Hello and welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight and I, @zombiepie, am honored to be your host this week! With the bitter cold weather in full-force if you are in the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Game Onslaught is entirely upon us! [Editor's Note from @marino: Winter doesn't start for 2 more months. It's 75º in Georgia. ZP is crazy.]
Star Wars Battlefront II had the most problematic launch this year short of Mass Effect: Andromeda. Thanks to the game's questionable release there are plenty of interesting discussions about micro-transactions and the future of the industry. And if you aren't a member of the "cult of the new," then RELAX because there is a surprising number of classic game reviews from our community members this last week. Don't you love it when things work out that way? Well, I'm rambling for the sake of it, so let's review the few bits of site-related housekeeping I have for the week that was.
- Jan Ochoa is joining the Giant Bomb Team as a new video producer! You can join the community in giving Jan a warm welcome by dropping a comment over here!
- You can also follow Jan on Twitter.
- The archives from Giant Bomb's Extra Life 2017 coverage have started to go up on the site! If you are overwhelmed as to where to start, the mods have a ridiculously detailed guide with time stamps and other info to guide you through the best and funniest moments.
- GameSpot's Extra Life streams will be this weekend! They will be hosting a 72 hours charity stream for your enjoyment.
Tweets Of The Week
Another @giantbomb CSS animation if you’re into it pic.twitter.com/j1Lj3tnUvw
— Dan Auer (@danauer) November 14, 2017
Giant Bomb Galleria
BANNER - Some More Million Dollar Abby Art... (By: @graboids)
The "Million Dollar Abby" art is still coming through! This week, graboids tried his hand at making a loving tribute to Abby's efforts at beating Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
Abby: The Natural Born Trucker (By: tostatos)
Giant Bomb East streamed American Truck Simulator last week, and the prospect of Abby living the rough and tumble life of a trucker inspired Twitter user, tosraros to create this work of art.
Exquisite Corps.Mecha-Cat (By: bakadeshi)
Over on Tumblr, bakadeshi drew the mechanized cat seen in an episode of THE EXQUISITE CORPS from a while back.
Dilbrad #58 (By: @oddparticle)
Oh no... the Minions have invaded Dilbrad! What does this possibly mean for the future?
Giant Bomb Logo (By: rebelmime)
Over on Tumblr, rebelmime used Autodesk Sketchbook Pro to create this impression of the Giant Bomb logo.
Clips Of The Week
Operation Plague Star Event (Grind) - Warframe with the Giant Bomb Heavy INC Clan & Alliance (By: @rapid)
Rapid streamed some Warframe goodness with other community members from the Giant Bomb Alliance! Check it out, and remember you can join the fun over here.
Giant Bomb FGC Tekken Tournament #4 (By: VectorSpecter)
Here's the archive of the FOURTH Giant Bomb FGC Tekken Tournament! Check it out and see who came out on top!
Community Activities
NEW Giant Bomb Community Elite: Dangerous Xbox One Group (By: @binarydragon)
Are any of you playing Elite: Dangerous on Xbox One? We have a new online community you may be interested in joining.
Best Of Blogs
I Despise Level Scaling! (By: @old_school_gaming)
Old_School_Gaming shares his abject hatred of Level Scaling and why the concept hinders his enjoyment of games which employ the concept.
The Ninjas Of November (And Other Fantastic Uses Of Time And Money) (By: @arbitrarywater)
Whether it be Super Mario Odyssey or Ninja Gaiden Black, ArbitraryWater comments on his latest gaming follies this month over here.
Nintendo: Direct - Some Thoughts on The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (By: @danielkempster)
danielkempster finally got around to playing The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Swordand shares why he thought the game lacked the spirit that defines the franchise.
How A "Skip Gameplay" Button Could Hurt Casual Players (By: @gamer_152)
Moderator Gamer_152 comments on how allowing "casual" gamers to skip gameplay does not address the growing accessibility problem with modern games.
For Me, Final Fantasy XIV Is An MMO That Is So Close To Amazing, Yet So Far. (By: @marokai)
Marokai comments on how Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn almost manages to craft a compelling Final Fantasy experience in the form of an MMORPG.
A Game I Recommend: Papers, Please (By: @themist997)
After discussing the potential of the short film adaptation last week, TheMist997 extrapolates why he strongly recommends everyone play Papers, Please.
All-New Saturday Summaries 2017-11-18: Wii'll Meet Again Edition (By: @mento)
Mento eulogizes the Wii U, even if he's not quite ready to let it go just yet, and also discusses Caveblazers, the second and third Silent Hill, and NieR: Automata in various levels of detail.
Join The Discussion
Is This The Straw That Breaks The Camels Back? (By: @sweep)
Is the debacle surrounding Star Wars Battlefront II's microtransactions a bridge too far, or a blip on the radar for multiplayer games? Join our discussion if video game business practices will change as a result of Battlefront II.
What Turns You Off More From The Current "Business Game Models?" (By: @acertaindeath)
We have a discussion thread debating least favorite video game business tactics. Vote and discuss the merits of loot boxes, pre-order bonuses, and/or microtransactions.
Star Wars Battlefront II Campaign Discussion Thread (By: @darkjohnny477)
What are your feelings about the campaign for Star Wars Battlefront II? Is it the silver-lining to Star Wars Battlefront II's multiplayer woes?
Disney Ends Partnership w/Gazillion Entertainment Killing Marvel Heroes (By: @sammo21)
What is YOUR reaction to the demise of Marvel Heroes? Do you have any fond memories playing the game? What could have prevented this situation?
Rampage (2018) Trailer Discussion Thread (By: @glots)
So, that Rampage movie trailer, eh? Join our community discussion thread for what is bound to become The Rock's "best"performance yet.
The Official Xbox Live Black Friday Sale (Nov 17 – 27) Discussion Thread (By: @bozz0)
Are there any notable deals from the Xbox Live Black Friday Sale? Share your recommendations with the rest of Giant Bomb's Xbox One community.
Has Any Game Ever Rekindled Your Love Of A Genre? (By: @snacko00)
Has any game ever rekindled your love of a genre? Share the game in question and how it inspired you to explore similar games, or reconsider previous genre biases.
Thoughts on The Frozen Wilds DLC? (By: @burncoat)
Calling all Horizon Zero Dawn fans, what are your thoughts about The Frozen Wilds DLC? Does it add some interesting content to Horizon, or is it a hard pass?
Lovable Lists
Co-Op GOTY 2017 (By: @frontman12)
Quality couch and online co-op experiences are a dying breed. So, frontman12 listed his favorite video game co-op experiences from 2017.
Useful User Reviews
- @impartialgecko's review of The Evil Within 2 assesses how the sequel is an interesting second attempt at horror goodness.
- @riostarwind's latest RETRO REVIEW is all about Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space! Read why the space environments and gameplay make for a repetitive experience.
- @grizzlybutts reviewed Prey and details why the more he spent on the Talos I space station, the less he wanted the game to end.
- @sammo21's review of episode five of Telltale's Guardians of the Galaxy series explains why he found it to be incredibly lazy.
- @eder completed Sonic Forces and uses his review to explain why it is further proof Sonic Team do not understand how to make a Sonic game