Out this Week! 14th May 2010

Unusually, Tuesday boasts a new game release- Capcom's Lost Planet 2 for Xbox 360 and PS3. Picking up 10 years after the events of the first game, the title features a rich story driven campaign that spans across various locations, from barren and dry desert landscapes to frozen wastes. A full 4-player co-operative mode is at the forefront of the experience, with customisation of your character's look, abilities and choice of unique weapons making each member of the squad unique. The action looks set to be on an unprecedented scale with huge monsters standing in the way through the game. It'll be up to you and your squad mates to work together to bring down the monumental mammals. The first game was flawed and received a mix bag critically- Capcom look to have delivered a game that can now truly harness the power of the current generation of consoles which were very much at their infancy when the first game was released.

Now for one of my most anticipated games of the year, and it's been a long time coming- Alan Wake, exclusively for the Xbox 360 from Remedy Entertainment. The psychological horror foundations of the game should deliver an unsettling amount of atmosphere to proceedings in no doubt an intense gaming experience. With an expansive world playing a key role within the game, seemingly idyllic 'Bright Falls' is the location of the game- a retreat for novelist Alan Wake and a vast open environment of which to roam freely as you investigate the disappearance of your wife. The game plays out through episodic narrative, with a 'previously on' introduction to each episode only elevating the cinematic feel of the game and ensuring a gripping story is unfolded.

The latest in EA's Skate series, Skate 3 places a firmer emphasis on team play in which player's must bring together a talented team of skaters- participating in unique team challenges and rivalling other team's online. 'Port Caverton' is the skater's paradise city this time around; with a number of skate parks, plazas and rails on which to skate. The game also features an all-new mode in which player's can create their own dream skate park and share this online with other players. It looks to be more of the same really, although the brilliant game design that has been layed out by the previous games is in no need for a facelift- even though I would like to see a few new ideas for this, the third in the series.

All this modernised gaming not take your fancy? Want a call-back to the gaming era of past? 3D Dot Game Heroes is an adventure game in the same vein as classic RPGs from the 8-bit era. In a modern take on the classic 8-bit sprites and areas, 3DDGH is rendered in 3D pixel form which brings classic gaming into the modern age. On a take of classic adventure storytelling, 'Dotnia Kingdom' is the focus of the game, as the custom hero seeks to rid the forces of evil overthrowing the land. From Software bring together the most popular games of the era with apparent painstaking detail, with in-jokes and beautiful visuals making this a definite buy for fans of a deep RPG or two.