218 posts tagged with McElroy.
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Podcast: The Besties: 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 Gameworks' rhythm-based beat-em-up, Hi-Fi Rush! Also discussed: Forward: Escape the Fold, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Physical: 100, Rock Band, Guitar Hero, DJ Hero, Season, Letterkenny, 20 Minutes Until Dawn [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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 its initial release? (Spoiler alert: Yes. Yes it does.) Also discussed: Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Mario 64, Half-Life, Fable, Burnout 3: Takedown, Metal Gear Solid, Metroid Prime, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Freelancer, Time's Ours, You Pod to Win the Game, My Perfect Console, Teardown, Vampire Survivors, Paul T. Goldman, The Traitors, Yakuza: Like a Dragon [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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 Cracker Jack prize rings.Also discussed: IGF Award Nominees, Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On, Futureport 82, &Juliet [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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 adaptation of The Last of Us? Also discussed: Sea of Thieves, Traitors, Neon White, Industry, The Shout [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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 game? Also discussed: Disco Elysium, 100 Ft. Robot Golf, Towerfall, Overcooked, Portal 2, The Stanley Parable, Prey, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, The Past Within, Outpath: First Journey, Dragon Quest IX [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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 are out pretty soon! Games discussed: Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Starfield, Final Fantasy XVI, Diablo 4, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Atomic Heart, Judas, Suicide Squad, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Pragmata, STALKER 2, Fire Emblem Engage, Armored Core 6, Redfall, Alan Wake 2, The Wolf Among Us 2, Playdead's New Game. [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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 answer to the burning question: what's the second-best game of 2022? [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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 a nice, tidy ranking of the five best games of the year. Join us! But like, get comfortable, because this is going to take a while. [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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 out! Also discussed: Elden Ring, OlliOlli World, Astronite, Need for Speed Unbound, Marvel Snap, Evil West, WCW Matches from 1991-1992. [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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, but how well does the rest of the game hold up? Also, what's on our backlog as we approach the GOTY proceedings? Also discussed: Dave the Diver, Pentiment, What the Bat, Binding of Isaac, Andor, Soccer Story, Peglin, Tiny Rogues [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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 say about Pentiment. Also discussed: Andor, Fargo Season 4, Spy x Family and Warhammer: Darktide. [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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 man it'll be a great story later? Let's talk about it, and also a random assortment of other new releases! Also discussed: McPixel 3, Somerville, Pentiment, GOTY Award Nominees, Reservation Dogs, Andor [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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 Snap, Binding of Isaac [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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 Snap, Idle Acorns, Binding of Isaac, Banshees of Inisherin [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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 TCG. 2022's just full of surprises. Also discussed: God of War: Ragnarok, Resident Evil 8 DLC, Case of the Golden Idol, The Hidden, Willie's Wonderland, Dangerous Game: The Legacy Murders [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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 good measure. Games discussed: Case of the Golden Idol, EverCrawl, Binding of Isaac, I Was A Teenage Exocolonist, Deadeye Deepfake Simulacrum, No Man's Sky [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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? Let's find out!Also discussed: Binding of Isaac: Repentance, In Memoriam series, At Dead of Night, Neon White, Rogue Legacy 2, Tunic, Sniper Elite 5 [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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 played it! Also discussed: Binding of Isaac, RogueJack, Mars First Logistics, Near Dark, Q: The Winged Serpent [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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 mining simulators.Games discussed: Trombone Champ, Slime Rancher 2, Shovel Knight Dig, Deep Rock Galactic, The Diofield Chronicle, Steel Rising, Squad 51 vs. the Flying Saucers [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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 Monkey Island, Final Fantasy X, The Elden Ring Manga, Predator: A Memoir, Arcade Paradise, Slay the Spire [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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 about like a hundred farming games. Also discussed: Dark Souls 2, Godard films, Severance, Melvor Idle, Slay the Spire, Le Circ Rouge [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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 as much as it is far more viscerally depressing now. Also discussed: Bounty of One, Zor: Pilgrimage of the Slorfs, Arcade Paradise, Dark Souls 2, and Immortality. [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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 stolen our hearts? Also discussed: Dark Souls 2, Dark Cloud 2, Alan Wake, Simulacra, Diveki Games, Jetpack Joyride 2 [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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, Dark Souls 2, Multiversus, Dark Cloud 2, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Ultimate Chicken Horse [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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 good measure. Also discussed: Beetlejuice, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Terraria, Pokemon Go, Slay the Spire: Downfall, Poinpy, Universal Paperclips, A Dark Room, The Ensign [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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! Plus, Plante loves Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Twist! [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 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 Horizon 5's new Hot Wheels DLC, EX-Zodiac, and Multiversus. We also discuss Drop 7, Dr. Awesome, Sword & Poker and other games that have been removed from App Stores. [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: Breaking Down the First Half of 2022
We know that you, a diehard Besties listener, have heard us talk about all the great games that came out so far this year. But if you enjoyed all that jazz, you're gonna LOVE hearing us stack those games up against each other in our mid-year checkpoint special!
Games discussed: Super Auto Pets, Wordle, Vampire Survivors, Nobody Saves the World, Pokemon Legends Arceus, Dying Light 2, Olliolli World, Horizon Forbidden West, Destiny 2: The Witch Queen, Elden Ring, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Tunic, Star Wars Skywalker Saga, Teardown, Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe, Rogue Legacy 2, Citizen Sleeper, V Rising, Hardspace: Ship Breaker, TMNT Shredders Revenge, Neon White, AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: Chowing Down on Cuphead's Delicious Last Course
We hope you're hungry, because this week brings us Cuphead's shiny new DLC, The Delicious Last Course. Also, we bought egg sandwiches for everyone, and man, we just bought waaaay too many. Take as many as you want. Bring some home to your family.Other games discussed: Neon White, Hero Emblems 2, Teardown, Clap Hanz Golf, Fall Guys, AI Somnium Files 2 [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: Partying at the World's Worst Summer Camp in The Quarry
This week, we're playing Supermassive's latest interactive horror movie-game-thing, which we played in a bunch of different ways, some less recommended than others. Also, we discuss the genre's origins in FMV at length, because ... of course we do. Other games discussed: Until Dawn, Heavy Rain, The Looker, Neon White, Card Shark, Stardew Valley Expanded [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: It Is, Once Again, Pizza Time with Shredder's Revenge
We're serving up game criticism on a half shell and trashing like a million Foot Clan conscripts as we discuss TMNT: Shredder's Revenge, Tribute's modern take on Konami's classic beat-em-up series.Also: Mailbag's full! Let's dump it on out. Also discussed: Fall Guys, Fortnite, Yakuza 0, Rogue Legacy 2, Pokemon Shield, Five Dates [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: Kicking it Super Hard with Mario Strikers: Battle League
You know Mario, from Mario? He's so much more than a jumping plumber, you know. He's doing soccer now, too. I mean, he's been doing soccer, and a lot of other stuff, and we're going to be talking about ALL that while we share some thoughts about Mario Strikers: Battle League. Games discussed: No Man's Sky, Rogue Legacy 2, Path of Exile, Fortnite, Vampire Survivor, Yakuza 0 [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: Acting Like a Bunch of Draculas in V Rising
This week, we're chatting about an up-and-comer on the Steam charts — the vampire survival sim V Rising. Find out why we're so smitten; with special guest Travis McElroy! Games discussed: V Rising, Everquest TLP, Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus, Vampire Survivors, Stardew Valley. Direct Episode Link [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: The Sleeper Hits of Spring 2022
This week, we're circling back with some of the lil' guys you might have missed this Spring while you were traipsing in the bluebonnets, or collecting berries or whatever. Games discussed: Shotgun King, Vampire Survivors, Haiku the Robot, Mini Motorways on Switch, OlliOlli World, Dungeons of Dreadrock, Rogue Legacy 2, Peglin, Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus?, Songpop Party, Forager, Fall Guys, Citizen Sleeper [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: The Definitive Power Ranking of Star Wars Games
In today's episode, we're exploring the absolutely pristine history of Star Wars video games, and assigning each of them a grade in an EXTREMELY scientific and deliberate manner. It's a journey, y'all. Also discussed: Nobody Saves the World on Switch, Death's Gambit: Ashes of Vados, Fortnite, Rogue Legacy 2 [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: Spoiling the Heck Out of Elden Ring
Look, we told you we'd be talking about Elden Ring for a very long time, and here we are, doing just that. We're going to be talking about the game's first half, and then, after a brief interlude, the second half! And then we're gonna talk about it less in the future, probably! Other media discussed: Sonic 2, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Old Enough, Perfect Tides, Minx [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: The Magical Butts of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands
We're ditching the gruesome violence of the Borderlands franchise in exchange for the whimsical violence of Tiny Tina's Wonderlands; an exchange that then inspires us to reinvent Doom for an all-ages audience. Also discussed: The Afterparty, Dragon Quest V, Bloons TD 6+, All in the Timing [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: Kirby and the Forgotten Stomach
This week we're diving into the latest installment of the long-running Kirby franchise, Kirby and the Forgotten Land. We'll also discuss Sony's attempt to take on the juggernaut that is Game Pass with its new PlayStation Plus service. Other games discussed: 13 Sentinels, Tunic. [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: We'll Be Talking About Elden Ring for a Long Time
Consider the title of this episode a warning: Elden Ring is a game that we're gonna be discussing A LOT for the foreseeable future, starting in this very episode. Join us as we discuss what works about From Software's new open-world Souls-like, which is to say, everything. Other games discussed: Puzzle Quest 3, Steam Deck, Colin Farrell [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: Fun with Robosaurs in Horizon: Forbidden West
It's feast or famine out there, games-wise, and this week's a FEAST: We're talking about Sony's newest first-party blockbuster, Horizon: Forbidden West. Also, Destiny 2's new expansion is out! And it's pretty good! Other games discussed: Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Magic the Gathering Arena, Hollow Knight, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Celeste, Terraria, The Room [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: Besties 10th Anniversary Game of the Decade Spectacular
To celebrate our tenth year of intractable debate over which video games are better than the other video games, we're doing EXACTLY THAT. For over an hour. We're pitting the best games of the last decade against one another, and only ONE survives. (One game, we mean. All the hosts are doing just fine.) Direct Episode Link [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: Raging Against the Dying Light 2
This week we're discussing Dying Light 2, a game that poses a novel question: What if dead people turned into monsters and you had to hit them with pipes and stuff? Also, we calculate the precise amount of time games are allowed to not be fun before they get fun. Also discussed: OlliOlli World, Finding Drago, Vampire Survivors, Everyday Shooter. Direct Episode Link. [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: We Gotta Go Back in Time with Pokemon Legends Arceus
Wondering what's next for the Pokemon franchise? Just how many games could they put out that are basically the same thing? Well, we finally have something pretty dramatically different! The gang dives into Pokemon Legends: Arceus and whether this is finally the game to recommend to newcomers to the franchise. Also discussed: Vampire Survivors, Station Eleven and, yes, Roblox. Direct Episode Link. [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: The (Other) Best Games of the Last 10 Years
As we build towards our 10 year anniversary in February, we decided to look back at some of the winners of The Besties Game of the Year throughout the decade. Were we right? Were we wrong? Let's find out! Each year we'll take a look at the original winner and decide what we'd put up as an alternate to go against it. You won't believe what we have for 2017! Or maybe you will. Yeah, you probably will. Direct Episode Link. [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: Everybody Loves Nobody Saves the World
Things come full circle as we once again dip into the Drinkbox catalogue with their newest Action RPG title, Nobody Saves the World! Also, we discuss the enormous and dumb implications of Microsoft buying Activision Blizzard. Also discussed: A bunch of old Activision titles that will definitely never be revived, Station Eleven, Peacemaker, Hawkeye. Direct episode link. [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: 2022's Most Anticipated Games
We're jumping into the next 12 months with gusto. These are the games we'll be watching, including some games that were on our 2021 list but didn't actually come out. Games discussed: Destiny 2: The Witch Queen, Rune Factory 5, Triangle Strategy, Elden Ring, Starfield, Skin Deep, Sonic Frontiers, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Stray, STALKER 2, Tunic, Cursed to Golf, Horizon Forbidden West, Wordle, Record of Lodoss War - Deelit in Wonder Labyrinth, Coral Island, After Life, Nine Days, Fortnite, the Analogue Pocket. [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: The Besties Game of the Year Spectacular - Part One
It's the day of the show, y'all! We've got a sweet sixteen games from this year up for the GOTY consideration, and by the end of the episode, we'll have whittled them down to an exquisite eight. Join us for a extra-long episode as we begin arbitrarily smashing these pieces of software together until only one survives! [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: The Grappling Hook Brings You Back to Halo Infinite
How much can a single device — one that's been present in video games as long as there's been video games — renovate the Halo formula? As it turns out: A whole bunch. Join us as we discuss Halo Infinite's campaign and multiplayer modes, and talk at length about where Chief's poop goes.Games discussed: Halo Infinite, Loop Hero on Switch, Binding of Isaac (again), Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker (briefly) [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: Our Fall Favorites Leading into GOTY Season
As we near the thrilling climax of 2021, we're taking a seasonal approach to see what games stood out over the last three (or so) months. Joining us this week is Kirk Hamilton (of the Triple Click and Strong Songs podcasts) to dive into this giant leaf pile that is the fall release calendar. Games discussed: Metroid Dread, Resident Evil 4 VR, Deathloop, Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye, Death's Gambit Afterlife, Forza Horizon 5, Inscryption, Archvale, The Binding of Isaac Repentence, and Wildermyth. [more inside]
Podcast: The Besties: Staying Faithful to Pokemon Shining Pearl and Brilliant Diamond
In which we discuss, with equal levels of enthusiasm, the latest remake from the world of Pokémon, and also the franchise as a whole. Then we take a deep dive into the mailbag, and share a blue million honorable mentions! Other games discussed include: Pokémon Snap, Pokémon Unite, Pokémon Let's Go, Pokémon Sword and Shield, Forza Horizon 5, Unsighted, Pony Island, Halo Infinite Multiplayer, Binding of Isaac: Repentance, Minecraft's Magic Kingdom Pack. [more inside]