The Besties
Podcast

The Besties

Russ Frushtick, Chris Plante, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy

522 episodes

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?

What this show covers

NintendoGame of the Yearindie gamesvideo gamesgame criticismRoguelikeStar WarsRacing GamesGalactic RacerControlopen-world gamesXbox layoffsGears of War E-DAYControl Resonantconsole upgrades

What listeners will find here

Why Star Wars games suddenly feel exciting again
Star Wars: Galactic Racer leads a conversation about a fresh wave of Star Wars games with stronger ideas and clearer creative vision. The episode digs into how this new racer blends spiritual-sequel nostalgia with story and roguelike structure, and why that could shake up Game of the Year debates.
Why Control Resonant’s bold genre shift pays off if you stick with it
Control Resonant is a technically a sequel to 2019’s Control, but it pushes the series in a new direction by turning it into an open-world action game. This episode digs into why that surprising change works after an adjustment period, and also weighs Gears of War: E-DAY against the backdrop of Xbox layoffs and upheaval.
A 200-hour Fire Emblem tests whether Switch 2 is finally worth it
Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave puts the Nintendo Switch 2 under the microscope with a massive tactics RPG that could take 200 hours to complete. Griffin and Frush dig into what works and what doesn’t, while Plante weighs whether the console’s exclusives now justify an upgrade.
When a big-budget game falls apart, the conversation gets interesting
Wolverine is the rare high-expectation release that lands as a major disappointment, and this episode digs into why. The hosts turn that frustration into a broader talk about what players want from expensive games, plus Frush shares hands-on impressions of the Steam Frame.
A long-dormant Capcom series returns with a surprisingly welcoming edge
Onimusha: The Way of the Sword is the focus here, as the hosts and Ron Funches dig into Capcom’s first new Onimusha in years. The conversation centers on how it mixes Devil May Cry and Dark Souls ideas into something that feels fresh instead of derivative.

Episodes

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