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The Community Spotlight 2022.01.08

We'll give you six guesses to spell out Giant Bomb's GOTY.

Hello and welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight! I, @zombiepie, am once again honored to be your host. With the celebrations behind us, I just want to wish all of you that are working on-site or possibly returning to school environments in-person the best. Stay safe out there and keep doing your best. However, we have a TON of site-related housekeeping to review, so, let's jump right into it!

First, the site's GOTY content officially has a start date! Giant Bomb's guest lists and GOTY podcasts will begin publishing the week of January 24th! On a related note, the 2021 Community GOTY voting HAS BEGUN! If you experienced issues trying to submit your vote earlier this week, the submission form has been fixed. Feel free to report other technical issues or bugs with the community voting on the official error reporting thread. If you wish to vote for a game released prior to 2021, go ahead and do that! Also, for DLC and grey areas like Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, vote for the original game release and the site will try to figure things out down the road.

Likewise, during episode 719 of the Bombcast, it was announced that Giant Bomb will not be returning to a studio any time soon. Jeff stated with the new Omicron variant and staff being all around the US, the decision has been made to not require staff to return to a studio or on-site locations. Furniture and props are being collected and Jeff did hint that he's trying to plan an alternative for the future.

We have a few programming notes worth addressing about premium content. Danny O'Dwyer announced on Twitter their Giant Bomb premium content is on hiatus due to life reasons. If you have a Twitter, please send them your positivity and well wishes. Also, Ranking of EVIL has been hit with a few scheduling conflicts, but will return in the future!

Tweets

Community-Created GOTY Content!

Author's Note: If you wrote a 2021 GOTY list or blog on the site and you do not see it here, feel free to post it over here on the official community GOTY list sharing thread! I you post anything in the thread after the publishing of this Spotlight, I will try to include your list or blog on the next one.

GOTY Lists

We have some SOLID GOTY lists and blogs this week!
We have some SOLID GOTY lists and blogs this week!

GOTY Blogs

Toddler's Choice: Baby ALLTheDinos' Favorite Games in 2021 (By: @allthedinos)

This might be the most heart-warming thing you read this week.
This might be the most heart-warming thing you read this week.

ALLTheDinos did something absolutely ADORABLE on the site: they let their daughter guide the contents of a 2021 GOTY blog! See which games they and their toddler most enjoyed playing together!

ThatPinguino's 2021 Game of the Year List (By: @thatpinguino)

If you enjoyed their frequent guesting on MtG streams on Giant Bomb, then you should check out ThatPinguino's 2021 GOTY blog! As you might expect, there are some games in their top ten with card-based combat!

ArbitraryWater's Favorite Games of 2021 (Which Came Out In 2021) (By: @arbitrarywater)

2021 was a good year for
2021 was a good year for "card perverts."

ArbitraryWater is one of the more prolific bloggers on Giant Bomb and they finally got around to writing a 2021 GOTY blog on the site! They top ten has a little bit of everything and you can read all about it!

Ranking The 2021 Games I Played In 2021 (By: @bigsocrates)

bigsocrates exhaustively reviewed and ranked EVERY SINGLE GAME they played in 2021! Whether it was Balan Wonderworld or Forza Horizon 5, no stone was left unturned on their "Year in Review" blog.

My 2021 In Review (By: @morecowbell24)

morecowbell24 played and finished over 100 games in 2021! Read all about the highlights and lowlights of their effort to make a dent on their video game backlog last year

StarvingGamers Games Worth Starving For (Or Otherwise) In 2021 (By: @starvinggamer)

Who was your favorite new video game character from 2021?
Who was your favorite new video game character from 2021?

StarvingGamer hands out their superlatives and top then spots on their 2021 GOTY list! Read what their "Biggest Disappointment" was and their favorite games overall from last year.

ZombiePie's End Of The Year 2021 Multimedia Extravaganza! (By: @zombiepie)

ZombiePie pits games, movies, anime, wrestling, and more in battle to the death with the 2021 edition of their Multimedia Extravaganza! Head over to their blog to see what won their "Help I'm Trapped in Sisyphean Torment Award!" and more!

Jordan Hass' Top 10 Games of 2021 (By: @jordha)

Who ever said
Who ever said "hot takes" were limited to video games?

jordha posted their 2021 GOTY blog on the site and they have some real "surprises" on it! Give it a read and don't forget to publish a list or blog of your own if you haven't done so already!

Activity

The Jan 17 Completion Date Selection Of The Unsanctioned Unofficial Game Pass Game Club Is Gorogoa. Mark All Spoilers! +

Unsanctioned Unofficial Game Pass Game Club FAQ and Game Suggestion Thread (By: @bigsocrates)

If you ever wanted to play Gorogoa, you have a community of people willing to join you!
If you ever wanted to play Gorogoa, you have a community of people willing to join you!

Great news everyone! The unofficial Game Pass "Book Club" is moving forward with its first game! From now until January 17th, see if you can play Gorogoa! Get the details and join the conversation using the link above!

Also, if you have any questions about the unofficial Giant Bomb Game Pass "Book Club" activity, here's a link to the FAQ! Read over the answers to the most commonly asked questions and feel free to ask you own that have not been answered!

Blogs

Giant Bomb At 240P Mono (How Covid Has Changed Our Living Spaces) (By: @mikachops)

Simply amazing!
Simply amazing!

Here's a WILD but impressive accomplishment from a Giant Bomb user! mikachops found a way to watch Run for the Hills with Jan and Jess on a 240p CRT! Use the link to read how they managed to get Premium content to work on a CRT!

Indie Game of the Week 251: Opus: The Day We Found Earth +

Go! Go! GOTY! 2021: Game 1: Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights +

The Dredge of Seventeen: December (By: @mento)

When I think of
When I think of "Opus" I think about a comic strip with a penguin and a cat that died on the can.

It's a new year but that's not stopping Mento from looking at under-reported indie games! This week they played OPUS: The Day We Found Earth! Read how takes the Mass Effect scanning mini-game and turns it into a riveting experience! Likewise, Mento is making one last dash to get in the games they think could make their 2021 GOTY list but they don't know until they play them! This time around, they discuss Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights! Finally, they give you the run-down of the MANY games they played during the month of December, 2021. Read why they were not impressed by Cuphead but enamored by Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection last month.

What's the Greatest Video Game: Snipperclips (By: @imunbeatable80)

Does this game deserve some GOTY love? Many users say
Does this game deserve some GOTY love? Many users say "YES!"

Snipperclips: Cut It Out, Together! is the subject of imunbeatable80's latest "What's the Greatest Video Game" blog on the site! Read why they consider it a good title to teach gaming newcomers and kids basic controls and nothing more.

This OLIJA Game Has A Grappling Hook In It! (By: @humanity)

If the grappling hook in Halo Infinite or Metroid Dread got your blood pumping, check out Humanity's blog on Giant Bomb about Olija! Read why this game's harpoon-wielding knight might be right up your alley!

Game Pass Gambols 1: The Pedestrian +

Chicory: A Colorful Tale Is A Unique Game With A Strong Focus On Message. It Ultimately Wasn't For Me, But That's Okay. (By: @bigsocrates)

Was 2021 the
Was 2021 the "Year of the Grappling Hook?"

bigsocrates is starting another quality blog series this year where they attempt to play every new game added to Game Pass in 2022. This week they checked out The Pedestrian! Additionally, they decided to give Chicory: A Colorful Tale a shot after reading all of the positive reviews for it. Read why they felt it "wasn't the game for them" and how that's perfectly fine

OMORI: The Real Mother 4? (By: @jeremyf)

Jeremyf played and finished Omori and debates if its reputation of being a "spiritual successor" to the Mother franchise is well-earned. If you've played the game as well, share your thoughts as well.

Ranking of Roguelikes #2: Has-Been Heroes (By: @laughingman)

Is this the Mother game you are looking for?
Is this the Mother game you are looking for?

Episode two of laughingman's "Ranking of Roguelikes" blog series on the site is up and this one looks at Has-Been Heroes! Read why they ranked it more generously than most of the reviews out there!

Discussion Threads

Black Hair In Video Games Discussion Thread (By: @jezus210)

Read why hair needs and should get better in video games.
Read why hair needs and should get better in video games.

Several users are discussing Vice's recent report about the Open Source Afro Hair Library! Read and discuss the effort to bring better black hair into video games and why it matters.

Ninendon't! Has Nintendo Ever Delivered Quality Voice Work? Re: Silent Link (By: @sometingbanuble)

We have a forum thread debating if "Nintendo have ever delivered quality voice work?" If you can think of any Nintendo developed games with good VO, share them with the community. Also, why do you think they avoid VO in their mainline games?

2022 Gaming Resolutions (By: @bigsocrates)

Hello. Yes. Could you please speak clearly into my
Hello. Yes. Could you please speak clearly into my "NOT A MICROPHONE" device on when the GameStop employee allowed you to buy M-Rated games?

What are your early impressions of 2022 thus far? Do you have any video game-based resolutions? Is there a game on your backlog you want to complete or do you have purchasing or budgeting plans?

For Our Youngish Gamers *Shock Me* With The Age You Completed Some M-Rated Titles. (By: @sometingbanuble)

Here's an interesting topic on the forums: how old were you when you first played an M-Rated (PEGI-18, CERO-Z, ect) video game? Share the game and if you have seen younger kids today play similar content.

Your Favorite Games From 2002? (By: @gtxforza)

Some big games are coming out this year.
Some big games are coming out this year.

It's crazy to think, but 2002 was over twenty years ago! So, join the rest of the community in looking back at the best games from the year which includes such heavy-hitters as Metroid Prime, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction Is Coming Out This Month (By: @altdimension)

Apparently Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction is still coming out this month? Has anyone seen anything about the game since its E3 demo? Join the community conversation using the link above.

What Game(s) Do You Prefer An "Inferior" Version Of? (By: @bigsocrates)

Can you think of any gems in Crystal Dynamics' catalog?
Can you think of any gems in Crystal Dynamics' catalog?

HD Remasters have become incredibly commonplace, but are there any games where you prefer the original versions to the updated versions? Might I remind you of the pre-Pixel Remaster iOS/Android Final Fantasy 4, 5, and 6 ports?

Your Most Anticipated Gaming Products In General For 2022? (By: @gtxforza)

Giant Bomb's GOTY content hasn't dropped, that doesn't mean we can't start talking about the 2022 releases we can't wait to play! What is the 2022 game release you are the most excited about?

What's Crystal Dynamics Best Game? (By: @cikame)

These ports were baaaaaaaaaaaaad!
These ports were baaaaaaaaaaaaad!

Inspired by Jeff's comments on the Bombcast reviving the Legacy of Kain vs Soul Reaver debate, what do you think is Crystal Dynamics, Inc.' best game? Share and defend you favorite game of theirs, with the Giant Bomb community!

Anybody Else Contradicting Themselves On Their All Digital? Or All Physical Gaming Plans? (By: @sometingbanuble)

For those of you that bought a discless PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series S, do you miss physical games? Likewise, for those that bought an Xbox Series X or disc-drive PS5, have you ACTUALLY used the disc drive?

Lists

List of Games Beaten in 2021 + (Part Two) (By: @mento)

Mento ended up playing some
Mento ended up playing some "interesting" indie games last year.

Mento played so many games in 2021 that they were able to populate TWO lists on Giant Bomb annotating their activities. Read all about which games they would recommend.

User Reviews

Was this a high or low point in the franchise? JOIN THE DEBATE!
Was this a high or low point in the franchise? JOIN THE DEBATE!
  • @morecowbell24 finally got around to playing Outer Wilds and shares on the site why they not only regret waiting until now to play it, but why they consider it a modern classic.
  • @chlomo's Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin review on the site articulates why they consider it the lowest point of the Dark Souls franchise. Check out their reasoning using the link

Wonderful Wikis

Kirby Super Star

Good stuff!
Good stuff!

MrSensible did an INCREDIBLE full-page rehaul of Kirby Super Star on Giant Bomb's wiki! The page now has AMAZING text descriptions for all of the game's modes and stages, as well as data tables for its MANY Abilities, Helpers, and Treasures!

Wiki Page Of The Week Recommendations

Alright, I mentioned last week that the Wiki Page of the Week feature wasn't dead, but it needed recommendations from the community. If you can think of anything that is "worthy" of showcasing, send them to me however you can. Also, remember, self-promotion is ENCOURAGED! Also, the feature hasn't made a return yet not due to lack of caring. Things have been busy at the office and the hope is to get the feature back up and running soon-ish.

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mikachops

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Edited By mikachops

If I had of known it’d be picked up for the home page I would have taken a better picture without my camera blowing out Jess’s face lmao. I’m glad my dumb experiment gave some of you some joy :)

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takashichea

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Congrats everyone!

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voidburger

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@mikachops: lol i am going NUCLEAR with SILENT HILL LORE ENERGY

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MrSensible

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Thanks again for the wiki spotlight! Super Star is my favorite Kirby title, so I wanted to give it some love with a spruced-up wiki page.

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bigsocrates

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Thanks for spotlighting the unsanctioned unofficial game pass game club!

And, of course, for putting this together every week!