GameHounds

Fallout 3 Starter’s Guide

In: op ed by Justin Knowles

23 Aug 2010

Having heard how Holy Goalie was having trouble with Fallout 3 I have put together this starter guide hoping it will help him and any other GameHounds listeners who have not yet played Fallout 3.

I have attempted to avoided any major spoilers, however there is one and I have clearly labeled it at the end of this article. This guide is based on my experiences while playing the game. and I hope it will be of some help.

Read the rest of this entry »

(4) Comments

The Best iPhone It Can Be?

In: op ed by Ryan "ThatOneGuyRy" Lindblom

23 Aug 2010

Unless you have been living under a rock, you have most likely heard of this little handheld device made by Apple, the iPhone 4. Better camera, better screen, sleeker design. Same crappy service provider, same dropped calls, and some are unable to even hold the device without signal issues.

I’ve had my iPhone 4 since launch day. I love everything about it — except the fact that I am constantly losing calls. Not because of the “AntennaGate” issue but due to a proximity-sensor issue.

Read the rest of this entry »

No Comments
Tags: antennagate, iphone

It’s Guest Writer Day!

In: Website by Edie Sellers

23 Aug 2010

If you don’t recognize the names of today’s authors, don’t worry. If you do, also don’t worry.

Today we’re bringing you a couple op ed articles from guest writers, Justin Knowles and Ryan “That One Guy Ry” Lindblom.

You might remember Ryan. He was “The iPhone Guy” on the GameHounds Humpdate. Justin is a listener who decided to respond to an issue that Holy Goalie expressed in on of our podcast episodes.

Hope you enjoy both articles.

No Comments
Tags: guest writer, op ed

Are You Suffering from Gamer Stockholm Syndrome?

In: Articles by Nick "Alsop Live" Dinicola

20 Aug 2010

I’ve been playing a game called Arc Rise Fantasia for review. That “for review” bit is important because the game isn’t good and I would have stopped playing after 10 minutes if I had a choice in the matter. Its flaws are too numerous to mention here in full; suffice to say, the dialogue is inane, voice acting is terrible, and even the main character seems bored by the story. And yet, after about five hours it got “better.” I say better in quotes because the game itself didn’t change at all, everything that was bad about it remained bad, rather my perceptions changed. I got used to the dialogue and acting, and against all odds the characters started to grow on me.

Read the rest of this entry »

No Comments
Tags: Arc Rise Fantasia, BioShock 2, Mass Effect 2, Shadow of the Colossus, stockholm syndrome, Uncharted 2

Review: Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days

In: Reviews by Nick "Alsop Live" Dinicola

19 Aug 2010

Kane & Lynch: Dead Men has become something of a cult classic over the years: A game remembered for its uncompromising characters and poor squad controls. Its sequel, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days, immediately fixes many of those flaws by abandoning the squad altogether. Now it’s just Kane and Lynch, as per the title.

The most striking thing about Dog Days is its visual style. Everything looks like its being recorded through a handheld digital camera: Light glints off the lens while rain and blood dirty it, artifacts pop up when scenes change, the camera shakes violently when you run and crumples to the ground when you die, and when riding in a car the camera actually sits between seats looking up. It’s almost voyeuristic the way it moves, and this style gives the game a surprisingly intimate feel.

Read the rest of this entry »

No Comments
Tags: Dog Days, Eidos, IO Interactive, Kane and Lynch, review, square enix

Cheers for “No Cheering In the Press Box”

In: Articles by Nicholas "Heartbreak Ridge" Sylvain

19 Aug 2010

I suppose that when you get down to it, since I started contributing here at Gamehounds I’ve become a games journalist. Just because it’s a part-time unpaid gig I do out of love for my favorite hobby does not mean I don’t take it seriously. I mean, I write because I hope someone out there finds what I have to say useful, or at least entertaining. I also want to respect the integrity of what I do, as well as the intelligence of my audience, by being honest about what I am doing, and why I am doing it.

Read the rest of this entry »

(1) Comment
Tags: AJ Glasser, E3, ethics, GamePro, journalism

Fable Novel Coming, Includes Download Code

In: Articles by Nick "Alsop Live" Dinicola

18 Aug 2010

Do you like Peter Molyneux’s Fable? Do you like reading? Do you like free stuff?

If so, October 5 will be your lucky day. That’s when Fable: The Balverine Order is set to hit store shelves. It’s an original story set in the Fable universe and penned by Peter David. If the name sounds familiar it could be because he also wrote the Halo: Helljumper graphic novels, but personally I know him from his work on the Dark Tower series.

So what is The Balverine Order about? From Amazon:

The days of magic and adventure are fading away, giving way to the age of industry and science. As the aged last Hero sits upon the throne of Albion, two friends-the privileged Thomas and his loyal servant, John- set out for the East in search of a legendary beast: the vicious, rarely-seen balverine. But their desire for adventure may be their ultimate undoing-because their quarry has just found them…

And the free stuff? According to the book’s cover on Amazon it will come with a code to download a unique weapon, though what kind of weapon it is and what makes it unique aren’t even hinted at. Will any of you be curious enough to pick up The Balverine Order when it’s released? Have you read any other video game novelizations? Any recommendations?

Fable 3 will be released October 26th for $59.99. The awesome looking special edition will run $79.99.

(1) Comment
Tags: Fable 3, Peter David, The Balverine Order

First Impressions: Madden NFL 11

In: Reviews by Dave "Holy Goalie" Gardner

18 Aug 2010

The old joke is that every year the new Madden NFL is just a roster update. The reality is every year they do change, modify, or add something new, no matter how small. Over the years this has added up to a lot of changes and a lot of additions, to a point where it was just flat out too complicated for the casual gamer like myself.

I watch a lot of football, but I still can’t figure out what defensive play or formation to run, and just picked something at random most of the time. For the hardened football gamer it must be great having all these play options to choose from, but it was a bit overwhelming for Mr. Casual. This year with Madden NFL 11, EA Sports has dumbed down and simplified the game with the new Gameflow system. The game picks the play for you, tells you about it, then lets you run that play whether on offense or defense.

Read the rest of this entry »