Framerates not up to expectations

[AspiringFailure]

^Yeah, trust me, I've taken pains to maximize my FPS. No background activity, no aero, card is set to performance, etc. In all reality the game is PLAYABLE. I just feel like it should do a LOT better than it does. The game looks pretty ugly on low. By comparison, I can play The Sims 3 and Portal 2 at 30 FPS at higher resolutions and with the graphics on higher settings. (In Portal 2's case, all maxed out except AA and AF)