff to spontaneously stop working and start playing the game.

*Users are allowed to post about the same game. If this game has moved more than one person then we are eager to hear about it.
**Users can post about any game they have recently played, but please do not tell us about that game you played when you still believed in the tooth fairy.
***iGame does not deny or acknowledge the existence of any or all fantasy figures mentioned herein.
****iGame does not conform to social convention.

Disclaimer - All decisions are final. When a winner is picked the threads will be locked and the winner announced. iGame reserves the right to disqualify,ignore or remove any post/entry that is offensive or abusive.

[Flex]

Entry: World of Warcraft

This is probably the single game that will provide you with the most memories!! Both good and bad. Adventuring through Azeroth with your friends, stumbling upon Ally in StrangleThorn Vale and dominating them as Horde usually does.

This was the kind of game that you could play 4 days straight, just taking bathroom brakes. We used to take the microwave, kettle, coffee and viannas into our rooms to enable us to play WoW days and days without leaving the game. (I know the world of WoW better that i knew my own neighbourhoods streets)

Unfortunately as you can see the game is extremely addictive... way to addictive. I was clean for about 2 years... relapsed a few months ago, at this moment i have accepted my addiction and will continue playing this amazing game probably until my dying day

[Spartan]

Bump for cookies.

[moondoggie86]

Entry: Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge

Protagonist: Brother-in-law
Me: Willing participant

This tale is more about my brother-in-law than me but noteworthy none the less.

About 10 - 12 years ago my cousin and I got into Red Alert 2. I know it was released for quite some years at that stage but we were mostly into mainstream titles. A UCT professor (can't remember his name anymore) was showing us how well he played against 8 Brutals at one of my cousins friends home.

Well during the December holidays my brother-in-law got a sudden interest watching as LAN. He isn't a gamer whatsoever and the only game he would talk about was some Arcade title called Chelnov (http://game-oldies.com/play-online/c...coin-op-arcade). He was dating my sister at this stage.

He started playing with us and after a few days he would pitch up at my place early mornings, greet my sister and ask me to start up the PC.

This behaviour was not atypical except for the fact that my sister would only see him again at about 2am the following morning when he left.

For about two weeks he would be at our place at 8am, leave at 2am and be back at 8am the same day. My sister was complaining that she only sees him when he lurches in there early morning with bloodshot eyes and when he leaves.

This eventually led to my sister deleting Red Alert from my pc and him ridding himself of the addiction after not playing for a few days. I'm pretty sure she gave him an ultimatum as well.

To this day he still asks me to copy the game onto his laptop

[Tydmors]

Entry: Hearthstone

This is one of those games that just makes you feel at home, even when starting it up, the host tells the other players to make a space for you next to the fire because its cold outside.
..............
And then the magic starts, you start off with nothing more than the basic 9 decks with no fancy cards in them and you have to battle other players to complete your daily tasks and to earn gold so that you can buy better cards, and come on who does not want better cards after getting hammered by someone who has better cards than yourself.

So after playing this game non-stop for a while, the hearthstone team decided to bring out a single player campaign that really kept me coming back each day so that i can do my daily task and earn some cash so that i can buy the next chapter for a mere 700 gold, I must say its almost as bad as saving up for something in real life, it feels like you will never have enough, but then you do

So come on in and we will make room for you next to the fire place as well.

[chan0o]

NBA 2K15 (another buzzer beater)

Down by 1 point in overtime. 4 seconds left on the game clock. Coach calls a time out.
"I know everyone is tired, but we still have one last play. So let's go win this thing!" The coach encouraged us.

The paint was on lock down. The only way to get open was to get behind the three point line.
Spinning around my defender, I caught the inbounds pass just behind the three point line. However, the defender reacted fast, already trying to close the gap as I try to shoot. I faded away with no time left on the clock.
The entire stadium stood in silence. Waiting. Hoping the ball will fall for the home team.



*swoosh* The sweet sound of a basket ball going right through the hoop, touching nothing but net.
The stadium burst into a roaring cheer as my last second 3 pointer had won this gruelling overtime match.

These close matches can really make your hand sweat over the controller gets my December gaming moment.

[brendanvb]

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris



Temple of Osiris is the follow-up to the insanely fun couch co-op adventure, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. This spin-off series is a lot more light-hearted than last years Tomb Raider reboot, and has a lot more in common with the reboot's predecessors. It is definitely one of the best games I've played with someone in co-op and I have fond memories of that title, so suffice to say I was very excited when the sequel finally released this month.



Unlike the original 2-player adventure, this time around they take it up a notch and allow up to 4 players to play together, and when playing locally with a couple of friends (perhaps after a few drinks), things can get pretty hilarious. Each of the 4 characters have unique abilities that makes working together to overcome the game's many obstacles very important, and these moments can definitely put your relationship to the test if playing with your SO (especially if you're both pretty competitive ).

The game's story is minimal: Lara accidentally awakens the Egyption god, Set, and your aim is merely to set things right by completing a series of challenging tasks. Story aside, Temple of Osiris is pure gameplay and unadulterated fun.



Each level sees the characters trying to navigate their way through various challenges (you can play alone or with the total of 4 players, and the puzzles all change depending on this). It's when you're playing with 4 players that things get really fun. Trying to steal all the loot before your mates get to it, setting of bombs as they run over them, or "accidentally" dropping them down into a pit of spikes leads to some funny moments, especially when each of the players tries to find new ways to return the favour. A lot of our time together was spent finding new ways to screw each other over. Of course, killing each other aside, you'll need to work together to actually complete the levels, and make sense of some of the brain testing puzzles, but it's definitely appreciated that there's an abundance of options to provide some hilarity if you're looking for a few laughs.

In closing, the competitive gameplay, exciting set-pieces and challenges you'll have to overcome makes this one of the best, if utterly ridiculous, digital titles you can close out 2014 with.

[Razor88]

Entry: Hearthstone : Heroes of Warcraft (PC)

It's been quite a while since a game has really pulled me in. But when you open Hearthstone for the first time, you are greeted by the most friendly dwarf, who tries his best to make you feel right at home.

Playing the tutorial shows you just how easy it is to pick up and understand the game. As you go along though, you realise that it really is a case of "easy to learn, hard to master". There are countless games where one mistake cost me the game, or one good move brought me back from the brink

Another great thing this game brings is nostalgia. Who could forget playing Yu-gi-oh with your friends? The excitement of opening that new booster, with seemingly infinite potential inside. The feeling of getting a rare and and even more rare? Remember the great feeling of beating that guy with way better cards than you? Well now you can re-live it, boosters and all, and play whenever you want, without the controversy of fake cards or whether you calculated life points correctly. It's just amazing.

The art-work is also really good, and the game has a really good sense of humour. It's a really competitive game at times, but the game tries it's best to lighten the mood.



See?

Additionally, there is always stuff to do. Daily quests to get gold, playing games vs people or AI, and my personal favourite: Arena.

You get to choose a deck from a randomly generated list of cards, and pit it against other arena players. There is an entrance fee (in gold) and prizes to be won. Rack up enough wins and you get your money back. Let's just say that last time I played arena my brother told me that perhaps I was taking this a bit too seriously .

All in all, it's a really fun and welcoming game. I have been a little obsessed with it recently, something not a lot of games can claim these days. This is the game that makes you realise that perhaps you are not losing your love for gaming as you age.

So download the game (it's free), open your older, tactical mind, and at the same time, make your inner child happy .

[The_Imp_ZA]

Entry: Half-Life 2
We Don't Go To Ravenholm



It’s been an unspecified number of years since Black Mesa, both in the real world (when last did I play the original HL?) and the fictional one. The world as you know it has been completely destroyed. Tearing down the borders between worlds attracts attention - and in the aftermath of Black Mesa - the multi-dimensional empire known as the Combine has invaded Earth. Accepting the whole planet’s surrender in only seven hours, the Combine control is total and a suppression field prevents childbirth. The downtrodden remnants of humanity you see will be the last. The Citadel, a huge alien structure, looms hundreds of stories above the sky of City 17, a metropolis somewhere in Eastern Europe. The man responsible for the surrender, Dr. Breen, was the administrator of Black Mesa. He serves as the face of Combine population of Earth, and the primary antagonist.

But if you think Breen’s going to be some sinister, mysterious figure, you’re wrong. The minute you step off the train and see his smiling face, you know you’re not dealing with a tyrant; you’re dealing with a sell-out. He is just so comfortable up in his laanie tower, a fine rug covering the cold other worldly steel of his office. Throughout the game you’ll see how essentially powerless he really is and what a pathetic pretender he’s been, presiding over the end of the world in a black turtleneck. It’s symbolic of a whole new approach of story telling and script writing. Valve goes out of their way to make sure that every major character is distinct, memorable and motivated by real human concerns.

As time’s gone on and graphics have improved, the characters that populate HL2 haven't gotten any less vivid. The Source Engine is fantastic, allowing for an agelessness that very few engines could provide. But how do you make the player feel like they’re playing the same Gordon Freeman as the last game, with a new setting and no voice? It’s the HEV suit and it’s symphony of sound effects that come back, although sounding a little smoother but otherwise unchanged. One of the great strengths of HL2 is its natural presentation and pacing. The environmental detail is incredible and you really feel like you’re gunning your way through Earth’s last days. The oceans are being drained; the invasive ecosystems of other dimensions have slipped through, turning the wilderness into something more savage and stranger than before. Humanity lies hold up in its crumbling, useless cities, stripped of names and purpose. This combination creates an experience that is incredibly immersive.

The game is very obtuse as to where you’re supposed to go next, in a way that reinforces the whole “rogue physicist in over his head” feeling. You cover a tremendous amount of distance, thanks to a couple of vehicle segments that span many miles. My favorite has you piloting a buggy up the coast from City 17 to the prison of Nova Prospekt along the decaying highway leading North. This sequence, Highway 17, is one of the best in the entire game, putting you against exploration challenges, tremendous set piece battles in small towns, and amazing artistic direction. There’s not a single flavor of HL2’s gameplay that you won’t sample during Highway 17, and the length of the journey makes reaching the prison unexpectedly rewarding. Highway 17 also highlights just how many modes of gameplay Valve included over the course of the campaign: puzzles, platforming, stunt driving, stronghold assaults, survival horror and optional exploration. It’s all in there.

Play HL2, play it again if you already have. It has completed defined a genre, and is only recently being beating at its own game. I have no idea how I missed this one back in the day. I could still do another paragraph on Ravenholm, but I'd better end it here. I'm quickly approaching wall of text-mountain

[Spartan]

Due to the Holiday season and New Year happening very soon the competition closing date has been moved to the 2nd of January.

Gives everyone some time to play through their Steam Sale games.