The Besties

The streak of hot new releases for 2024 continues! This week, we're talking about the opening hours of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and the many hours we've spent squishing bugs 'n' bots in Helldivers 2. Good hours, all! Also discussed: The Devil's Plan, Clubhouse Games, Deep Rock Survivor, The Floor Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan . Want more episodes? Join...

This week's episode is all about two games: Persona 3 Reload, the from-the-ground remake of Atlus' groundbreaking RPG, and Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior, a clever arena action game with a time-turning twist. Also, some big news about the future of The Besties! (No, we're not ending the show. Again.) Also discussed: The Connector, Zoey Ashe Trilogy, Helldivers 2, Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor Get...

Maybe this won't come as the biggest shock in the world to you, but Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is not a very good video game. How did we get here? Genuinely: We do not know. But we're not having, like, the best time. Also discussed: Enshrouded, The Void Rains Upon Her Heart, Casey Neistat's Apple Vision Pro commercial, Lysfanga, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Orion and the Dark Get th...

It's a big episode of the Resties! We're about to make some changes to the show, so we make time to share the results of our listener poll and reveal some behind-the-scenes info. But first, we have a cool video game to discuss! Anomaly Agent's creators have blended pixel art, anime design, 1990s arcade brawlers, and films like Inception and Paprika to create something delightful. And it's only $10...

We're pivoting a bit this week, discussing a half dozen sweet, lesser-known new releases that we've been enjoying during what's been an otherwise action-packed first month of the year! Join us, why don't you?  Discussed: Tiny Rogues, Tekken 8, Home Safety Hotline, Enshrouded, Lunistice, Lil Guardsman, Devil's Plan, Fargo, Taskmaster, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Chain Gang All-Stars, Piranesi...

Yakuza's back for like the eighth time, and it's never looked better! Join us as we discuss Ichiban and Kiryu's tropical vacation, and also the finer points of goose breeding. Also discussed: Tingus Goose: Weird Idle Game, Taskmaster, Cobalt Core, Football, Only Weird Games, Super Mario Odyssey, The Traitors Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan . Want more epis...

When Rocksteady published its entire Batman trilogy within seven years, it became one of the most promising (and prolific) video game studios in the world. But now, seven years since its last major release, Rocksteady has lost its two founders and, seemingly, its creative identity. With its new game Suicide Squad weeks from release, we explain how this developer went from creating the best superhe...

We're only a couple weeks into 2024, and already, we think we've got a bonafide GOTY contender on our hands: Ubisoft's new Metroidvania reimagining of the Prince of Persia franchise! Also, we're not calling them Metroidvanias anymore.  Also discussed: The Rest of the Prince of Persia series, Fleishman is in Trouble, Traitors, Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion, Threads Get the full list of ga...

This week, we're discussing two EXTREMELY different open-world adventures: Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, which features a lot of tall blue people, and Lil Gator Game, which features a lot of short green people. Which delighted us (and returning guest Jordan Morris) more? Find out inside!  Also discussed: Taskmaster, Dragon Age Dreadwolf, Haunted Chocolatier, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, Ri...

It's that special time of year when the Resties make bold prophecies about the future of video games. Sometimes they come true! Other times... not so much. In this week's episode, Frushtick and Plante revisit their 2023 predictions and declare a winner of their annual bet. And in the back half, they make fresh predictions for 2024 -- with a big twist! See a list of all of the Resties predictions a...

We're back after a brief holiday hiatus to discuss the biggest, Bestiest video game releases of the coming year. Spoiler alert: It gets real JRPG-heavy, real quick.  Games discussed: Dragon's Dogma 2, Unicorn Overlord, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Baby Steps, Animal Well, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Alone in the Dark, Persona 3 Reload, Light No Fire, Hades 2, Pri...

Once more, our watch has ended. We've put 2023 to bed, deciding on the definitive list of the top four games of the year. Catch y'all in 2024! Have good holidays! LYLAS! 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!

IT BEGINNETH ANEW. Join us for the first half of our annual Game of the Year determination, in which sixteen of the year's top titles (including four listener picks!) square off to see who moves on to the finals! There's at least one decision in here that we're sure to catch flak for, so, hey! Let's get this over with.  Games discussed: Baldur's Gate 3, Chants of Sennaar, Alan Wake 2, Armored Core...

Find the full Resties Required Reading List at Besties.fan ! We have finalized the Resties Required Reading List and we can’t wait to share the results! Our goal was to collect a list of 25 games — from Pac-Man to modern day, 1980 to 2020 — that will help our listeners better appreciate this wonderful medium. We believe these are the games that everyone who wants to have a fundamental appreciation...

Join us for a look back at this year's biggest games through the lens of the annual The Game Awards show, and as we make some pretty out-there predictions about the announcements we'll see therein. Also, there's a new Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer! That's pretty wild, isn't it? Also discussed: Lunacid, Teardown, Baldur's Gate 3, The Steam Deck OLED, PlayStation Portal, Bottoms, Lil Gator Game Get the...

On this extra special episode of The Besties, the gang brings forth some truly excellent games from smaller devs that may have passed you by. Games discussed: Kingdom Eighties, Jusant, Lunacid, Backpack Hero, among others. We've also got some great suggestions from the readers! For the full list, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter at besties.fan. Subscribe to our newsletter at besties.fan! Get...

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Half-Life, Valve updated the original game, released a documentary, and ran a brief PR victory lap. The standout achievement of the anniversary is the excavation of Half-Life Uplink, the original demo that crammed all of the game's big ideas into a 30-60 gauntlet of action. It's the antithesis of Half-Life's artful, but slow start. And it rules. In the back hal...

Nearly 30 years ago, Nintendo and Square teamed up for one of the wildest collabs in gaming history: A turn-based RPG adventure featuring everyone's favorite blue collar jumping man. How well does the remake, now on Nintendo Switch, fare? Well, that's what we're talking about today with our pal, Felicia Day.  Also discussed: Third Eye, Scavengers Reign, Heroes vs. Hordes, Teardown, The National Mu...

Persona 5 has been reborn! For like the millionth time. For this iteration, we've got the XCOM-meets-JRPG fusion of Persona 5 Tactica. Let's find out how great these two great flavors taste together! Also discussed: Final Fantasy XIV, Pokeclicker, Good Omens Season 2, Halls of Torment, Our Flag Means Death Season 2, GUBBINS, A Haunting in Venice, Napoleon Subscribe to our newsletter at besties.fan...

It's the special time of year when families gather together to eat turkey, watch football, and play video games. With perfect timing, two new local (and online) multiplayer treats have appeared on digital store shelves. We open the episode with Alien Hominid Invasion, a sequel of sorts to the beloved '00s Flash game Alien Hominid. For the B-segment, we bump and bounce around KarmaZoo, a beginner-f...

Our retrospective series on Hideo Kojima's oftentimes inscrutable spy thriller franchise continues today, as we discuss the highs and lows of jungle espionage in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. How does this pre-sequel hold up almost 20 years after its original release? Let's find out, together! Also discussed: Alan Wake 2, Super Mario Maker 2, Warcraft Rumble, Chants of Senaar, Rogue: Genesia, L...

Thirteen years ago, a troubled fictional author by the name of Alan Wake stumbled into our hearts, yelling about shadow monsters and nightmares made manifest. Now he's back, and he's got a friend! What's changed in the intervening decade-plus-change? And how much of the original Alan Wake do we remember? (Hint: Literally none of it.)  Also discussed: Venture Bros.: Radiant is the Blood of the Bamb...

Happy Halloween! This week, The Resties celebrate the spooky season with World of Horror, the Japanese horror game inspired by retro text adventures and the artist Junji Ito. Plus, we shine the spotlight on Laika: Aged Through Blood, a game that's as gorey as it is cute. Find all the games discussed on the show by subscribing to our newsletter at besties.fan! Get the full list of games (and other...

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a wild ride, y'all. Mario can turn into an elephant, sure, but that's like, the tenth weirdest thing that happens as you progress through the game. What other tricks does everyone's favorite toilet repairman have up his sleeve? Find out inside! Also discussed: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Insomniac’s Wolverine, Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Tsushima 2, Last of Us Factions mul...

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a triumph, boasting double the standard number of Spiders-Men playable in a single installment of this long, storied franchise. But is it better than literally every other Spider-Man game? Let's find out by comparing them one at a time, shall we? Also discussed: The Way of Kings, Killers of the Flower Moon, Teardown Art Vandals DLC, Super Mario Wonder Subscribe to our news...