Hello and welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight and I, @zombiepie, am once again honored to be your host as we look back at the best offerings from the Giant Bomb community! And as I sit here, typing away about the best user-created works from the community, I'm quietly celebrating my 30th birthday by investing money from my checking account into an index fund. It's funny how real-life can very often catch up to you when you least expect it. Anyways, hopefully everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving was able to enjoy their feasts in a safe and fun manner! If not, hopefully your Winter-time celebrations go more smoothly. Regardless, let's jump into the site related housekeeping!
- Submissions for the Giant Bomb GotY 2019 Fantasy Draft are now closed! There were 132 entrants this year and Fobwashed made the first element of the competition interactive!
- If you are having issues getting reasonable shipping rates on Giant Bomb merchandise, contact Rorie via PM on the site or DM on Twitter. There should be a Fedex International Mail Service rate that's substantially cheaper than what some people are seeing.
- Rorie hosted a Spelunky stream for Giant Bomb's Extra Life 2019 team this Saturday, and that's as good enough reason for me to mention the team's fundraising total is currently at $231,017 of a $250,000 goal. Giant Bomb's individual page is currently sitting at $89,148 of a $100,000 goal.
Giant Bomb Galleria
Giant Bomb x Cyberpunk Logo (By: @jearum)
This week, jea_rum made an absolutly stunning banner by crossing Vinny and Jeff with a Cyberpunk 2077 inspired Giant Bomb logo! If you like this, don't forget to check out their animated .gif version in the "Tweets of the Week" section.
Community Activities
Official Santa Hat Extravaganza/Hootenanny/Shindig 2019! (By: @mightyduck)
IT'S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN! Giant Bomb users everywhere are donning Santa hats to their avatars and if you need help photoshopping one to yours, here's a link to our "Official Santa Hat Extravaganza!"
Tweets Of The Week
If you've got nothing else going on tonight other than bad football games, maybe celebrate 8 years since Ryan and @patrickklepek first met Brono, Barle, and Bucca at the Millennial Fair. @giantbomb https://t.co/ymMLGWWW2m
— Brad Lynch (@MarinoV1) November 29, 2019
Just let me stomp on your balls a little bit!
— Giant Bomb Out of Context (@giantbomb_ooc) November 27, 2019
- Alex Navarro, 2015
Six years ago, @dannyodwyer tried to explain the rules of cricket to @jeffgerstmann and @VinnyCaravella through Ashes Cricket 2013.
— GB Duders Feed (@GBDudersFeed) November 27, 2019
Video Link: https://t.co/dtzMfKlvvI pic.twitter.com/9nZH3PE5B2
It’s been several years now and this is STILL the best part about signing up to @giantbomb premium! (Yes I know my email is on there, email me cute cat pics) pic.twitter.com/tUqxBRRClQ
— Olivia Garden 🏳️⚧️ (@TheOliveG) November 26, 2019
Got inspired by @Fobwashed's Cyberpunk x GB logo (which is awesome btw) and made this small clip. Cheers! @giantbomb @jeffgerstmann @VinnyCaravella pic.twitter.com/TIhvZg3H6P
— Jearum (I am archiving my works to Ko-Fi) (@jea_rum) November 24, 2019
Best Of Blogs
Controllers Of The Decade (By: @mccash4gold)
MCCash4Gold went on a long and difficult journey to crown the "worst controller of the modern generation." As you might expect, there were some solid contenders you can read all about on their blog!
The Outer Worlds, Or: "How I Managed To Disappoint Myself For Only A Dollar" (By: @arbitrarywater)
Giant Bomb user ArbitraryWater gave The Outer Worlds a shot using Xbox Game Pass and uses their latest blog to share why they were more than a little bit disappointed with the game's story, world, and gameplay.
Indie Game of the Week 148: Gorogoa +
Bucketlog November: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (By: @mento)
First, their latest "Indie Game of the Week" blog is all about Gorogoa! Give it a read and discover why they fell in love with the game! Second, Mento finally got around to playing Zelda II: The Adventure of Link! Read their blog about the game to discover why they think the game's poor reputation is undeserved.
Steam Controller Is $5 (+Shipping) (By: @sin4profit)
Giant Bomb user Sin4profit used the discontinuation sale of the current Steam Controller to discuss its useful properties for PC gamers, untapped potential, and active modding community.
Blood Swept Lands: Battlefield 1 and The First World War (By: @gamer_152)
What does it look like for a piece of media to honor a real-life war and what does it look like for it to disrespect it? This week, Giant Bomb moderator Gamer_152 explores this question and many others using Battlefield 1 as a case study.
Just Beat The Outer Worlds; Some Real Mixed Thoughts (Spoilers) (By: @sahalarious)
Giant Bomb user Sahalarious recently beat The Outer Worlds and really does not know what to make of the game's final act and ending. Part of them wants to respect it, and the other part finds it insulting to the player. Find out why they feel so conflicted by reading their blog!
"Surviving" Final Fantasy II - Part 1: The Kall Of Kawazu & Is This The Worst Final Fantasy Game Ever Made? (By: @zombiepie)
Giant Bomb moderator, ZombiePie, is on a quest to beat OG Final Fantasy II before the end of the year. Read how their adventure has been going so far! And before you ask, YES, they spent FOUR HOURS having their characters punch themselves in the face!
Join The Discussion
Will Half-Life: Alyx Make You Get VR? (By: @ntm)
Is Half-Life: Alyx the game to convince you to pick up a VR headset? If it does, what makes the game a "system seller." If it doesn't, what would drive you buy a VR headset instead?
What Are You Holiday Shopping Hauls? (By: @mightyduck)
Have any of you picked up some games or consoles via Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales? Share your holiday shopping hauls with the Giant Bomb community using the link above!
Anyone Got A Good Couch PC Set-Up? (By: @catsanddogs)
As the title suggests, do you have a good couch set-up for gaming? If so, what are your suggestions? Are there any pieces of furniture that help or hinder a good set-up?
2019 - Actually One Of The Best Years Of Gaming (If You Like Things Other Than AAA Spectacles) (By: @arcitee)
Check out Giant Bomb user Arcitee's impassioned plea defending 2019 as one of the strongest years for games! Whether you agree or disagree, join their discussion by sharing your own opinion!
GotY Discussion You Would Like To See Return? (By: @spyder335)
Most of Giant Bomb's one-off GotY awards can only exist in a highly specific year. However, can you think of any "superlative" awards you wish would make a comeback? Some users appear to miss the "Character we'd most like to party with..." or "Worst Game" awards.
Star Citizen PU Alpha 3.8 Discussion Thread (By: @spacegg)
The Giant Bomb Star Citizen sub-community welcomes you to join them in discussing the 3.8 Alpha update! Read over the patch notes and feel free to share your two cents' worth about the update!
Best Fuck-Around Action Multiplayer Game (By: @jaytee00)
Which multiplayer games do you think do the best job of letting for 3 or 4 people have a fun time just messing around and interacting with a world and cast of characters? Current community picks include Sea of Thieves, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands, and Far Cry 4.
Lovable Lists
A Top 100 Games of the Decade List (By: @liquiddragon)
liquiddragon tried their hand at listing their favorite games but couldn't stomach limiting themselves to just ten games. That's why they went with 100!
15 Best Games of 2010s (By: @doofcake)
In no particular order, Doofcake examined their fifteen favorite games from the 2010s. Give it a look and don't forget to make a list of your own!
Top 25 Games of the Decade 2010-19 (By: @zubatov)
Useful User Reviews
- @moonlightmoth used their review of Metro Exodus to discuss the game's shift to open-world gameplay and how that impacts the core appeal of the series.
- @bhlaab also got around to playing Metro Exodusand uses their review to detail why they think the game deserves a lot less credit for creating an open-world.
- @benjo_t deeply enjoyed their time with The Outer Worlds and uses their review of the game to share why they think it is an "unmissable roleplaying experience!"
- @sethparmer has played a decent amount of Pokémon Sword and uses their review of the game to discuss how the game's attempt to "modernize" the series left them unimpressed.
- @dudewantshisrug uses their review of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order to discuss how the game could have been so much more than the sum of its parts.
Wonderful Wikis
It has been too long since the last time I showcased a good wiki page, and this week we have a barn burner! Do you hate needing to navigate small spaces in video games? Well, there's a new Concept Page you might be interested in called "Narrow Passage" Give it a scan and feel free to add more examples to the page!