The Besties

By Chris Plante, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy, Russ Frushtick

Video Games

What's The Besties about?

It's Game of the Year meets King of the Hill as four of Earth's best friends – Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy, Chris Plante, and Russ Frushtick – rank and review their favorite video games. Because shouldn't the world's best friends pick the world's best games?

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Metal Gear Solid 2's Great ...

03.24.2023

This week, we're joined by GameSpot's Tamoor Hussain to discuss the second installment in the Metal Gear Solid series. How well does the game's AI-controlled vision of the future match up with our own reality two decades later? Also, what's ...

The Besties episodes:

03.24.2023 Metal Gear Solid 2's Great Switcheroo This week, we're joined by GameSpot's Tamoor Hussain to discuss the second installment in the Metal Gear Solid series. How well does the game's AI-controlled vision of the future match up with our own reality two decades later? Also, what's ...
03.21.2023 The best gaming documentary of all time [The Resties] A few weeks ago, game developer Double Fine surprise-dropped a 22-hour documentary about the seven-year creation of Psychnoauts 2. At least that's the premise on paper. In reality, the stunning TV-length doc is a fearless look inside the day-to-day life ...
03.17.2023 Dead Cells, Sea of Thieves and More From the Grab Bag In lieu of some big blockbuster release to discuss this week, we've decided to once again firmly grip the handles of the grab bag and upend it all over the dang place. Games n' stuff discussed include: Dead Cells: Return ...
03.10.2023 Wo Long and Destiny 2: Lightfall Are Very Different Games! The boys gather to discuss an interesting Souls-like from the Ninja Gaiden team in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, and Justin attempts to reignite his passions for the world of Destiny with the latest expansion, Lightfall. Also discussed: Better Call Saul, ...
03.07.2023 The original Mario movie is totally bonkers [Resties] The Super Mario Bros. Movie hits theaters next month, but before you see Chris Pratt's rendition of the plumber, why not revisit the original Mario movie? Yes, it's time to watch the all-but-lost 1993 cult classic, starring Bob Hoskins as ...
03.03.2023 Kirby's Return to Dream Land Saved Chris Plante's Life Sometimes, in our hour of greatest need, a hero comes down like a shining beam of light from the heavens to save us. Sometimes, that hero is pink and round, and eats like a million owls and rabbits and stuff, ...
02.24.2023 Revisiting Metal Gear Solid's Weird Game Boy Color Port We continue our dive into the great and stealthy works of Solid Snake this week, as we've recently played Metal Gear Solid: Ghost Babel on the Game Boy Color. Does it hold up? We should probably stop asking that question ...
02.21.2023 New Yakuza and the best Game Boy games on Switch [Resties] The Yakuza series has a new name. "Like a Dragon" is a literal translation of the original Japanese title Ryu Ga Gotoku. Returning to where things started fits the latest release: a remaster of Like a Dragon: Ishin, an action-heavy ...
02.17.2023 Metroid Prime Remastered Proves that Metroid Prime Still Rules Just one week after our episode about surprise game releases, Nintendo went ahead and stealth-dropped a remastered version of the classic GameCube Space Pirate-slaying Simulator, Metroid Prime. But is it still fun after almost 20 years and an intensive graphical ...
02.10.2023 Hi-Fi Rush Surprise Drops its Way Into Our Hearts Nothing's better than when you don't know that a game exists, and then POOF! It's just right there on the homepage of whatever digital games distributor you use to get new games. Even better? When it's super fun, like Tango ...
02.07.2023 2023 is already full of great games [The Resties] We expected 2023 to be an incredible year for video games with Zelda and Starfield on the calendar. However, we didn't expect to have so many great games by early February. This week, we talk about Hitman's incredible "Freelancer" DLC ...
02.03.2023 It's Necromorphin' Time with Dead Space Join us as we revisit the USG Ishimura, the pride of Earth's planet-cracking operations and, also, the extremely monster-infested setting of EA's remake of their classic survival horror title Dead Space. Does it still hold up some 15 years after ...
01.27.2023 Putting a Ring On It With Fire Emblem Engage Intelligent Systems' long-running series of strategy-RPGs gets even longer this week with the release of Fire Emblem Engage! Join us as we discuss the evolved tactics in this new installment, as well as the ethics of trapping ghost soldiers in ...
01.24.2023 Better Know a Dungeon! (Plus, Persona 3-5!) [The Resties] Today we're trying a new format called Better Know a Dungeon (a.k.a. Isn't It Levely). We pick an iconic stage or dungeon and perform an autopsy, revealing what makes it magical. For our experiment, we've selected Elden Ring's Stormveil Castle. ...
01.20.2023 Revisiting Metal Gear Solid To kind-of-celebrate the almost-25th anniversary of Metal Gear Solid, we went back and played a couple different versions of the game to see how well Hideo Kojima's super spy thriller holds up. And hey, how's the pilot episode of HBO's ...
01.13.2023 The Hundred Million Jokes of High on Life This week, we're joined by GameSpot's Lucy James as we discuss Squanch Games' joke-packed first-person shooter High on Life. How many full-belly chuckles did we experience during our time alien bounty hunting? Also, can J.B. Smoove do voices in every ...
01.10.2023 Our 2023 video game predictions! [The Resties] Welcome to the second-annual Resties Video Game Predictions episode! Each January, Frushtick and Plante make six bold predictions for the upcoming year in video games. We also revisit the previous year's prediction and announce a winner. (The year's champion gets ...
01.06.2023 What Are We Looking Forward To in 2023? With last year's best games played and adjudicated, we look forward to some of our most anticipated releases of 2023. Sure, you got your Zeldas and your Starfields, but there's way more coming down the pipeline — some of which ...
12.23.2022 Besties 2022 GOTY Extravaganza - Part Two We continue the ritual of making the ritual slightly different every year, when we bring the final eight down to the final four, and then introduce another contender before we rank the final five. And at last we’ll have the ...
12.16.2022 Besties 2022 GOTY Extravaganza - Part One IT BEGINS. Well, it ends. Okay, actually, both. This week, we're taking our top 16 games of the year and pitting them against one another in arbitrary combat until only eight remain. Next week, we'll get things sorted down to ...
12.13.2022 The new Need for Speed is a fun surprise [The Resties] Need for Speed: Unbound deserved a better launch than this. After a decade of middling entries, EA has returned NFS responsibilities to the exceptional racing developer Criterion Games. The team has produced a street racing game that blends Forza Horizon ...
12.09.2022 Smashing the Gooey Guys of Warhammer 40K: Darktide with Ron Funches This week, we're joined by beloved Besties guest host Ron Funches as we discuss the gory extravaganza called Warhammer 40K: Darktide. Is Left 4 Dead still fun when it's in space and there's religion and cyberskulls and stuff? Let's find ...
12.02.2022 Gone Fishin' with Blade in Marvel's Midnight Suns Marvel's Midnight Suns is a tactics game from XCOM developer Firaxis, only instead of shooting aliens a hundred times from behind cover, you play cards to beat ass with your best friend, Blade. This is, objectively, a very good idea, ...
11.29.2022 The Video Game Required Reading List: 2010-2014 [The Resties] The Resties Required Reading List strikes again! Our goal is to curate a "must-play" list of 25 games released between 1980 to 2020. Think of it like Video Games 101. This week, we've selected games from 2010-2014. Join us as ...
11.25.2022 Seeing Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Through the Eyes of a Child It's one of the biggest releases of the year and Justin paid his daughter, Charlie McElroy, to play it for him. Yes, it's Pokémon time once again and we're diving into Scarlet and Violet. We've also got way more to ...
11.18.2022 Boldly Going Where No Hedgehog's Gone Before in Sonic Frontiers Sonic Frontiers, the open-world iteration of Sega's fast rodent simulator, is kind of a mess. But is it the fun kind of mess, like when a can of spray cheese explodes in your car, and it's gross and everywhere, but ...
11.15.2022 One huge indie and one tiny one [The Resties] We are being bombarded by awesome games. This week, we brought two must-try adventures. The first, Somerville, is the spiritual sequel to indie mega-hits Limbo and Inside. The second is Dave the Diver, a game we hadn't heard about until ...
11.11.2022 BOY! Do We Have Thoughts About God of War: Ragnarok How do you follow up a certified club banger like 2018's God of War? Join us as we discuss Sony Santa Monica's daunting sequel and its unsurprising breakout star. (Spoiler: It's Richard Schiff.) Also discussed: Signalis, Dave the Diver, Marvel ...
11.04.2022 Facing our Inner Demons in Bayonetta 3 Bayonetta is back after a long sabbatical, and now there's like a million of her. Is that too many Bayonettas? Is such a thing possible? Let's find out as we share our thoughts on Bayonetta 3! Also discussed: Signalis, Marvel ...
11.01.2022 A spoiler-free God of War Ragnarok preview! [The Resties] The Resties grab their axes, string their bows, and open their hearts to sad dads in this special, spoiler-free preview of the first 4-6 hours of God of War Ragnarok. Does Kratos' latest adventure recreate the magic of the original ...
10.28.2022 Mario and Rabbids and Marvel and Sonic and Minions Mario and Rabbids, two distinguished IPs operating on identical levels of critical acclaim, have been squished together once again in the turn-based stratgizer, Sparks of Hope. Join us as we examine their japes, and also get really into a Marvel-based ...
10.21.2022 A Desperate Dive Into the Grab Bag Look, we were gonna do Arkham Knights this week, but realized nobody wanted to hear an hour long dunkfest - join us as we pivot to talking about a bunch of good games, instead! With just a liiiiittle dunking for ...
10.18.2022 No Man's Sky, All Rats' Earth [The Resties] A Plague Tale: Requiem is an exceptionally beautiful, technologically modern video game built with a blueprint from a different era. The Resties discuss the comfort and frustration of Xbox 360-era video game design, the power of graphics, and what makes ...
10.14.2022 Getting Up Close and Persona(l) With the impending multiplatform launch of Persona 5 Royal and its portable predecessors, we decided to sit down and discuss all the highs and lows of Atlus's super-social RPG franchise. Also, what's the best way to quit playing a game? ...
10.07.2022 Honey, We Shrunk the Us in Grounded This week, we're playing Obsidian's miniaturized survival sim Grounded, and mostly talking about stripping Rick Moranis of his science license. Also, ROCK AND STONE! By which we mean: We're also talking about Deep Rock Galactic, now that we've all actually ...
10.04.2022 The Video Game Required Reading List: 1995-1999 [The Resties] The Resties Required Reading List returns! Our goal is to curate a "must play" list of 25 games released between 1980 to 2020. Think of it like Video Games 101. This week, we've selected games from 1995-1999. Join us as ...
09.30.2022 The Fall 2022 Indie Gaming Pick-A-Mix We couldn't pick a game to discuss this week, so instead we present to you an installment of Oops! All Indie Games. We've got a bumper crop of backlog material for you to dive into, from slime-based horticulture to interstellar ...
09.23.2022 Dreaming the Impossible Dreamlight Valley We're as surprised as anyone that Dreamlight Valley, Gameloft's Disney-flavored life sim, has enraptured our hearts and our minds. Join us as we force feed Goofy raw fish while hunting the unquiet spirit of Minnie Mouse. Also discussed: Return to ...
09.20.2022 Game Pass got a killer Pikmin-like, plus the end of Immortality We forgot to mention the announcement of Pikmin 4 on last week's Besties, maybe because we've been so content with Tinykin, which blends Nintendo's real-time strategy game with chunks of 3D Mario and a heaping cup of Dreamcast magic. After ...
09.16.2022 We're Not Squidding Around with Splatoon 3 The great inkening is upon us once again. Join us for a discussion about Nintendo's third installment in their paint-wasting simulator Splatoon! Also, we break down the big announcement's from this week's Nintendo Direct, which is to say, we talk ...
09.09.2022 Getting All Gussied Up with The Last of Us Part 1 If you think you just played a version of the original The Last of Us, we're here to tell you that you probably did, but here's a new one with prettier graphics! Well, pretty is maybe not the right word ...
09.06.2022 Revenge of the backlog!!! (Plus, new TMNT) [The Resties] To make room for the new games of the fall video game season, The Resties are clearing out their backlogs. Frushtick is finishing Dark Souls 2 on the Steam Deck. Plante sees Cult of the Lamb to its end. Plus, ...
09.02.2022 A Fun Time at the Movies with Immortality This week, we're discussing the latest Sam Barlow FMV game, Immortality. It's all about the history of cinema and auteur theory and, tragically, Chris Plante isn't here to explain what all of that means. Also, what other FMV performances have ...
08.26.2022 Returning to a Life of Crime in Saints Row Crime. Crime never changes. But the perps do, so let's meet the new squad in the Saints Row reboot! Also, what games do we like that you probably despise? Games discussed: Saints Row, Fallout New Vegas, Madden, SimCity, Heavy Rain, ...
08.23.2022 Video game season is here! [The Resties] The annual video game deluge has begun. This week, we played not one, not two, but three inventive new games. Arcade Paradise asks players to split their time between running a laundromat and launching a local arcade. Rollerdrome mixes Tony ...
08.19.2022 Blessed to Play Cursed to Golf This week, at least three of us dirty dogs are fulfilling our every fantasy by putting our way through purgatory in Cursed to Golf! Also, we dump out the mailbag again, and dive into it like so many leaves. Also ...
08.12.2022 We Have Cult at Home Cult of the Lamb came out of nowhere and has enchanted us like so many woodland acolytes. Join us as we discuss the finer points of managing a demonic community, and share some of our fondest Mortal Kombat memories for ...
08.09.2022 Happy birthday to Mario Kart! [The Resties] Super Mario Kart sped onto the SNES in August 1992. Thirty years, eight entries, and a mobile game later, Mario Kart is one of the most successful and beloved active franchises. The Resties celebrate the series by unpacking what makes ...
08.05.2022 Our Favorite Games to Bring on the Road (Including Xenoblade!) How do you pack the perfect video game for a long trip? This week, we speak with resident gaming travel expert and Besties co-host Justin McElroy to learn his secrets to success. Will we mention clicker games? Just you wait! ...
07.29.2022 The Multiverse is Real and It Has Shaggy This week we're diving into a wide swath of new game releases, at least one of which kinda came out of nowhere and ended up being super good! Heck, they're all good, but just very different. On the bill: Forza ...

Older episodes

The Besties

What's The Besties about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Besties episodes:

Metal Gear Solid 2's Great Switcheroo

The best gaming documentary of all time [The Resties]

Dead Cells, Sea of Thieves and More From the Grab Bag

Wo Long and Destiny 2: Lightfall Are Very Different Games!

The original Mario movie is totally bonkers [Resties]

Kirby's Return to Dream Land Saved Chris Plante's Life

Revisiting Metal Gear Solid's Weird Game Boy Color Port

New Yakuza and the best Game Boy games on Switch [Resties]

Metroid Prime Remastered Proves that Metroid Prime Still Rules

Hi-Fi Rush Surprise Drops its Way Into Our Hearts

2023 is already full of great games [The Resties]

It's Necromorphin' Time with Dead Space

Putting a Ring On It With Fire Emblem Engage

Better Know a Dungeon! (Plus, Persona 3-5!) [The Resties]

Revisiting Metal Gear Solid

The Hundred Million Jokes of High on Life

Our 2023 video game predictions! [The Resties]

What Are We Looking Forward To in 2023?

Besties 2022 GOTY Extravaganza - Part Two

Besties 2022 GOTY Extravaganza - Part One

The new Need for Speed is a fun surprise [The Resties]

Smashing the Gooey Guys of Warhammer 40K: Darktide with Ron Funches

Gone Fishin' with Blade in Marvel's Midnight Suns

The Video Game Required Reading List: 2010-2014 [The Resties]

Seeing Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Through the Eyes of a Child

Boldly Going Where No Hedgehog's Gone Before in Sonic Frontiers

One huge indie and one tiny one [The Resties]

BOY! Do We Have Thoughts About God of War: Ragnarok

Facing our Inner Demons in Bayonetta 3

A spoiler-free God of War Ragnarok preview! [The Resties]

Mario and Rabbids and Marvel and Sonic and Minions

A Desperate Dive Into the Grab Bag

No Man's Sky, All Rats' Earth [The Resties]

Getting Up Close and Persona(l)

Honey, We Shrunk the Us in Grounded

The Video Game Required Reading List: 1995-1999 [The Resties]

The Fall 2022 Indie Gaming Pick-A-Mix

Dreaming the Impossible Dreamlight Valley

Game Pass got a killer Pikmin-like, plus the end of Immortality

We're Not Squidding Around with Splatoon 3

Getting All Gussied Up with The Last of Us Part 1

Revenge of the backlog!!! (Plus, new TMNT) [The Resties]

A Fun Time at the Movies with Immortality

Returning to a Life of Crime in Saints Row

Video game season is here! [The Resties]

Blessed to Play Cursed to Golf

We Have Cult at Home

Happy birthday to Mario Kart! [The Resties]

Our Favorite Games to Bring on the Road (Including Xenoblade!)

The Multiverse is Real and It Has Shaggy

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