Wow. Okay. That was one of the most whiz-bang summers I’ve ever had. I traveled, celebrated, gardened up a storm (of crops) and even took on a handful of new roles in multiple aspects of my life. The flip side is that all this personal growth was detrimental to the demise of my Summer Hit List. Expecting to cross off a large collection of games, I’m left sweating at how little I managed to overcome – even the required activities like finishing Twilight Princess – when the insanity that is Q4 is already upon us.

Heck, I’ve been so busy that The Financial Threshold skipped a beat, but I’ll make up for that. I promise.

So exactly what did my summer look like? It can be summed up by one word: unexpected. Not only the swath of IRL challenges, but by my gaming decisions. More than once I switched my active gaming challenge, especially on handheld, dropping the list for something I felt in the mood for, or because a game I had selected was too terrible to keep playing.

Looking at you, Orcs and Elves. An interesting idea, sure, but my gaming time is too limited, thus too valuable, to slog through trash these days.

Here’s how my plate looked upon September’s exit:

Untouched:

• Borderlands DLC Pack
• Epic Mickey
• Kirby’s Epic Yarn
• Marvelvs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
• Paper Mario & The Thousand Year Door
• Super Mario Galaxy 2
• The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Unfinished (but played):

• Mortal Kombat

Finished:

• Pilotwings Resort
• TheWitcher 2: Assassins of Kings
• Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars

Unexpected:

• Orcs Must Die (Review)
• Disagea DS
• Orcs & Elves

The most jarring factor of the time period: I didn’t purchase a single video game. I truly attempted to do nothing but clear backlog. And failed.

PAX Prime 2011 (check LoreHound) has kept me too busy the last few weeks to do this write-up. Be happy you have that teaser instead of an “Under Construction” animated GIF. While it’ll certainly be late for a few games, the post will go up once video editing has been completed.

Everybody poops.

Syp of BioBreak is one of my favorite fellow bloggers. He’s funny, drops tons of pop-culture references and has an adventurous gaming palette. All things I hope I am as well. In addition to those “professional” credentials, we’re both short and bearded.

Peas in a pod.

Enough bromance. The reason I mention the BioBreak, other than it being awesome, is that I had the privilege of doing a guest post. I don’t know how, but Syp managed to fit in a vacation. Not wanting the site to look dead, he challenged bloggers to entertain his audience. I jumped at the chance and was hit with this reply: “Sweet!  Your assignment is to share with the crowd your absolute worst gaming session ever!” It came to me instantly:

Most gamers launch their preferred digital delight to enjoy what little free time they have. But too many of us have horror stories, something causing that fragment of hoped-for enjoyment to degrade into a controller spiking, keyboard smashing, curse laden experience. It’s a rare trifecta. Not always, but often these episodes emanate from the connection to other people. They are seldom unique experiences. Each genre has its own oft-repeated, highly-relateble archetype, from corpse camping in MMOG to teabagging brats in FPS.

This is not one of those stories.

My brother and I grew up in a single-computer household. The blazing fast 266 MHz machine was purchased with money from my 8th grade graduation. Despite paying for a large chunk, if not all, of the computer, we treated it as a time share. I guess that’s what I get for being 23 months younger. An hour for him, an hour for me, with bartering allowed (“You can have my hour if you get me a glass of milk from upstairs.”).

Those with siblings can see how this could get hairy. Iit worked beautifully for us. We used the computer for the same purpose, video games. Not just flavors of the month, but the exact same games. At 18 and 16 our shared narcotic was an RTS by Westwood, Command & Conquer: Red Alert. Between the pair, the stunningly fast computer would be home to V3-Rashowdown for hours on end. One would play, the other would help keep track of engineering rushes, tesla pushes, critic Qing (a method of using tank formations to attack while moving), gem mining and countless other game factors.

We were engrossed, in the zone, captivated. Together.

You can read the rest of the adventure on BioBreak proper. Fair warning: You’ll need a new keyboard after reading it.

Purchased:

• Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions (July 26) – A collection of six games (three for each franchise), including two all-new titles tailored to take full advantage of the 3DS. The sluggish 3DS launch and aftermath don’t even factor. Count me in!

Likely:

• Torchlight II (July 12) – Torchlight II is reportedly coming in July, or so says a few different outlets. Unlikely, considering Runic Games has yet to confirm anything beyond a summer date.

Sorry:

• Star Fox 64 3D (July 17) – Star Fox is in dire need of a complete reboot (article by me). Miyamoto and the rest of Nintendo hope the remake reignites passion in the groundbreaking franchise. Yet, I’ll pass. I played the original to death, with the new online multiplayer being unlikely to catch my interest.
• Call of Juarez: The Cartel (July 19) – I snapped up the original to support the use of DirectX 10 in its fledgling period. I just never got a chance to actually play it, or its prequel. The Cartel has only a smidgen of connection to the previous plots – the protagonists are descendants of the previous ones roaming the current-day West – so a discounted or delayed buy is possible, given the drought.
• Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition (July 19) – I’ve had my fill of Street Fighters for this round.

Honorable Mentions:

• L.A. Noire: Reefer Madness (July 12) – Glad to hear the Team Bondi is spending extra time further developing what is considered one of the best games released to date this year. I’m even more glad to hear that L.A. Noire is heading to PC, hopefully with the DLC included. I’ll be all over that version.

I saw “Is the controller a Wii peripheral?” and questions like it spread like wildfire across the greater Twitterverse during the conference.

Nintendo didn’t help itself. The company failed to showcase the Wii U console unit in any capacity. The unit was relegated to the background, if at all present, were its size and shape could lead one to think it was a standard Wii.

The above image and below gallery released by Nintendo clears up that confusion.

The second marketing mishap was glossing over the console’s high definition capabilities. Concrete figures were never spouted. No 720p assignment – the bottom definition of HD – or 1080i/p – the current high – were revealed. All the audience received was the undefined buzzword of ‘HD.’

Thankfully, media displayed later in the conference filled in the specifics. Yeah, the third-party trailers may have been 360/PS3 versions, but it’s clear that Link could never look this good on any current Nintendo system.

It was later confirmed that the AMD/IBM powered machine will be capable of pushing 1080p resolution graphics. Wii U will be available in 2012.

It does look breathtaking, even in 2D.

Temperatures here in the Mid-Atlantic area have surpassed 90 degrees Fahrenheit with humidity for a few days running now. Plants are exploding in growth, bugs are impersonating rabbits and there’s talk of the need of “SPFs” around the house. That means two directly related events, the arrival of summer and its omnipresent buddy, the Great Summer Gaming Lull.

Publisher have begun realizing that the cusp of Q3/Q4 isn’t a sure bet for every game, genre or quality notwithstanding. There’s so much noise in that period that gems have been held off until Q1 or Q2 the following year to allow for added maturation and better PR penetration. Or left to die in the tidal wave.

The realization that games can be sold from June till August continues to escape most publishers. I levy the idea that this would be a great opportunity to test the waters for new intellectual properties, game ideas, handheld offerings (fun in the sun while gaming!) or AA games.

There’s still a gaming appetite, even if it is depressed by summer activities, that is never satiated.

In other news, E3 2011 starts next week, June 7-9, which is another reason for having an anemic release schedule in June. I won’t be attending this year (*gasp*). The new rules will not stop me from covering the show for LoreHound though.

Purchased:

• F.3.A.R. (June 21) – Horrible acronym notwithstanding (thanks Sierra!), the franchise has had me hook, line, and sinker since the moment I fled my room after Alma had me yelping for my mommy (who would have just made fun of me). The franchise took a turn to more action, less scaring in the most recent instalment (and DLC). I’ve discussed my reservations, but hold hope that F.3.A.R. makes me scared of the dark again. And pregnant ladies. Check out my interview and “F*CKING Run!” multiplayer mode demo. Oh, and a $20 gift card doesn’t hurt.

Likely:

• Red Faction: Armageddon (June 7) – Time and again I plan on getting a Red Faction game, only to overlook it, to let it pass by. The destruction tech that Volition develops is reason enough to purchase, which I usually during discount season. Yet, I rarely actually play the damn games, never beating a single one.
• Alice: Madness Returns (June 14) – Alice was an absolute shock to my system. It was the first piece of reinvented/expanded medium that sold me on the idea. I was completely engrossed in the dark, disturbed world that Alice lived in after Wonderland. American McGee struggled to return to Alice’s greatness afterwards. Here’s to hoping her return is his return.
• Duke Nukem: Forever (June 14) – I wouldn’t say that I’ve matured all that much, I’m always up for a cheap pop, slapstick humor or ridiculous prank, but Duke Nukem: Forever isn’t doing it for me. Waiting on reviews or a hefty discount.

Sorry:

• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (June 19) – The Nintendo 64 version, Master Quest and Collector’s Editions have all been championed by these skilled hands. One more go is tempting, especially given my collection mentality, but new experiences await.

Honorable Mentions:
Couldn’t find any upcoming DLC or video game-based novels that interest me enough to worth mentioning.

A first impression is my take on a video game after experiencing the finished product for the first few hours.  Believe it or not, many of the “reviews” out there would be labeled as first impressions.

You know that excuse that you read Playboy for the articles? It doesn’t really fly. Never did, never will. It’s not that there isn’t a market for mature topics, be they sexual or not, but when the topic is bookended by naked women that are naked for the purpose of being so, the argument falls like a baggy tube top. CD Projekt RED isn’t catering to the man child (like Duke Nukem Forever is). The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is truly targeting a sector of gaming starved for mature themes outside of senseless gunplay or gratuitous sex.

That’s not to say the fantasy RPG lacks material of this nature. It’s just that it is a feature of the deep universe created by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski. Furthermore, CD Projekt RED isn’t afraid to take us there and has, thus far, been doing it in a deeply engaging, tasteful fashion.

Pros:

• Excellent dialog and choices – The Witcher 2 throws a ton of dialog at us, especially in the first few hours. We’re being reintroduced to the world, characters, and, of course, the game’s plot. These introductory moments express how well crafted the dialog is. In addition, I am thankful that the all-new story was written in Polish and English simultaneously. It’s nice to see dialog choices mixed up, not in a pre-defined, easy-to-determine order like some other games.
• High-quality cutscenes – It should come as no shock that The Witcher 2 is full of cutscenes – skippable ones, thank god – considering it is based on a series of short stories and novels. CD Projekt RED piles the digital treats on us, using the cast’s excellent voice acting and its own technological abilities to introduce the world, drive character development and highlight important plot points. The frequency breaks up the pacing too often in some cases, but no one’s life is a constant stream of flashing steel, naked women and dismemberments, right? That would make Geralt one dimensional.
• Memorable soundtrack – Any game that has a soundtrack capable of standing on its own – I’ve been listening to it for two days now – has to be good. The Witcher 2‘s soundscape runs the gauntlet of slow melodies to hard rock songs.
• REDEngine - CDProjekt RED constructed the REDEngine “from the ground up” to be optimized and fluid for numerous system types. Unlike many MMOGs, the game won’t play on anything with a processor, but it will be playable in some fashion on any equipment falling between the Required and Recommended specifications. You’d be surprised how often that isn’t the case. My worst personal hardware falls towards the lower end and I can get ~25 FPS out of it with some bells and whistles.

At these settings this is how my box plays the game. In stills. Upgrade time!

Cons:

• New combat system – The new combat system offers more strategic avenues to dispatch our enemies. However, I’ve never fancied the “pause the game to mess with strategy” in a real-time combat system. Design the system or the game so I don’t have to pause the action to be an efficient killer. Tough to do and balance for multiple difficulty levels, I know, but it’s a pet peeve of mine. Sword play remains fully real-time.
• Rapid-fire tutorial – I’m an avid gamer, an avid PC gamer, one that completed The Witcher Enhanced Edition and the opening tutorial to Geralt’s return boggled my mind. The tool tips covered a large portion of the screen with small text, detailing the basics to fighting, spell use, inventory, experience, all the staples. In the meantime, I was supposed to be dodging dragon fire and letting some blood run from the throats of traitorous guards. They say you learn best when actively putting the knowledge to use. This was just a tad too aggressive. Thankfully, not a major problem and not one that will persist throughout the adventure.
• Typical early adopter PC issues – Between fighting with drivers, spending arduous amounts of time determining playable settings, frustration over poor initial driver support and DRM authentication issues, my playtime of The Witcher 2 is far lower than I would have liked. However, these issues are, as mentioned, (sadly) typical of PC games, and (again, sadly) an annoyance I’m willing to tolerate here and there for the graphical prowess, alternative input devices and niche titles the platform supplies.

At first glance, CD Projekt RED has improved over the White Wolf’s original escapade in every respect. The developer continues to push PC gaming on a technical front, added additional activities to make the adventure feel less redundant, expanded upon the already-impressive universe and wrapped it in a mature tale topped off with superb direction and voice acting. Digging in for a dozen or so more hours in The Witcher 2 will be a pleasure.

*NOTE*
ATi users having trouble with CrossFire should rename Witcher2.exe to CompatAFR-1×1.exe until the appropriate profile is released. The trick should increase your FPS.

[Update]

Added the soundtrack blurb after the realization came to me this afternoon.