Q3-4 gaming release update. Now with pre-order details!

Since the news of the delay in release of Evolve, announcement of the development of the "old gen." exclusive, Assassin's Creed Rogue, and details emerging regarding various special editions of gaming releases I was already following, here's an updated list of gaming releases I'm looking forward to;

1. Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor (30 September) - pre-order exclusive: Dark Ranger skin
2. Alien: Isolation (07 October 2014) - Nostromo, and Ripley Editions
3. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (14/ 17 October 2014) - pre-order exclusive: Shock Drop Slaughter Pit challenge map
4. The Evil Within (21 October 2014) - pre-order exclusive: The Fighting Chance Pack
5. Assassin's Creed: Rogue (11 November 2014) - pre-order exclusives: The Ultimate Hunter Pack, and The Siege of Fortde Sable mission, as well as a Collector's Edition
6. Far Cry 4 (18 November 2014) - Limited, Kyrat, and Ultimate Kyrat Editions

I'm already starting to whittle down the list of titles I intend to purchase on, or near the release date. For now these are Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and Far Cry 4: Kyrat Edition.* I'm still interested in the other titles, but the pre-order exclusives, or contents of the special editions, at present do not interest me. Now if either the Nostromo or Ripley Editions of Alien Isolation came with a replica Nostromo or Ripley, then I'd be interested. 

The Assassin's Creed: Rogue 'Ultimate Hunter Pack' content does look cool, but will the exclusive black Templar sails really change my gaming experience? I think not, although the additional mission may add an additional few hours of gameplay, so that could make pre-ordering Rogue at least a little more worthwhile than picking it up later. I'll continue to keep an eye on which content the various local retailers will be offering, as I have also seen a 'Commander Pack,' and 'Templar Pack' advertised locally, both of which share items with The Ultimate Hunter Pack. Sadly the Collector's Edition of Rogue does not include a figure of Shay Patrick Cormac, nor does it appear to include any of the item packs, but it does include physical copies of the official soundtrack, an art book, some lithographs, and a fancy box to keep it all in. Oh, and an additional single player mission entitled 'The Armor of Sir Gunn Quest.' I'm not sure these are enough to warrant an additional R300 for the Collector's Edition.

Guess my wallet isn't going to take quite as hard a knock, come October, as I had initially anticipated. Of the four games listed above with October release dates, I'm only actually interested in pre-ordering Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. The others can wait until they receive a price drop, or a 'Game of the Year' edition is announced. This will also mean others will have had time to review these games, allowing me to re-assess if whether I really need them in my collection. This pertains to Alien: Isolation particularly, as even though the information released looks very promising, there is still the abomination that was Aliens: Colonial Marine lurking in the back of many people's memories. 

This leaves only the Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag remake, and Far Cry 4, which I'm not even sure will offer the same experience on older consoles. Perhaps I'll wait until after I've gotten my hands on Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel to decide whether to purchase them, as by then  there should be more than enough fresh information available to help me decide the pros and cons of these releases. 

The physical content of the Kyrat Edition does look pretty sweet though,* and I did have a lot of fun playing Black Flag, so the decision between the two titles will definitely require some thought. Maybe I can use the money I save in October to buy both.

--
* I'm a sucker for collector's editions that include replicas of props from within the game, hence these purchases.

Q3-4 2014 gaming releases

There are quite a few games to be released during the second half of this year, that I'm really looking forward to playing. There are so many in fact that I've forgotten which is coming out when, so I decided to put together this list of release dates for the titles I'm most interested in.

1. Diablo III: Reaper of Souls - Ultimate Evil Edition (19 August 2014)
2. Alien: Isolation (07 October 2014)
3. Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor (07 October 2014)
4. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (14/ 17 October 2014)
5. Evolve (21 October 2014) (Delayed till February 2015)
6. The Evil Within (21 October 2014)
7. Far Cry 4 (18 November 2014)

My wallet is probably going to take quite a knock in October, although I may pre-order either Alien: Isolation, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, or Evolve a month or two earlier, depending on whether or not there are collector's editions announced. At present Alien: Isolation is the only one of those three titles that does not have some sort of DLC attached to pre-ordering the title.

It will also be interesting to see how the sales of Alien: Isolation/ Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, and Evolve/ The Evil Within will differ from one another as they are being released on the same dates. Given the number of accolades Evolve received at E3 last month, I don't think sales of The Evil Within will be particularly record breaking, despite the two being games in vastly different genres. Evolve's multiplayer aspect will probably be a much bigger draw card than any of single player campaigns of the other games on this list.

At the moment I'm leaning towards getting Alien: Isolation over Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, and Evolve over The Evil Within. This could however change depending how each of these handles on 'old-gen.' consoles, with the exception of Evolve which isn't getting an 'old gen.' release. 

My prediction for how I'll spend the rest of my gaming year is thus;

Today - 19 Aug.: Deadpool, Diablo III, and Rage

20 Aug. - 07 Oct.: Diablo III: Reaper of Souls - Ultimate Evil Edition and Rage

08 Oct. - 17 Oct.: Alien: Isolation

18 Oct. - 21 Oct.: Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel

22 Oct. - 18 Nov.: Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and Evolve

19 Nov. - 31 Dec.: Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Evolve, and Far Cry 4

Who am I kidding, there is no way I am going to be able to get this much gaming time before the end of the year. With the exception of Deadpool, any one of these games could keep me busy for the rest of the year after its release. At this stage I'd be content with having just enough time to finish the storyline of Diablo III, and possibly the Reaper of Souls expansion too, before the October releases start pouring in. Fitting a weekend in before the end of the month to do nothing but play Deadpool and eat chimichangas, would be nice too.

--Updated 09 August 2014--

Harlem Shake Top 3

The whole Harlem Shake thing was introduced to me when my brother posted a link to one of his buddies YouTube videos. I thought it was pretty lame, because I had no idea about the the Harlem Shake meme just yet. So far I have come across a few more renditions of the video, which are incredibly well executed. I present to you my three favourites:

3. Ikey Harlem Shake: 

Not only does this video feature a giant white tiger, girls kissing, and one of the infamous dummies; but it also a pretty accurate representation of what student life at UCT is all about. As an alumnus of the university I've seen pretty much all of the above take place on campus, except for the letting off of a fire-extinguisher. Good times.

2. Portal 2 - The Harlem Shake




While I've never played Portal 2, I'm a big fan of the first game. Last time I saw robots like these they were trying to kill me. I like the dancing versions more.

1. Grooveshark does the Harlem Shake:



Grooveshark looks like the best company on Earth to work for! Which other office has an inflatable snowman just lying about?

I might add a few more videos to the list as I see fit. In the meantime, here is the full version of Baauer's Harlem Shake.

A selection of my favourite wines

I've always been more of a beer drinker than a wine drinker. However my appreciation for wine, particularly red varieties has developed quite a bit recently. I don't know if this is because I'm getting older, because it's been winter the last few months, or because I'm spending a lot of time with a different group of friends. Whatever the reason here is a list (in no particular order) of a few of my favourite wines.

1. Robertson Winery - Ruby Cabernet

'Ruby Cabernet is a single variety developed in California from a cross of Cabernet Sauvignon with Carignan. Deep in colour, medium-bodied and rich in flavour with very soft tannins which make the wine approachable within just a couple of months after the vintage. Complements beef roast, chicken roast, stews, lamb, venison, pasta and steak.'

The first time I had this wine was at the Chief's Boma. At a party for about 50 people, many of them immigrants from Europe or South America, the onus of choosing a bottle of red wine for the table was put on my shoulders. This is what I chose. It went down remarkable well due to the fact that it is a light wine, akin to the varieties of wine the guests were familiar with.

Just a word of caution though, the bottle of wine was priced nearly four times more at the restaurant than it's shelf price at the local supermarket.

2. Boekenhoutskloof - The Wolftrap

'Intense red colour with a purple rim. A spicy profile with ripe black fruit and violets. 

Smooth and rich on the palate with soft tannins, good density and a hint of oak. A well balanced, 

unpretentious wine made for easy drinking.'

After having heard about this wine for quite some time, I was finally formally introduced when a friend brought it over one weekend for his sister and I to taste. He'd had it the previous weekend and enjoyed it so much that he was now considering having it on the table for his wedding. For lack of a better description, this wine is delicious. 

We had another bottle the following weekend, but it had a much harsher taste. Not an undrinkable harsh, but the taste was more reminiscent of an unaged Cabernet Sauvignon. We attributed the difference in taste to the fact that we had not allowed the wine to breathe properly the second time, as after being allowed to breathe for a few minutes those delicious berry flavours started to appear. It was decided that we needed to buy one more bottle as 'quality control,' just to make sure. This is possibly the best wine on the list for social occasions.

3. Diemersfontein - For the Birds

'Red cherries, red currants and plum aromas. Ripe fruit and soft tannins creates a wine to be enjoyed young. This Bordeaux style blend is perfect for the meats dishes, from a beef burger to a hearty steak.'

While in Cape Town I was looking for a few bottles of wine to buy and take as gifts for a few folks back in Johannesburg. This is the first one that caught my eye. What attracted me to it was the label featuring an African Penguin, an icon of the Cape Peninsula, as well as the BirdLife South Africa logo. With 10% of the proceeds from wine sales going to the 'Save our Seabirds' Fund, the conservationist in me was evoked, and I bought two bottles. 

Usually I avoid giving bottles of wine as gifts, unless I have tasted that wine before and am certain the recipient will enjoy it. Hence I bought two bottles. I still managed to break my own rule however, when I left one bottle in Cape Town and gave the other to a friend. The bottle was promptly opened at the dining table by the recipient, and shared out among all those present. After allowing it to breathe, the host took a sip. I held my breath and waited for his verdict. Silence. My heart skipped a beat or two, thinking he didn't like it. Oh well, you live and learn, I'll have to get something tried and tested next time. All these thoughts must have gone through my head in about half a second, as next thing the host was singing the wines praises and topping up his glass.

The only regret I have about buying this wine, is not buying more of it. At least I know I have one bottle waiting for me back in Cape Town. Subsequently a white blend has been added to the range and I'm looking forward to giving it a try come summer.

4. Darling Cellars - Black Granite Shiraz

'A medium bodied wine displaying wild berries, ripe plums and dark chocolate on the nose. A lovely Darling Shiraz with opulent fruit and an integrated wood structure. Enjoy with food between 2010 and 2014.'

On the same wine shopping expedition as above, I also bought this wine. Again the label is what caught my attention, but the unusual origin also helped in my decision to purchase a bottle. Better known for its wild flowers and performances by satirist Pieter-Dirk Uys, the small town of Darling is approximately an hour's drive from Cape Town. If this wine is a good representative of other wines from that region, then wine lovers will be in for a treat.

I broke my own rules again and gave this bottle of wine to my partner's parents. Unlike the first recipient however, this bottle was put away in a rack for safe keeping. A few weeks passed, and at a gathering where the whole family was present, out it came. I was seated next to the family matriarch, and dutifully topped up her wine glass first after opening bottle. She took one sip and immediately declared that the bottle be kept so that she could later use it to identify the wine at the local supermarket. The rest of the table liked it too, and the contents of the bottle was quickly poured out and consumed before we had even finished the first course.

5. Robertson Winery - Chenin Blanc

'An appealing light straw colour. Light with lovely ripe, attractive rounded fruit. Fresh floral nose and an exciting acid balance. Enjoy now with seafood, smoked salmon, roast chicken and pork.'

This may look like the 'token white wine' in a list dominated by reds, but it in fact represents the most recent bottle of wine I've bought. I chose this wine to accompany a fish curry dinner. My partner tends to shy away from white wine as the acidity often gives her terrible heartburn, but I really didn't think a red wine would suit a fish meal on one of the warmer winter days we'd been having.

I probably spent about 30 minutes trying to decide whether to get something from the Leopard's Leap range, or the Robertson's range. My decision may have been a little biased, as I've always enjoyed wines from the Robertson Valley. The real dilemma was which white in their range would complement the meal best. I eventually settled on the Chenin Blanc in the hope that it would provide a crisp and refreshing taste, to take the edge off the curry if need be, but not be overpoweringly sweet. 

I don't know if this was the right wine for the occasion, but lived up to the requirements. Come summer time, I'll definitely try this wine again, along with a contender from the Leopard's Leap range.