The Community Spotlight - 08/26/2017

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 community was buzzing about the potential death of Mass Effect: Andromeda as well as the release of a "good" Sonic game. What has the world come to when Sonic the Hedgehog garnered more positive critical reception than Mass Effect? Either way, there's still plenty of great works from the Giant Bomb community to marvel over. But first, lets review a couple of housekeeping items.

• There's a premium membership sale!
• CBSi is looking to fill an Associate Video Producer position for Giant Bomb West! Submit your resume and/or paperwork and best of luck!

Giant Bomb Galleria

BANNER - The GiantBEAST Crew (By: leadesthoof)

Over on Twitter, leadesthoof drew the GiantBeast crew as the animals they indicated they were on the 117th episode of the Beastcast. Bonus points for including Jeff's crazy gamer mouse.

Dilbrad #31-32 (By: @oddparticle)

The Matrix references continue as the adventures of Dilbrad get heated! Will Ben and Brad fall prey to Dan's hoarding tendencies? Only time will tell.

Community Activities

Community Destiny 2 Clan List And Information Thread (By: @zevvion)

Here's a friendly reminder for everyone to join one of our MANY community guilds for Destiny 2! Trust me, our users don't bite... for now.

Clip Of The Week

Giant Bomb Street Fighter V Season 2 Tournament (08/19/2017) Results (By: @saft)

Here's an archive of the results from last week's Street Fighter V community tournament. Remember to click the link above to learn how you can join the fun!

Best Of Blogs

Driving Again (Sorta) (By: @sparky_buzzsaw)

In what I can only describe to be the most emotionally touching blog of the week, here's sparky_buzzsaw's fantastic blog on how Forza helped him experience driving despite being legally blind.

A New Player's Impression of No Man's Sky (By: @kamui)

Kamui didn't play No Man's Sky until the 1.3 recent update. Check out his blog to see what a "newcomer's" impression of the game is like.

My Top Five Anticipated Releases Of September 2017 &Happy Birthday Bioshock! We Chose, And We Obeyed(By: @themist997)

TheMist997 is excited for the new games set to release during September! Check out his blog on his five most anticipated games. Also, BioShock is ten years old, and TheMist997 uses his latest blog to nail down why it's still a watershed gaming moment.

Revamping C64 Castlevania (By: @buzz_clik)

A friend of the site, buzz_clik, has been busy revamping the C64 port of Castlevania! Check out his blog to enjoy his awesome work.

An Argument For Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age's Place In Your Backlog (By: @grizzlybutts)

Check out GrizzlyButts's impassioned plea on why he thinks everyone should give Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age a chance, or at least a spot on your backlog.

Microtransactions Undermine Achievement (By: @sweep)

Giant Bomb Moderator Sweep comments on how microtransactions can unintentionally undermine player motivation and achievement.

Deep Listens: All Aboard the FF Paine Train: Part 2 (By: @thatpinguino)

It's time to talk about Final Fantasy X-2's massage mini-game. Oh good Lord... why is this a thing?

Agents Of Mayhem Is A Great Premise Turned Into A Mediocre Game By Repetition And Low Production Values (By: @bigsocrates)

BigSocrates discusses why he thinks Agents of Mayhem is a "great" premise sabotaged by soul-crushing repetition and questionable production values.

This Seems Like The Best NBA Live In Over A Decade (By: @jjweatherman)

JJWeatherman published an exhaustive look at how NBA Live 18 is the best NBA Live in over a decade, and no broken t-poses are included.

All-New Saturday Summaries 2017-08-26(By: @mento)

Mento's usual periodical blog looks at ways the site could improve its list features, as well as musings on old sci-fi FPS Robotech: Invasion, the enigmatic Virginia, and the stacked end-game of Tales of Zestiria.

Join The Discussion

The Next Big Yakuza Project: Fist Of The North Star! (By: @darkbeatdk)

Are the Yakuza developers the perfect fit for a Fist of the North Star video game? Join our community discussion about the recent reveal of the team's latest project.

Half Life 3's Plot Outline Posted By Marc Laidlaw (By: @lpug21)

It's the topic that has most of the internet in a tizzy. What's YOUR gut reaction to the leaked outline for Half-Life 3's script? Does it blow you away or not live up to expectations?

Secret Of Mana Is Getting A 3D Remake (By: @mythdark)

Are you excited for the 3D remake of Secret of Mana? Share your concerns, excitement, and early impressions of the reveal trailer.

MVP - Exquisite Corp: XCom Pt3 (By: @flashflood_29)

Who is the MVP of Exquisite Corp: XCOM Part 3? It's NOT Dan let me just tell you that. Otherwise, vote and discuss your pick for "player of the week."

Sequels That Assume The Player Failed In The Previous Game (Spoilers!) (By: @slasktotten)

Can you think of game sequels that assume the player failed in the previous game? Join the community in locating every example of this rare video game trope.

How Do You Feel About The Idea Of A Story Campaign In Sports Games? (By: @whitegreyblack)

Should more sports games feature fully realized story modes? Vote and discuss your take on the matter, but I think we can all agree Spike Lee should stay as far away from sports games as possible.

Bioware Official Statement: Mass Effect: Andromeda Patch Support Is Over (By: @freedom4556)

It was without a doubt the most controversial announcement from the previous week. Earlier last week EA announced they were pulling patch support and single-player development for Mass Effect: Andromeda. Hopefully, you didn't buy the Deluxe Edition of the game.

What Do You Consider To Be A Masterpiece?(By: @clagnaught)

It is a discussion spawned from last week's Blue Bombin', but what do you consider to be a video game example of a "masterpiece?" What are the necessary components to a gaming masterpiece?

Lovable Lists

GOTY 2013 (Adjusted) (By: @mento)

Mento's been busy adjusting his 2013 GOTY list, factoring in games that he didn't have time to play during the year in question. It's shifted quite a lot!

Useful User Reviews

• @eder uses his review of Sonic Mania to articulate why the game surpasses all of his wildest expectations for the Sonic franchise.
• @thefakepsychic thoroughly enjoyed his time with Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. Read why he thinks it brings new life to the series.
• @justin258's love for Castlevania: Symphony of the Night hasn't exactly improved. Here's his review on why he thinks it hasn't aged gracefully.
• Moderator @riostarwind assesses why he thinks Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls is a middling game saved by a well-crafted narrative.