The Besties – "Reanimal Is Like Limbo with Friends"

Hosts: Griffin McElroy, Russ Frushtick, Chris Plante (Justin McElroy on leave)
Date: February 20, 2026

Episode Overview

This week's episode dives deep into Reanimal, a new co-op horror platformer from Tarsier Studios, best known for Little Nightmares. The Besties (with Justin out recovering from surgery) discuss how the game compares to its predecessors, dissect its horror elements and co-op mechanics, and unpack its atmospheric storytelling. The crew then transitions to discuss major reveals from PlayStation’s latest State of Play, touching on remakes, new IPs, and the current state of live-service and family gaming.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Naming Monsters in Horror Games (00:00–01:27)

• The show opens humorously with the hosts riffing on scary monster names for Tarsier games.
  • Notable laugh: “You put flesh in front of pretty much anything, it does make it scarier. Flesh sniffer.” – Chris Plante (00:55)

2. Reanimal Review & Discussion (04:57–18:34)

Connections to Tarsier's Past Work

• Reanimal continues the studio’s fascination with scale, atmosphere, and childlike protagonists in surreal, oversized worlds.
  • “You are kids in this game, but... you are in a world that is too big for you. Not from, like, a traditional, like, I don't know, you're a small child type of way, but in a, like, you've climbed up the beanstalk type of way.” – Griffin (05:26)
  • Tarsier’s experience with LittleBigPlanet influences their embrace of whimsical, tactile environments.

Game Mechanics & Genre

• The hosts debate whether Reanimal qualifies as a puzzle platformer; they propose “peril platformer” as a better descriptor:
  • “It's a peril platformer. You are imperiled all the time.” – Griffin (07:19)
  • Russ points out it feels more “rollercoastery” and less like a brainy challenge—closer to a Disney ride than tough puzzles (07:14).

Horror and Co-op Balance

• Co-op fundamentally shifts the game away from true horror:
  • “The decision to go co-op basically prevents it from being a horror game. It cannot be scary…If you go into this thinking, ‘I love games like It Takes Two, but a little creepier,’ you’ll really click with it.” – Plante (10:34)
  • Co-op makes it more accessible, less frightening, and, in single-player, decent AI aids progression (12:23).

Story and Atmosphere

• The story is abstract and unsettling, filled with evocative visuals over explicit narrative:
  • “It's a game where you could take any screenshot and, like, hang it on a wall. Yeah, it's really that impactful.” – Russ (10:27)
  • Examples include levels filled with human skin suits, houses of spider children, and disturbing movie theater sequences (09:08, 17:00).

3. State of Play Recap (22:39–43:52)

Legacy of Kain (22:39–25:13)

• Legacy of Kain Defiance remaster announced, surprising given its age and reception:
  • “It is a weird era to try and remaster…hard to really spit shine that one.” – Griffin (24:16)

Control Resonant (25:20–26:54)

• Control sequel goes more action-oriented and open-world.
  • “This felt like a Platinum game, shifting gravity to land on walls, doing sick combos.” – Griffin (25:47)

Death Stranding 2, Metal Gear Solid 4, and More (26:59–29:51)

• Excitement for Death Stranding 2's PC launch; nostalgia and trepidation around the Metal Gear Solid 4 re-release.
  • “I am so excited for Death Stranding 2 to come to PC. I pray to God it will run.” – Griffin (27:06)

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse (30:10–31:19)

• New Castlevania by the Dead Cells team:
  • “This Castlevania Belmont’s Curse game looks so goddamn good. I’m so excited for this.” – Griffin (31:07)
• Konami’s revival noted as a positive turn for fans.

Silent Hill: Townfall & State of Survival Games (31:19–32:15)

• Multiple Silent Hill games in development, with Townfall’s name getting a nod for its pun potential.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer (32:16–34:23)

• Buzzworthy info includes the inclusion of Sebulba and Ben Quadinaros, leading to playful banter about obscure Star Wars characters.

Other Notable Mentions

• God of War: Sons of Sparta (34:26–36:29): Lukewarm on the 2D spin-off, skeptical about incoming remake/remaster news.
• John Wick by Saber Interactive: Cautiously optimistic, but too early to tell (37:31–38:54).
• Marathon & High Guard: Skepticism about live-service extraction shooters, impacted by dev challenges and market saturation (39:00–42:56).
• Excitement for Castlevania, Silent Hill, and curious optimism for fighting games and upcoming titles like Pragmata and the new 007 (43:03–45:42).

4. Mugenics, Anime, and New Tech for Families (46:01–62:53)

Mugenics Discussion (46:01–53:30)

• Strong praise for strategic depth, emergent gameplay, and its endless replayability.
  • “The sandbox of this game is truly out of sight. Even the breeding side—makes me want to dismantle my entire operation when I find a new mutation.” – Griffin (25:25)
  • The meta-game of building the perfect team, adapting to unpredictable mutations, and onboarding new quests.

Delicious in Dungeon Anime (54:16–55:59)

• Russ and Griffin extol the show’s imaginative blending of dungeon crawling and fantasy cooking.
  • “Half cooking show, half adventuring show, and they spend so much time making the meals look fantastic.” – Russ (54:57)
  • Praised for its detailed worldbuilding and “fantasy ecology.”

Family Game Innovations: Bored & Next Playground (56:12–62:53)

• Chris talks about Bored, a massive touchscreen board game platform that has been a “revelation” for his family.
  • “It's been incredible. It's clicked for my son, who's neurodivergent—way more physical and collaborative than just video games.” – Plante (56:55)
  • Discusses its tactile, face-to-face strengths, high price, and hopes for a more affordable, developer-rich future.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It's a peril platformer. You are imperiled all the time.” – Griffin (07:19)
• “The decision to go co-op basically prevents it from being a horror game. It cannot be scary… If you go into this thinking, ‘I love games like It Takes Two, but a little creepier,’ you’ll really click with it.” – Plante (10:34)
• “This Castlevania Belmont’s Curse game looks so goddamn good. I’m so excited for this.” – Griffin (31:07)
• “The sandbox of this game is truly out of sight.” – Griffin, on Mugenics (50:39)
• “It's been incredible. It’s clicked for my son, who's neurodivergent—way more physical and collaborative than just video games.” – Plante, on Bored (56:55)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Funny monster naming cold open: 00:00–01:27
• Reanimal deep dive: 04:57–18:34
• State of Play news recap: 22:39–43:52
• Mugenics, anime, and board game discussions: 46:01–62:53

Conclusion

This episode offers a thoughtful analysis of Reanimal as a successor to Little Nightmares, explores the shifting trends in indie horror and co-op games, and unpacks a trove of news from PlayStation’s State of Play. The discussion also highlights fascinating developments in family gaming tech and the compulsive appeal of Mugenics, rounded out with personal anecdotes and plenty of humor, making it a must-listen for fans of games both big and weird.