Welcome back to another installment of Forgehub Community Favorites! I'm running out of quarantine-related jokes, and I'm not happy about it! After this long in self-isolation, the mind begins to feverishly long for any semblance of normalcy. Hopefully, Forgehub has been able to nudge you towards a healthy creative outlet. Or at the very least, a place to gather to laugh at Foge. Speaking of, Foge was filling in for me last month while I took care of some business, so let's all give him a moderately paced round of lukewarm applause! Let's see who the favorite is now, Fogey boy!

Without further sibling rivalry, here are the nominations and winners for the month of May!

What an interesting way to start off this visually stunning list. Remaking maps is commonplace in most FPS series. By now, we've had numerous Halo maps receive the Lockout/Blackout treatment. What's prevalent in this community mores than others, is the fierce loyalty shown to our favorite maps from past entries (oh Longshore, how I miss you). At this point in Halo 5's lifespan, every single map from past Halo games have received fan-made forge recreations. It's obvious that we all have our favorites, and that remaking a map can lead to an instant nostalgia-blast. So, what happens now that we've run out of maps to remake? Do we start remaking maps that made their debut in Halo 5? According to ARPOD, that's exactly what we do. Colaquarium is a remake of Halo 5's fan-favorite Colosseum, because why the hell not, right? What's stunning about this 1:1 remake is how well it holds a candle to the developer-made visuals of Colosseum. Coaquarium is technically a reimagining, choosing to take the setting of the famed 4v4 map and submerge it to the bottom of the deep blue sea. Regardless of how many times you've played Colosseum, this fresh take on the H5 classic will leave you feeling rejuvenated. Besides, the best kind of maps are the ones you're already good at.​

Where to begin? From the makers of literally every other reality-warping mini game in Halo 5, introducing: Halo! How can that be right..?
Well, you read that correctly. b0b is here and the usual suspects have once again, invented another game to play inside your game. This time, it's already the game you're playing? Confused yet? I was, until I checked out this handy video explaining the premise of Couch Co-Op. A few years back, 343 Industries partnered with arcade cabinet veterans Raw Thrills to bring us the long awaited arcade pod-shooter variant of Halo: CE. Halo: Fireteams Raven, if you've never had the chance to play it, is an absolute romp. I had the privilege to hop into Ravens' boots last year and was left blown away by how far arcade shooters have come. I was always a Time Crisis 2 gal in my younger days, so needless to say, the promise of a high-quality Halo co-op arcade rail shooter was a hefty one. One that clearly inspired forger b0b is here to create this mini-game to be played in Halo 5. Taking inspiration from rail shooters and Fireteams Raven in particular, this is the perfect way to blast some virtual baddies from the comfort and safety of your own virtual home.​

Would you look at that? Arpod sweeps this month's community favorites, taking our 3rd and 1st place trophies respectively. Hopefully this serves as inspiration for Arpod to release more original works rather than his traditional work of remasters and reimaginations. In 1st place, we have On the Rocks, an original play space that takes place in a craggy, almost tropical, cave system. Making a map out of primarily terrain is difficult, elevating On the Rocks even further on its already impressive pedestal. The fluidity of this core 4v4 is nothing to shake a stick at. On the Rocks placing 1st means a new, wonderful trend has been born on Forgehub. For 2 months now, our community favorite map has been (vaguely) pirate themed! Is On the Rocks pirate themed? I mean, anything can be piracy if you want it hard enough.

Last month, Foge hoped for a future where Community Favorites were written from a non-quarantined perspective. Well, I guess he kind of got his wish? As businesses reopen and we are shepherded back into our normal lives, I want to remind everyone that the pandemic has not ended. Please stay safe, continue to limit your exposure if possible, and always wear a mask. Keep on social distancing as much as possible.
For some, that isn't an option. I'm talking specifically about those protesting against oppression and police brutality across the world. I wish I could say more, but for now, I'll simply implore everyone to stay safe. Theres a world of dangers out there now that may be new to you, but they aren't new to everyone. If you know me personally at all, you know how hard I bite my tongue.
Stay. Safe.

As always, congrats to all of our nominations and winners this month, and be sure to tune back in next month for another edition of Forgehub Community Favorites.​

Live Against Those Who Wish You Would Not,
ConnieCat
ForgeHub Community Coordinator​