Out This Week
LittleBigPlanet 2! Mass Effect 2! Mindjack!
Ah, 2011. Full of optimism, hope and... wait, today's the most depressing day of the year. And it's raining everywhere. Yeah!
For gamers, though, there's a glimmer of hope, and that's because this Friday marks the first big release day of 2011 – particularly if you're a PlayStation 3 owner.
LittleBigPlanet 2, a game some are already calling game of the year, launches this week. The enchanting user-generated platformer should entice PS3 owners young and old with its heart-warming visuals and robust creation tools. But will it cast a spell over shop tills?
PS3 owners who favour action over creation will be delighted to hear that BioWare's superb science fiction role-playing game Mass Effect 2 finally hits Sony's console this week. According to BioWare, the game's "not a simple port". But is it too little, too late for PS3 gamers?
Elsewhere, Square Enix's curious PS3 and Xbox 360 action game Mindjack enters the fray. The brain-hacking shooter could surprise us all. Time will tell.
This Week In Shops!
LittleBigPlanet 2
- Developer: Media Molecule
- Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
- Formats: PS3
What is it? Sequel to one of the best PS3 exclusives around. Join Stephen Fry's soothing voice on a platforming adventure. Oh, and you can create stuff, too. What does Eurogamer think? Simon Parkin smothered LittleBigPlanet 2 in praise with his 9/10 review. "As a package, as a concept, as an unfinished story, LittleBigPlanet 2 is a world apart," he wrote.
Mass Effect 2
- Developer: BioWare
- Publisher: EA
- Formats: PS3
What is it? The PS3 version of Eurogamer's Game of 2010. Said to utilise the Mass Effect 3 engine, and includes loads of extra gubbins. What does Eurogamer think? A Digital Foundry Mass Effect 2 Face-Off of epic proportions is due first thing in the morning. Bring popcorn.
What Else?
- Mindjack (PS3, Xbox 360)
- Spare Parts (PS3, Xbox 360)
On PSN
- Square Parts
- Modern Combat: Domination
- Costume Quest on Ice
On Xbox Live Arcade
- Spare Parts
Chart Predictions!
Each week one of the team will step up to predict the UK all-formats chart. The following predicts the outcome for the week beginning Friday 21st January (to be reported on Monday 24th January).
Wesley Yin-Poole, News Editor
"It's hard to look beyond Activision's all-conquering Call of Duty: Black Ops. I predict it'll remain steadfast in first place, with EA's FIFA 11 in second. Just Dance 2 will remain in third, and Wii Fit Plus will no doubt stay in fourth. At best, LittleBigPlanet 2 will chart in fifth. Mass Effect 2 I suspect will do well, but will fail to break into the top 10 – remember, Chart-Track doesn't include digital sales, and ME2 launches day and date on PlayStation Network. Mindjack? If it gets into the top 20 I'll be impressed."
- Call of Duty: Black Ops
- FIFA 11
- Just Dance 2
- Wii Fit Plus
- LittleBigPlanet 2
UK All-Formats Top 5 (reported this morning)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops
- FIFA 11
- Just Dance 2
- Wii Fit Plus
- Kinect Sports