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The Besties — Games & Hobbies
The Besties

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?

Copyright: © 2021

Latest Episodes:

Chilling in the Grab Bag with Kingdom Come Deliverance 3 Apr 04, 2025

Show notes

Usually, we talk about the latest and great video games. But this week, what if we try the greatest of the not-so-latest? That’s right, it’s finally time to talk about Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 and many other tasty delights. In the back half, we reflect on Nintendo’s farewell Direct for the original Switch.

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!

Assassin's Creed Shadows Delivers on an 18-Year-Old Promise Mar 28, 2025

Show notes

Assassin's Creed Shadows finally takes the series to Feudal Japan. But is Ubisoft too late? Or does their AAAA mega release slice through the competition like a hidden blade to the neck of an unsuspecting foot soldier?

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!

Repo and Inzoi Will Terrify You – For Very Different Reasons Mar 21, 2025

Show notes

We’re talking REPO. (Not the genetic opera! Not the Emilio Estevez movie!) The co-op horror game blends laughs with thrills by dropping some deeply strange characters into a terrifying world. Plus, we talk Inzoi. Is it a legitimate threat to The Sims?

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!

Wanderstop Performs an Autopsy on the Cozy Game Genre Mar 14, 2025

Show notes

Wanderstop is the new game from developer Ivy Road, founded by Davey Wreden, Karla Zimonja, and C418. What looks like a farming game is an exploration of burnout, anxiety, and the "to-do" list nature of video games. It's not for everyone but it might be for you!

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!

Split Fiction is everything fans want (and more of what critics fear) Mar 07, 2025

Show notes

This week, the Besties play Split Fiction, the latest game from the creators of It Takes Two. It tells the story of an evil corporation that uses AI to steal creative ideas and create generic sci-fi and fantasy drivel. It's published by EA. Video 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!

Monster Hunter Wilds is Surprisingly Great in Single-Player Feb 28, 2025

Show notes

Over the past 12 years, The Besties have — one by one — fallen in love with the Monster Hunter series. The latest entry, Monster Hunter Wilds, is the most welcoming version yet. It’s still a tremendous multiplayer experience, but the group discusses how well this entry works solo.

Plus, Plante talks about his new love: the new revival of Tokyo Xtreme Racer, an all-but-dead racing series from the 2000s

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 Pirate Yakuza Game Has Something for Everyone – Even Newcomers Feb 21, 2025

Show notes

Ahoy, besties! This week, the crew sets sails with Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, a video game that’s as silly as its name suggests. Unlike its predecessor — our best game of 2024 — this entry features a new(ish) protagonist, old-school action combat, and a potpourri of new min-games that borrow from a wide range of Besties favorites, including Cooking Mama and Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag.

Note from Plante: Last week’s description said Obsidian, the developer of Avowed, had previously made Fallout 76. It should have said Fallout: New Vegas. Sometimes I only have a chance to write the description/newsletter late, late, late in the night before we publish an episode — not an excuse, just an explanation. Needless to say, the mistake was human error and not the result of my co-hosts replacing me with a Content Bot.

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!

Is Avowed Too Good for Our Brains to Comprehend? Feb 14, 2025

Show notes

The Besties discuss Avowed, the new game from Fallout 76 developer Obsidian. It is extremely our shit. Perhaps… too much so? What does that even mean? Listen to find out!

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 Best Combat in a Metroidvania . . .Ever Feb 07, 2025

Show notes

2025 already has a fantastic Metroidvania, errrr, Search Action game! Ender Magnolia combines Metroid, Nier, Mega Man, and Pokémon into a single, beautiful 2D experience. Technically, this is a sequel, but no prior experience is required to enjoy this indie treat. In the back half, Griffin talks about his mixed experience with Civilization 7.

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!

Citizen Sleeper 2 Blends Game and Story Into One Complex Dish Jan 31, 2025

Show notes

We loved the original Citizen Sleeper, but were intimidated when we first heard the news of a sequel that would be more complicated — and presumably more difficult. Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector is just as complex as we expected and yet, once we got our feet beneath us, we couldn't stop playing.

What makes a game difficult? Is it fun to lose? What does it mean to be “in the mood” for a game? We have the answers!

Plus, Loco Motive — an extremely Justin McElroy game.

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!

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