The Besties

Join the Besties in their quest of the underworld with 2020’s Hades. They explore the incredibly designed and nuanced gameplay. Discuss the mythological themes. And cannot ignore the fact that all of the characters are very hot. Plus, special guest New York Giraffe discusses their goal to become the God of West 23rd Street! Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The gang reviews the sequel to the 2008 original, Spelunky 2. Discuss the recent pre-order madness. Explore Microsoft’s acquisition of game publisher Bethesda Softworks for $7.5 billion. And check in on the state of the console wars. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The iconic skateboarding game is back and newly remastered, my dudes! Animation writer and director, Miles Luna, joins The Besties this week to discuss Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2! They explore the influence of the original 1999 release, play Tony Hawk's Pro Skater trivia, and review the improvements and new features. Plus they discuss the updated soundtrack and come up with their own EPIC original tricks! Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

This week the boys offer an in-depth review of the new Marvel's Avengers! They examine the original storyline with Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel at the center of the story. Discuss the similarities of the multiplayer gameplay with the Destiny series. And breakdown the upcoming releases of the Xbox Series X and the recently announced Xbox Series S. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The Besties let the listeners decide what games to discuss this week. So hope you're all happy! First, Griffin offers a lackluster review of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered. Then the gang tackles Madden NFL 21, the recent release from the long-running franchise. And finally, they examine the twisted post-apocalyptic RPG Wasteland 3. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Join the gang in the virtual cockpit as they fly through the new Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020! Together, they examine the pros and cons of the ultra realistic gameplay and discuss exploring the Earth with the live streaming map technology. Plus, Griffin, Justin and Chris show off their newly learned piloting skills while Russ demonstrates his grasp of altitude. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Join the Besties’ quest through Rogue Legacy 2, which is now available in early access on Steam. Plus, they offer other titles to check out like Heroes of Hammerwatch. And read fan mail which includes an in-depth look into what Russ has done with all his muscle money. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

In this episode of The Besties, the boys review the hit online multiplayer battle royale Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout. Plus, pitch their own Fall Guys mini games based on other existing games shows. And answer listener-submitted questions including what other genres, specific games or franchises would they want to have a battle royale mode added to? Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Sometimes the worst games do have some redeeming qualities. This week, the gang looks at the best game mechanics, unique story ideas, console technology integration featured in sub-par releases over the years. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The Besties recommend some of their favorite games that have come out this summer, including Carrion, The Under Presents, Zach Gage’s Good Sudoku, the updated Noita, and more! Plus, they discuss what upcoming releases they are excited for in the rest of 2020. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

This week The Besties take a critical look at Paper Mario: The Origami King, the sixth installment of the Mario Paper series, and explore which power-up items in the Mario franchise they genuinely would want to eat. Plus, they read fan letters and answer who is the better Doctor: Mario or Waluigi? If you’d like to contact the show please reach out to [email protected]. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The gang reviews Ghost of Tsushima, the recently released open world action-adventure game set in 13th century feudal Japan. Topics include the Samurai code of honor, the sometimes glacial story pacing, the design of the "Kurosawa mode" and the lackluster mini games. Early copies of Ghost of Tsushima were provided by Sony. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

In honor of National Video Game Day, The Besties decide the best new console of 2020: the PlayStation 5 vs. Xbox Series X! Using a highly advanced voting system they weighed the tech specs, upcoming video game releases, pricing, and announce their winner. May the best console win. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

*SPOILER ALERT* This week’s episode goes all-in on The Last of Us Part II and leaves no virtual corpse unturned. Together, The Besties break down the plot, discuss the controversy and explore in-depth the failings of this game’s bleak view on justice. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The Besties kick off a two-part series on The Last of Us Part II with a no spoilers episode. They explore the punishing gameplay, consider the pleasure of headshotting infected pseudo-zombies, and explain the trouble with scavenging Seattle for dirty bandages. Plus, they compete in a zombie apocalypse RPG that tests the gang’s survival skills. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

That's right Justin absolutely lives for the compilation Clubhouse Games on Nintendo Switch. He can’t get enough of the 51 classic board games, card games, sports stuff and even a piano keyboard! Somehow they manage to shift gears and also discuss the Playstation 5 box design aesthetics and answer fan mail. But it wasn’t easy to stop Justin from talkin’ club. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The gang reviews Super Mario Galaxy and picks their best game of the 2007 mini-series. Plus, Uncle Jake Nintendo Plante makes a special appearance to ask for the next great Mario spinoff? Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

In their on-going mini-series on the greatest games of 2007, The Besties this week discuss Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and God of War II. Together they comment on the trappings of Nathan Drake’s problem solving, why Kratos has no chill and explore fringe Playstation exclusives including the “When I'm Cleaning Windows” song from window washing mini-game Wishi Washi on the EyeToy: Play collection. Plus, answer fan mail for entry level gamers! Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

This week The Besties are discussing Halo 3! Together they look back to its highly anticipated release in 2007. The criticism around the infamous cliffhanger ending. Their favorite vehicles, weapons and campaigns. Plus, get nostalgic for H3’s limited edition gaming soda. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Would you kindly join The Besties as they revisit the dystopian RPG shooter BioShock? Together they discuss the influence of Objectivism and environmentalism on its storytelling. The design aesthetic that incorporates Art Deco and steampunk. And critique the effectiveness of the plot twist (spoiler alert!) Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

OORAH! Stand at attention and listen to this week's discussion of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare you maggots. In the second episode of their mini-series on games from 2007, The Besties examine the franchise's first foray into contemporary battle. Plus, Russ tests his co-host's knowledge with some Call of Duty trivia. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

This week starts off the new series on the best year for video games. Now with the spotlight on 2007, the gang of course had to discuss Portal and game developer Valve! Plus, the boys pitch Portal 3 concepts to a very special guest. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Today’s special episode takes The Besties into a new direction. With newer releases being put on hold, the gang is looking back at what was the best year for video games ever. Each present cases for why the year stood out and examine all the variables. Listeners can get in on the action by heading over to https://twitter.com/thebestiespod and cast their vote to help pick a winner! Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

This week The Besties are covering the remake of the hit RPG from 1997, Final Fantasy VII. Together they discuss its influential legacy and how the creators have reimagined the original story and evolved its characters. Plus, Plante presents his thesis on why video games as a medium may have entered into a postmodern phase. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The gang survives the remake of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis to tell listeners about the bizarre world design of Racoon City (including a train museum and a very normal toy store with a giant hovering baby head). They also explore why Justin finds watching game character’s heads explode less fun than ever before and how Russ decided to bestow Mr. X his new name, “the Large Detective.” Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

After 15+ years, the influential game franchise is back with Half-Life: Alyx! Follow along for an extremely nerdy conversation about The Besties' experience playing the VR first person shooter and what other franchises they would like to see return. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

This week, the Besties discuss the highly anticipated Animal Crossing: New Horizons! Is this the most important game possibly in the history of humanity? Will this be the biggest game release on the Nintendo Switch of all time? Together they explore the game play, bug curation and how important the opportunity to virtually go outside is in the this time of the coronavirus. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Elyse Willems (Funhaus) joins The Besties for an in-depth conversation on the newly released Doom Eternal! Topics include ripping of arms and limbs, the world-building of hell on earth and space castles. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Before the big game release storm rolls in, The Besties wanted to cover some of the latest smaller titles you might have missed. Including action platformer Bloodroots, mobile game Crossy Road Castle, the third installment in the Ben There, Dan That! series Lair of the Clockwork God and the manga artist Junji Ito influenced WORLD OF HORROR. Plus, they examine the upcoming PS5 versus Xbox Series X and the promise of HDMI 2.1, https://www.polygon.com/2020/3/4/21151509/xbox-series-x-ps5-specs-4k-8k-tv-hdmi Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Today's episode examines Rune Factory 4 Special Nintendo Switch edition plus Russ challenges the gang to a test if any of the farming simulators they've played over the years have translated into real world knowledge. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

This week the boys explore Dreams, the follow up to LittleBigPlanet from developer Media Molecule and discuss their other favorite user-generated content games. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The gang heads to the theaters to see the latest and greatest video game movie adaptation: Sonic the Hedgehog. But what happens if it's actually...good? Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Plante ditches the rest of the gang, leaving them with an ancient game that came out around the dawn of time. (Thankfully it was pretty good.) The remaining gang try to reboot the 1989 film, The Wizard, for a new generation. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The boys head into space and gather a heck of a lot of resources...and laughs? Russ somehow justifies his love for Jojamart, which may be the true good guy of the Stardew Valley universe. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

After nearly a decade, Kentucky Route Zero (a game first released during the first year of The Besties!) is finally completed. The boys also take a journey into an AI Dungeon to solve a horrible dragon crime. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Because the world has been captured by the magic of Geralt of Rivia, The Besties are diving into Netflix's The Witcher and also The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (newly released on Switch). Toss a coin to them! Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Some games take a year to come out. But some games? Decades. This week The Besties are looking at some of their favorite vaporware, including a project that's been in the works since the mid 2000s: Black Mesa, a fan-made Half-Life recreation. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

In this episode of The Besties, the boys debate which are the very best video game kings of all time. They'll also dive in to the latest addition to the Shovel Knight franchise, King of Cards. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The Besties are looking ahead at the coming year and asking themselves: Which are the true bangers of 2020? They'll even look ahead and make some prognostications about what to expect from the coming year. Will they be right? Probably not! Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The Besties bid farewell to 2019 with the highs and lows of some of the biggest trends of the year. NOTE: This will be the last full episode on the wide feed. Starting on January 3, 2020, The Besties weekly can only be found on Spotify. Follow and listen for free! Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Time to decide the best video game of 2019. We've tabulated our votes, and we're even including a surprise bracket, as voted on by the fans. Here we go, folks. It's all led to this.The full list of contenders in this year's GOTY special include: Round 1 - A Short HikeWhat the GolfHypnospace OutlawOuter Wilds (Part 1 winner)Round 2 - Outer WorldsLuigi's Mansion (Part 1 winner)Astral ChainPokémon Sword and Shield Round 3 - ControlBaba is YouSekiroDisco Elysium Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Who better to pick the world's best games than the world's best friends? The Besties kick off the 2019 Game of the Year special with an intense melee of the greatest video games to walk the Earth in the last 12 months. Got a submission? Send it to [email protected] Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Who likes walking? Justin likes walking! Hideo Kojima's long-awaited walking epic captures Justin's heart, but will the other Besties be as charmed? Also: What other games would be well-served by entering the "Strand" genre? Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Griffin loves his adorable little pocket monsters and tries his very best to convince the boys that they are truly creatures of god. This is generally ineffectual. Also: Pokémon that get far, far worse the more they evolve. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The Besties are back! This week they're discussing Respawn's Star Wars game, Jedi: Fallen Order, and diving into the weird world of deep cut Star Wars lore, from Yaddle to jizz (literally the official term for the genre of music in the cantina scene) . Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Wondering what the best games of 2018 were? Join Justin McElroy, Griffin McElory, Chris Plante and Russ Frushtick as they venture forth and discuss the cream of the crop. Will it be the last Besties episode ever? Yes! Maybe! I don't know! We just hope you enjoy it. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Hello Besties fans! First off, we love all of you! Secondly, we wanted to let you know that we'll be shifting back to just having The Besties as an end-of-year special. You can hear all about it in the episode, but this was the solution we were able to make work with everyone's schedules. While we know you'll miss hearing from us each month, know that we'll do our absolute best to make the end-of-year episode a true banger. But before that, please enjoy this episode where we discuss the very best games of April 2018. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

There were a ton of games trying to beat the Q1 deadline, but as The Besties soon learned, some of those titles may have needed a little more time in the oven. Or maybe they were beyond hope? Who’s to say? Not us, we have no idea. Listen, we don’t know what we’re talking about, OK? We thought you knew. Games Discussed: Deep Town, Alto’s Odyssey, Vermintide 2, FarCry 5, Ni No Kuni 2, Sea of Thieves, Fortnite Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

February is the month of love and we’ve got a crop of games that ... well, we like them. Maybe not like like them, but we regular like them a great deal. Games discussed: Lemon drinks, Almost a Hero, Monster Hunter World, Slay the Spire, Bayonetta 2, Membrane, The Fall Part 2: Unbound, Xbox One X Backwards Compatibility, Into the Breach, Owlboy. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Games discussed: Iconoclasts, SOS, Sea of Thieves, Celeste, Subnautica, Monster Hunter World, Shadow of the Colossus. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!