The Community Spotlight - 12/15/2018

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! The end of the year is imminent! With only a handful of week left, that only means GOTY deliberations are drawing nigh! In fact, Game of the Year deliberations will start on 12/24, which is approximately one week from now! Finally, this week's Spotlight has a dedicated section for all GOTY lists and blogs so feel free to drop a link in the comments directing me to whatever GOTY nonsense you created. That said, let's jump into the site-related housekeeping!

• COMMUNITY VOTING FOR A 2018 GOTY HAS STARTED! Click the link and read the details how you can help crown a community 2018 GOTY champion!
• If you encounter any search issues when trying to create a 2018 GOTY List, file a bug report using this link.
• CBSi is hiring for TWO design positions! One is for a UI/UX Internship, and the other is a full-time UI/UX design job.
• Speaking of the Giant Bomb design team, Dan Auer, who made this week's banner, has a Twitch account where they stream themselves making site related artwork. It is a delight to watch.

User Made GOTY Content

Author's Note: I know I didn't get every 2018 GOTY blog or list this week, so feel free to drop a comment with a link to your stuff and I promise to include it in next week's Spotlight!

Blogs

It's My 2018 Game of the Year List! (By: @jeremyf)

Giant Bomb user JeremyF accompanied each of their entries on their 2018 GOTY list with their favorite music tracks from the games! Check it out and learn more about the year's best music!

GOTY 2018 - Nostalgia (Oh And Bloody Tears) (By: @ronindrummer200)

ronindrummer200 only felt comfortable listing five games from 2018 in their official GOTY blog. They made up for by including a retro and pinball GOTY. Check it out!

Lists

• 2018 Top 5 (By: @fobwashed)
• Best of 2018 (By: @lazyaza)
• 2018 RANKED (By: @reddirect)
• Game of the Year 2018 (By: @elyk247)
• DocHaus' 2018 GsOTY (That He Actually Played) (By: @dochaus)
• Best of 2018 (By: @rjayb89)
• Best New Old Games of 2018 (By: @rjayb89)
• Game Of The Year 2018 (As Played, Not Released) (By: @aodhhinsai)
• Favorite Games I've Played In 2018 (By: @tacodetective)

Tweets Of The Week

Community Activities

Ashen Xbox One Passive Coop Buddies (By: @scottg13)

If you have been playing Ashen and need some help building a community in the Xbox One version, feel free to post your Gamertag using the link above!

Best of Blogs

The Quiet Jan (By: @kone)

By far, the blog you should all check out this week comes from Giant Bomb user kone! Not only did they create the hilariously awesome animated .gif to the right, but they also made a video where Jan masquerades as the protagonist in The Quiet Man. It needs to be seen to be believed.

Top 10 Games Of The Last 10 Years (By: @chummy8)

Chummy8 didn't think they had enough games released in 2018 to justify a "normal" GOTY list. Therefore, they went ahead and listed what they believe are the ten best games of the decade!

2018's Top Ten Monsters from Monster Hunter (By: @ltsquigs)

Friend of the site LtSquigs LOVES Monster Hunter and uses their latest blog to list and discuss "2018's Top Ten Monsters from Monster Hunter!" Here's a taste of what to expect.

The New Japan Project: An Exploration of SNK Before the NeoGeo (Pt. 0)(By: @daydream)

daydream welcomes you to join them in their new blog series chronicling the development history of SNK before the NeoGeo. Here's a link to their introductory blog about their vision for the series.

Xbox Game Pass Passes It’s Next Hurdle (By: @triznoy)

triznoy has been using Xbox Game Pass since its launch and comments how it is quickly evolving into an organic platform to be emulated elsewhere. Give it a read and share your experiences with the service.

Saturday Summaries 2018-12-15: Mind the Gaps Edition (By: @mento)

Mento is looking to knock off even more backlog items in 2019, and lists one game for each year of the past decade they mean to get around to eventually. Also on the docket: more Valkyria Chronicles 4 talk, more Jazztronauts looting, a review of The Messenger, and the rainbow-colored penultimate episode of the SNES Classic Mk. II.

Join Discussion

There's A Live Action Sonic Movie Coming Out (By: @acura_max)

I guess we need to talk about the recently announced Sonic the Hedgehog movie. Does it have a chance of being NOT the worst thing ever made? Is that even possible?

What Is Your Biggest Gaming Black Hole? (By: @sombre)

When you consider your many years of video game playing, what are your most embarrassing gaps? Is there a universally praised classic you've never gotten around to, or even a console you never owned?

Can We Talk About Spirit Mode And Artificial Difficulty? (By: @the_nubster)

Calling all Super Smash Bros. Ultimate players! What are your impressions of Spirit Mode? Has the AI ever posed a challenge, or has everything in the mode been a pushover?

Complete Smash Beginner - Please Explain The Basics (By: @rokkaku)

Speaking of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, do you have any tips and tricks for Smash beginners? Where should a newcomer start? Can you think of good starting characters?

Kingdom Hearts III Opening ft. Skrillex Released (By: @axersia)

The internet is buzzing about the Kingdom Hearts III opening. Feel free to share your impressions of the intro cinematic with the rest of the Giant Bomb community using the link. Seriously, how about that Skrillex?

What If: Hotline Miami 3 Evolved Like GTAIII? (By: @andythemez)

If Hotline Miami 3 is ever made, should it make a GTA III leap in technology? If it did, what would it play and look like? Join our community discussion using the link above!

Monster Hunter: World Ultimate/G-Rank Expansion Announced (By: @atheistpreacher)

Calling all Monster Hunter fans! What are your early thoughts about the Monster Hunter World: Iceborne expansion? Join our community discussion about the recently revealed details.

Sounds Like HOTS Is Going On Blizzard's Back Burner (By: @rorie)

Have any of you heard the news about Blizzard shifting developers away from Heroes of the Storm? What do you make of the news? Was there a reason why Heroes of the Storm couldn't reach the meteoric heights of other MOBAS?

Below - First Impressions (By: @bucklebutt)

Do any of you have impressions of Capy's latest release, Below? Are you playing the Xbox One or PC version? Have you felt enthralled by its world and visual style?

Lovable Lists

SeriuzBiznus - Backlog Clean-Up GotY 2018 (By: @seriuzbiznus)

Instead of making a "traditional" GOTY list, Giant Bomb user annotated every game on their backlog they successfully completed! Give it a read and think about which games are on yours!

Japanese Post-Apocalyptic Games (By: @katpottz)

katpottz is trying to create an exhaustive list of every game set in post-apocalyptic Japan! Help them out in their quest using the link below!

Useful User Reviews

• @bhlaab discusses in their review of David Szymanski's 90s-inspired FPS, Dusk, why its retro sensibilities fit right in with current FPS-ers!
• @machofantastico's God of War review highlights why the game has quickly become the leading candidate for their 2018 GOTY list!
• @riostarwind continues their deep dive into Kingdom Hearts. This review talks about Kingdom Hearts II and why it doesn't improve the combat, but does an excellent job with everything else.
• @prestige uses their Into the Breach review to highlight how the game is a perfect example of "constrained design" done correctly.
• @guip1408's Red Dead Redemption 2 review underscores how the game is one or two fixes away from video game greatness.
• @jimbo7676 uses their latest review to detail how 2015's CrossCode is an unfortunately forgotten buried treasure more people should know about and play.