Podcast Summary: The Besties — "Sword of the Sea is Like Journey on a Hoverboard"

Date: August 22, 2025
Hosts: Chris Plante, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy, Russ Frushtick

Episode Overview

The Besties crew—Griffin, Justin, Chris, and Russ—assemble to break down the new release “Sword of the Sea,” while also zipping through major current video game news and industry trends. The episode balances an in-depth, lively review of “Sword of the Sea” with reactions to big Gamescom 2025 announcements: Bubsy 4D, Silksong updates, the return of Kirby Air Riders, a wild new Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, and more. The panel’s signature banter and candid impressions keep the proceedings both insightful and highly entertaining.

Sword of the Sea Review

What Is Sword of the Sea?

(02:46, Chris Plante): “Just Journey. But you’re surfing on a sword.”
The spiritual successor to contemplative “experience” games like Journey, Abzu, and Flower, created by Giant Squid (with developers who also worked on Journey).

Key Features & Gameplay

Movement is the core: "surfing" through desert-ocean biomes on a hoverboard-like sword.
(06:33, Griffin McElroy): “This has much bigger Flower vibes... But now you’re turning the desert into the ocean and you’re doing it on a fucking hoverboard.”
Exploration is emphasized over challenge; the world encourages kinetic movement and trick combos (e.g., Tony Hawk-style score challenges, albeit sparingly).

Experience, Not Difficulty

(05:39, Justin McElroy): “It’s sort of like backing off of challenge... It never wants to put you in a place where you’re like doing the same thing over and over again. It’s very much not about frustration.”
The game prioritizes flow and discovery over taxing the player or presenting roadblocks.
Minimalist objectives; the “puzzles” are light environmental interactions.

Light-Touch Storytelling

(10:34, Justin McElroy): “The lack of story, it’s almost like anti narrative or anti real.”
Light environmental storytelling and abstract world-building ("buildings are used as geometry, but not really meant to represent buildings people are living in").
(10:53, Russ Frushtick): “You play as this being who is basically revived by the last drop of water in the world or something, and you’re trying to bring life back to this valley that has turned into a giant desert.”

Comparisons to Other Games

Journey, Abzu, Flower – the "experiential games" genre.
(07:12, Griffin McElroy): “It’s like Flower, by way of SSX Tricky.”
Even gets compared tongue-in-cheek to Burger Time for its “turning X into Y” mechanics (07:04, Justin McElroy).

Pacing & Flow

Fast, frictionless, and never bogged down in slow “prestige” walking sections common to the genre.
(13:08, Griffin McElroy): “It sidesteps... even at the height of the genre, even at Journey, where it feels like plotting... In this game... it becomes like Wipeout, like you are going through it.”
No enforced backtracking or loss of powers for cheap emotional payoffs.

Combat & The Sword

Despite the name, there’s no combat.
(14:48, Russ Frushtick): “There’s no combat, which maybe we should clarify up top because the sword is very prominent.”
The sword is a vehicle, not a weapon—used to surf and manipulate the environment (e.g., making things “wet” to go faster).

Art & Music

Striking visuals, dynamic soundtrack, hallmark of the genre.
(16:14, Griffin McElroy): “It also has a dynamic soundtrack, like those, you know, the best of that game. As you bring this world to life... the music kind of swells and picks up and adds instruments.”
(16:30, Justin McElroy): “Can I just say, I love an isolated flute. Oh, dude, give me an isolated flute. Any of those high-pitched woodwinds.”
Austin Wintory composed the score (16:44, Chris Plante).

Sensuality & Feel

Multiple hosts refer to the game as “sensual” (with tongue-in-cheek ribbing).
(17:21, Christopher Thomas Plant): “It is being able to turn hot into cold, being able to ring a bunch of bells, being able to do all the various spins and everything. It's all these little tiny good feeling things from other video games smashed into one place.”

Memorable Quotes

(19:46, Justin McElroy, fake box quote): “Sword of the Sea is extremely sensual. Not too hard, not too soft, not too long, not too short, but leaves a trail of wetness behind wherever it travels.”

Final Thoughts

The Besties love its tight design, sense of velocity, and willingness to get out of the player’s way.
(19:24, Griffin McElroy): “I was surprised by how sticky it was. I kept finding myself, with time, and instead of playing other stuff I kept coming back to this one until I finished it... Just the right length, just the right size, and just a really well crafted version of this.”

Gamescom 2025 Highlights & Industry Discussion

Hollow Knight: Silksong Update

Still no solid release after seven years, now in meme territory for many fans.
(25:24, Justin McElroy): "At this point, is it more of like a meme, or does this just frustrate you?"
Community jokes and coping mechanisms discussed.

Bubsy 4D Announcement

Bubsy returns, and the hosts process their skepticism and nostalgia.
(28:48, Griffin McElroy): “I am nervous and perhaps a little skeptical that this is going to transition cleanly from Bubsy being something we all can have a good laugh about to a beloved 3D... Hey, I'm back. And I'm in on the joke too.”
Developed by Fabraz, known for Demon Turf and Slimeson (30:04, Chris Plante).

Kirby Air Riders Direct

Sakurai presents a new Kirby Air Riders game; strong nostalgia, now tweaks the classic’s formula.
(32:23, Griffin McElroy): “It looks so fucking fun. I did not play the original at all... just the movement. Like, it's not a kart racer.”

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Trailer

The series goes even more over-the-top: super jumps, trippy environments, and powers.
(33:52, Griffin McElroy): “You get hit with a fucking scarecrow gas, and you and your squad all of a sudden are in Venezuela but all the streets go straight up into the sky. It looks incredible. Insane.”

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight

Combines Batman lore from TV, movies, and games in LEGO form.
(36:09, Russ Frushtick): “The combat looks like a rocksteady game. It looks like what they’re doing here is what they did with the [Star Wars] Rise of the Skywalker LEGO game.”

Sekiro Anime

An anime adaptation of Sekiro was announced for Crunchyroll.
(38:18, Griffin McElroy): “I got a Slack message from Russ... that just said Sekiro anime. And it felt like a prank at first…”

Honorable Mentions & Other News

Ghost of Yotei DLC announced before the base game’s release (40:34).
Atari 2600 Pac-Man Edition revealed (31:13).
The rise of dual-screen, retro handhelds (Ayaneo Pocket Ace, Retroid Flip) and the challenges of playing old DS/3DS titles.

Show’s Characteristic Banter & Quotes

Best Quotes:

Russ Frushtick (26:18, on the Silksong subreddit): “That community is going to absolutely meltdown. I feel like when this game exists, I don't know how we—I'm happy for them.”
Griffin McElroy (19:24, on Sword of the Sea): “I was surprised by how sticky it was... just the right length, just the right size, and just a really well crafted version of this.”
Justin McElroy (19:46, on Sword of the Sea, fake box quote): “This sword of the sea is extremely sensual... leaves a trail of wetness behind wherever it travels.”

Memorable Tangents:

Bubsy’s “grown up” look: “He's more mature, he's wearing a suit. Now this is an adults. Bubsy game for adults.” (30:43, Griffin)
On LEGO games' over-saturation: “I don't think we need anybody else taking all of popular culture and smooshed it into a big mushy slurry.” (36:21, Justin)
On new handhelds/the “sneakerhead” market: “It’s like, if the market's there, people will just keep releasing it. And I don't know.” (45:50, Justin)

Notable Timestamps for Key Segments

00:00 - Opening banter, hype for Sword of the Sea and Bubsy 4D
04:19 - Sword of the Sea in-depth review begins
10:34 - Storytelling, world-building and comparisons with Journey/Flower et al
14:37 - No combat in Sword of the Sea; discussion on player expectations
16:30 - Visuals, music, and Austin Wintory’s soundtrack
23:29 - Gamescom section: Silksong, Bubsy 4D, Kirby, Call of Duty, LEGO Batman, Sekiro Anime, Ghost of Yotei, new handhelds
40:54 - Honorable mentions: retro handhelds (Ayaneo Pocket Ace), DS/3DS nostalgia, hardware hacking, Spin-off tangents
48:41 - Family/kids’ gaming experiences (Mario Wonder, Mario 64, Yoshi’s Island)
53:08 - Mario draft on The Ringer podcast & show wrap-up

Recap

Featured review: Sword of the Sea—unanimously praised for its feeling of flow, inviting gameplay, and lack of friction or bloat. It’s a standout in the “walking/hoverboarding simulator” subgenre.
Industry news: Gamescom delivered a wave of nostalgia (Bubsy, Kirby, LEGO Batman), wild new takes on established franchises (Call of Duty: Black Ops 7), and persistent developer quirks (Silksong, Sekiro anime).
Other topics: Retro hardware and the challenge of game preservation, family gaming recommendations, and continued celebration of the weirder corners of the industry.

Conclusion

This episode is a treat for fans looking for both game reviews and lively takes on industry happenings. The Besties’ rundown of Sword of the Sea is thorough and enthusiastic, while their takes on Gamescom announcements are both insightful and irreverent. It’s a full-spectrum snapshot of where gaming (and gaming nostalgia) sits in mid-2025.

Podcast Summary: The Besties — "Sword of the Sea is Like Journey on a Hoverboard"

Date: August 22, 2025
Hosts: Chris Plante, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy, Russ Frushtick

Episode Overview

Sword of the Sea Review

What Is Sword of the Sea?

(02:46, Chris Plante): “Just Journey. But you’re surfing on a sword.”
The spiritual successor to contemplative “experience” games like Journey, Abzu, and Flower, created by Giant Squid (with developers who also worked on Journey).

Key Features & Gameplay

Movement is the core: "surfing" through desert-ocean biomes on a hoverboard-like sword.
(06:33, Griffin McElroy): “This has much bigger Flower vibes... But now you’re turning the desert into the ocean and you’re doing it on a fucking hoverboard.”
Exploration is emphasized over challenge; the world encourages kinetic movement and trick combos (e.g., Tony Hawk-style score challenges, albeit sparingly).

Experience, Not Difficulty

(05:39, Justin McElroy): “It’s sort of like backing off of challenge... It never wants to put you in a place where you’re like doing the same thing over and over again. It’s very much not about frustration.”
The game prioritizes flow and discovery over taxing the player or presenting roadblocks.
Minimalist objectives; the “puzzles” are light environmental interactions.

Light-Touch Storytelling

(10:34, Justin McElroy): “The lack of story, it’s almost like anti narrative or anti real.”
Light environmental storytelling and abstract world-building ("buildings are used as geometry, but not really meant to represent buildings people are living in").
(10:53, Russ Frushtick): “You play as this being who is basically revived by the last drop of water in the world or something, and you’re trying to bring life back to this valley that has turned into a giant desert.”

Comparisons to Other Games

Journey, Abzu, Flower – the "experiential games" genre.
(07:12, Griffin McElroy): “It’s like Flower, by way of SSX Tricky.”
Even gets compared tongue-in-cheek to Burger Time for its “turning X into Y” mechanics (07:04, Justin McElroy).

Pacing & Flow

Fast, frictionless, and never bogged down in slow “prestige” walking sections common to the genre.
(13:08, Griffin McElroy): “It sidesteps... even at the height of the genre, even at Journey, where it feels like plotting... In this game... it becomes like Wipeout, like you are going through it.”
No enforced backtracking or loss of powers for cheap emotional payoffs.

Combat & The Sword

Despite the name, there’s no combat.
(14:48, Russ Frushtick): “There’s no combat, which maybe we should clarify up top because the sword is very prominent.”
The sword is a vehicle, not a weapon—used to surf and manipulate the environment (e.g., making things “wet” to go faster).

Art & Music

Striking visuals, dynamic soundtrack, hallmark of the genre.
(16:14, Griffin McElroy): “It also has a dynamic soundtrack, like those, you know, the best of that game. As you bring this world to life... the music kind of swells and picks up and adds instruments.”
(16:30, Justin McElroy): “Can I just say, I love an isolated flute. Oh, dude, give me an isolated flute. Any of those high-pitched woodwinds.”
Austin Wintory composed the score (16:44, Chris Plante).

Sensuality & Feel

Multiple hosts refer to the game as “sensual” (with tongue-in-cheek ribbing).
(17:21, Christopher Thomas Plant): “It is being able to turn hot into cold, being able to ring a bunch of bells, being able to do all the various spins and everything. It's all these little tiny good feeling things from other video games smashed into one place.”

Memorable Quotes

(19:46, Justin McElroy, fake box quote): “Sword of the Sea is extremely sensual. Not too hard, not too soft, not too long, not too short, but leaves a trail of wetness behind wherever it travels.”

Final Thoughts

The Besties love its tight design, sense of velocity, and willingness to get out of the player’s way.
(19:24, Griffin McElroy): “I was surprised by how sticky it was. I kept finding myself, with time, and instead of playing other stuff I kept coming back to this one until I finished it... Just the right length, just the right size, and just a really well crafted version of this.”

Gamescom 2025 Highlights & Industry Discussion

Hollow Knight: Silksong Update

Still no solid release after seven years, now in meme territory for many fans.
(25:24, Justin McElroy): "At this point, is it more of like a meme, or does this just frustrate you?"
Community jokes and coping mechanisms discussed.

Bubsy 4D Announcement

Bubsy returns, and the hosts process their skepticism and nostalgia.
(28:48, Griffin McElroy): “I am nervous and perhaps a little skeptical that this is going to transition cleanly from Bubsy being something we all can have a good laugh about to a beloved 3D... Hey, I'm back. And I'm in on the joke too.”
Developed by Fabraz, known for Demon Turf and Slimeson (30:04, Chris Plante).

Kirby Air Riders Direct

Sakurai presents a new Kirby Air Riders game; strong nostalgia, now tweaks the classic’s formula.
(32:23, Griffin McElroy): “It looks so fucking fun. I did not play the original at all... just the movement. Like, it's not a kart racer.”

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Trailer

The series goes even more over-the-top: super jumps, trippy environments, and powers.
(33:52, Griffin McElroy): “You get hit with a fucking scarecrow gas, and you and your squad all of a sudden are in Venezuela but all the streets go straight up into the sky. It looks incredible. Insane.”

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight

Combines Batman lore from TV, movies, and games in LEGO form.
(36:09, Russ Frushtick): “The combat looks like a rocksteady game. It looks like what they’re doing here is what they did with the [Star Wars] Rise of the Skywalker LEGO game.”

Sekiro Anime

An anime adaptation of Sekiro was announced for Crunchyroll.
(38:18, Griffin McElroy): “I got a Slack message from Russ... that just said Sekiro anime. And it felt like a prank at first…”

Honorable Mentions & Other News

Ghost of Yotei DLC announced before the base game’s release (40:34).
Atari 2600 Pac-Man Edition revealed (31:13).
The rise of dual-screen, retro handhelds (Ayaneo Pocket Ace, Retroid Flip) and the challenges of playing old DS/3DS titles.

Show’s Characteristic Banter & Quotes

Best Quotes:

Russ Frushtick (26:18, on the Silksong subreddit): “That community is going to absolutely meltdown. I feel like when this game exists, I don't know how we—I'm happy for them.”
Griffin McElroy (19:24, on Sword of the Sea): “I was surprised by how sticky it was... just the right length, just the right size, and just a really well crafted version of this.”
Justin McElroy (19:46, on Sword of the Sea, fake box quote): “This sword of the sea is extremely sensual... leaves a trail of wetness behind wherever it travels.”

Memorable Tangents:

Bubsy’s “grown up” look: “He's more mature, he's wearing a suit. Now this is an adults. Bubsy game for adults.” (30:43, Griffin)
On LEGO games' over-saturation: “I don't think we need anybody else taking all of popular culture and smooshed it into a big mushy slurry.” (36:21, Justin)
On new handhelds/the “sneakerhead” market: “It’s like, if the market's there, people will just keep releasing it. And I don't know.” (45:50, Justin)

Notable Timestamps for Key Segments

00:00 - Opening banter, hype for Sword of the Sea and Bubsy 4D
04:19 - Sword of the Sea in-depth review begins
10:34 - Storytelling, world-building and comparisons with Journey/Flower et al
14:37 - No combat in Sword of the Sea; discussion on player expectations
16:30 - Visuals, music, and Austin Wintory’s soundtrack
23:29 - Gamescom section: Silksong, Bubsy 4D, Kirby, Call of Duty, LEGO Batman, Sekiro Anime, Ghost of Yotei, new handhelds
40:54 - Honorable mentions: retro handhelds (Ayaneo Pocket Ace), DS/3DS nostalgia, hardware hacking, Spin-off tangents
48:41 - Family/kids’ gaming experiences (Mario Wonder, Mario 64, Yoshi’s Island)
53:08 - Mario draft on The Ringer podcast & show wrap-up

Recap

Featured review: Sword of the Sea—unanimously praised for its feeling of flow, inviting gameplay, and lack of friction or bloat. It’s a standout in the “walking/hoverboarding simulator” subgenre.
Industry news: Gamescom delivered a wave of nostalgia (Bubsy, Kirby, LEGO Batman), wild new takes on established franchises (Call of Duty: Black Ops 7), and persistent developer quirks (Silksong, Sekiro anime).
Other topics: Retro hardware and the challenge of game preservation, family gaming recommendations, and continued celebration of the weirder corners of the industry.

Sword of the Sea is Like Journey on a Hoverboard

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Summary

Podcast Summary: The Besties — "Sword of the Sea is Like Journey on a Hoverboard"

Episode Overview

Sword of the Sea Review

What Is Sword of the Sea?

Key Features & Gameplay

Experience, Not Difficulty

Light-Touch Storytelling

Comparisons to Other Games

Pacing & Flow

Combat & The Sword

Art & Music

Sensuality & Feel

Memorable Quotes

Final Thoughts

Gamescom 2025 Highlights & Industry Discussion

Hollow Knight: Silksong Update

Bubsy 4D Announcement

Kirby Air Riders Direct

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Trailer

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight

Sekiro Anime

Honorable Mentions & Other News

Show’s Characteristic Banter & Quotes

Notable Timestamps for Key Segments

Recap

Conclusion

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Besties — "Sword of the Sea is Like Journey on a Hoverboard"

Episode Overview

Sword of the Sea Review

What Is Sword of the Sea?

Key Features & Gameplay

Experience, Not Difficulty

Light-Touch Storytelling

Comparisons to Other Games

Pacing & Flow

Combat & The Sword

Art & Music

Sensuality & Feel

Memorable Quotes

Final Thoughts

Gamescom 2025 Highlights & Industry Discussion

Hollow Knight: Silksong Update

Bubsy 4D Announcement

Kirby Air Riders Direct

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Trailer

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight

Sekiro Anime

Honorable Mentions & Other News

Show’s Characteristic Banter & Quotes

Notable Timestamps for Key Segments

Recap

Conclusion