Out this Week! 21st May 2010

Well here it is, Rockstar's wild west epic Red Dead Redemption is out this Friday to the joy of the gaming community. Expect outrageous characters, an intriguing narrative and enough open-world goodness to lead into many hours of game time. The multi player component looks great also, with traditional multi player modes such as 'death match' joined by GTA IV's 'free roam'- allowing players to join up together with no features removed from the single player campaign. Take a look at my preview for more details on what I'm sure will be amongst the best games of the year. [Xbox 360, PS3]

With the recent announcement of LittleBigPlanet 2 consumed by news websites, it seems now is the perfect time to get excited about Sony's 'Play, Create, Share' brand once again. ModNation Racers is the kart-racing equivalent to LittleBigPlanet's platforming- allowing players to customise their own character, kart and race settings whilst also providing a full track creator that looks to be incredibly quick and simple to use. Featuring kart power-ups, weaponry and track obstacles, this is the classic kart racing genre that we all know and love. 2-player split screen is accompanied by 2-12 player online support for added racing mayhem. [PS3, PSP]

Another racer that lines the shelves this week is an outrageously slanted take on traditional racing methods. In a similar vein to the Burnout series, Split/Second is a track based arcade racing game which mixes pick up and play game play with thrilling and over-the-top, explosive destruction. Set within the confines of a game show, players are tasked to win races by hindering other players along the way, where the game's mechanic of “powerplays” causing the environment to literally explode around them. Multiple routes and short cuts ensure races feel slightly different on each play through. [Xbox 360, PS3]

Coming out the same week as the movie although supposedly not a tie-in, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands sees the Prince return in a direct sequel to The Sands of Time. Traditional POP game mechanics return, such as the 'rewind' feature whilst the game also sees the inclusion of all new “elemental powers” that are learnt throughout progression in the game. Leaning away from the 2008 release, The Forgotten Sands again incorporates multiple enemies to attack, meaning combat is going to be much more free-flowing and un-obtrusive as before. [Xbox 360, PS3, DS, Wii, PSP]

Suda 51's No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is a bizarre blend of over-the-top action, stunning graphic novel inspired art and and brutal 'hack-and-slash' combat. Travis Touchdown returns from the first game, which sees him placed at the foot of the assassins leaderboard as he bids to return to the top and seek revenge for the murder of his best friend while he goes. [Wii]