The Community Spotlight - 12/17/2016

Banner Provided By: morehandclaps
Banner Provided By: morehandclaps

Hello and welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight and I, @zombiepie, am once again honored to be your host this week. There's no avoiding it, as the chilly weather begins to lift us into a wintry slumber, __game of the Year is looming right around the corner. As is the tradition when the glut of awesome user-created lists, blogs, and threads pertaining to Game of the Year I am dividing the Community Spotlight into two sections. The first section will showcase any and all GOTY content the community creates, and everything non-GOTY related in the second. With these ground rules established, let's move onto the site related housekeeping:

  • The Community 2016 Game of the Year Voting has officially commenced! Learn about the ground-rules and how you can influence what gets crowned the Giant Bomb Community's "Game of the Year!"
  • Mr. Rorie just posted an update on Giant Bomb's Extra-Life raffle for those who donated during Giant Bomb's livestream.
  • CBSi is looking for a Senior Front-End Engineer for their San Francisco offices.

2016 User-Created Game Of The Year Content

Blogs

  • Games I Played And Enjoyed This Year And Some Other Things (2016) (By: @jazz) - Jazz's 2016 video __game special distinction awards include "I Played Cloudbuilt with Optimus Prime Award," as well as "Game Most Likely To Be Confused With Diablo But Is Probably Better Than Diablo 3."
  • My Favorite Video Game Music of 2016 (By: @majormitch) - While working on his 2016 GOTY candidates MajorMitch went ahead and listed his favorite game music from the year.
  • Here We Go Again, Time To Try And Summarize 2016 In A List Of Games (By: @mezza) - MezZa poured his heart and soul into this summary on his ten favorite games he played in 2016.

Lists

  • BabyChooChoo Presents BabyChooChoo's Top 10 Games Of 2016 (Sponsored by BabyChooChoo) (By: @babychoochoo)
  • GOTY 2016 (By: @cfilipec)
  • My 10 Favorite Video Games Of 2016 (By: @kingbonesaw)
  • GOTY 2016 (By: @bassman2112)
  • The Top 10 Games I Played In 2016 (By: @cornbredx)
  • The Bestest, Most Accurate GOTY Of 2016 (By: @briarpack)
  • Jack Saint's Best of 2016 (By: @lackingsaint)
  • My Game Of The Year List Of 2016 (By: @valorianendymion)
  • Best Of 2016 (By: @rjayb89)
  • DocHaus Top 10 Games Of 2016 List (By: @dochaus)
  • GOTY 2016 (By: @rmanthorp)

Threads

  • Share Your 2016 GOTY Lists (By: @beachthunder) - Once you are done composing your GOTY list feel free to post and discuss what managed to grace it.
  • Should Blood And Wine Be Eligible For GOTY? (By: @rongalaxy) - Should The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's Blood and Wine DLC be Eligible for GOTY? Vote and discuss the matter which practically has the community buzzing this week.

Author's Note: Hey did I miss your GOTY blog, list, and/or thread? Just drop a link to it here and I can guarantee that it will be on the next edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight! It's really that simple!

Clip(s) Of The Week

The Second Dream (Spoiler Recap) Presented By The Giant Bomb Community (By: @rapid)

The Giant Bomb Warframe Clan has been having a rip roaring time with the latest batch of story updates to the game. Here are a couple of videos showing their adventures in the game.

Giant Bomb Galleria

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Sketches From Bombcast 460 (By: @morehandclaps)

Another week, another wonderful Bombcast sketch from morehandclaps! Here's a picture of her work still in progress.

Community Activities

This picture perfectly encapsulates how I feel about Super Mario Run
This picture perfectly encapsulates how I feel about Super Mario Run

Super Mario Run Community Friend List (By: @welshcleats)

Interested in populating your Super Mario Run Friend List with GB users? Post your ID here and make it so.

Tap Titans 2 Community Clan (By: @rockslacasa)

We now have a Giant Bomb Community Clan for Tap Titans 2! Learn how to join it over here!

Best Of Blogs

Learn why this picture is the moment Sweep fell in love with The Last Guardian
Learn why this picture is the moment Sweep fell in love with The Last Guardian

Last But Not Least (By: @sweep)

This week Sweep wrote a wonderfully detailed blog extolling the narrative and emotional beauty of The Last Guardian.

Drifting In A Winter Wonderland..... (By: @notnert427)

notnert427 bought and played the Blizzard Mountain DLC for Forza Horizon 3. Learn how it's a raucous time for everyone who owns the game.

Playing Planet Coaster Challenge Mode - Part 2: Planet COASTER & Playing Planet Coaster Challenge Mode - Part 3: First, Thirst (By: @zeg)

Read why this is a lot harder in practice than what it may seem.
Read why this is a lot harder in practice than what it may seem.

Zeg has been spending a great deal of time re-hauling his theme park in Planet Coaster and shares updates on his folly. Read about his latest attempt at making a theme park from scratch.

Playing it Wrong (By: @beardslyman)

beardslyman extrapolates why he enjoys playing Cities: Skylines "wrong," but has no regrets in his life choices in doing so.

Final Fantasy MEGA BLOG - Part I (By: @lawgamer)

LawGamer is getting in the Final Fantasy blogging game. Check out the first episode of LawGamer's exhaustive Let's Play blog series on Final Fantasy XV.

Is Round 1 Arcade a fun time, or a depression factory? Read InfiniteSpark
Is Round 1 Arcade a fun time, or a depression factory? Read InfiniteSpark's blog to find out.

Moosey's Lukewarm Take On Mafia III (By: @mooseymcman)

MooseyMcMan shares a "lukewarm" and conflicted perspective regarding Mafia III on this exhaustive blog over here.

Quick Impressions On Round 1 Arcade Exton, PA And Some Arcade Games (By: @infinitespark)

InfiniteSpark had the pleasure of checking out Round 1 Arcade at Exton Square Mall! Read about its ups and downs on this review of the arcade.

Sunday Summaries 11/12/2016: Evoland 2 & Go! Go! GOTY! (By: @mento)

Taking some time off before the big GOTY rush next week, Mento only has his regular Sunday feature for your reading pleasure this time.

Things That Should Not Still Be An Issue In Pokemon, But Are (By: @misterbananafoam)

It
It's 2016 and the Pokemon Franchise STILL does not permit multiple save files.

MisterBananaFoam discusses the things that should not still be an issue in Pokemon Sun/Moon, but are, on this hilarious blog post.

The Numbers, What Do They Mean? Obfuscation In RPGs (By: @mikelemmer)

Tapping into his love for D&D, MikeLemmer meditates on RPGs and their varying relationships with numbers as a combat mechanic.

Join The Discussion

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Can We Talk About the Barrels? Last Guardian Spoilers Discussion (By: @rongalaxy)

Are you itching to discuss The Last Guardian spoilers? Comment about the barrels, and many other aspects of the game's ending.

What Level Were You When You Finished Final Fantasy XV (Potential Spoilers) (By: @seauton)

What level were you when you completed Final Fantasy XV? Share and discuss what bumped you to that point and how the game's last moments treated you.

What a wonderful time sink.
What a wonderful time sink.

Final Fantasy XV Combo Tips And Tricks Sharing Thread (By: @xdeser2)

What are your tips and tricks for pulling off combos in Final Fantasy XV? Help out users who are still having a hard time performing combos by sharing your tips or tricks.

Super Mario Run Discussion Thread (By: @mirado)

What are your early impressions of Super Mario Run? Join our community discussion about Mario's first iOS outing.

Storytelling In Non-narrative Games (By: @guardingguards)

Can you think of interesting storytelling in "non-narrative games?" This community thread cited Mount and Blade as one example.

Lovable Lists

I love our image database sometimes.
I love our image database sometimes.

The 10 Best Police Games (By: @darkbeatdk)

DarkbeatDK has taken the time to list what he believes are the ten best video games where you control the police.

Useful User Review

  • @oni comments on why he will cherish the memories he has playing The Last Guardian for as long as he has them.
  • Discover how glitches and jank grievously impacted @sammo21's enjoyment of Batman: The Telltale Series as a whole.
  • @cfilipec's Final Fantasy XV review discusses how the game manages to cure itself of the "Final Fantasy disease."
  • Find out why @riostarwind feels the more he plays Let It Die the more he wishes it wasn't a free-to-play game.
  • @humanity uses his review of Watch Dogs 2 to explain how it continues to ignore problems that plagued the first game.
  • @alistercat finally had the pleasure of playing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5. Read why it is "an achievement in failure."
  • @sparky_buzzsaw's King's Quest (2015) review details why nostalgia and heart can't save the reboot from tedium.
Filed under:
Game of the Year Edition
Super Mario Run
Warframe
Tap Titans 2
The Last Guardian
Forza Horizon 3
Planet Coaster
Cities: Skylines
Mafia III
Final Fantasy XV
Pokémon
Police
Batman: The Telltale Series
Let It Die
Watch Dogs 2
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5
King's Quest