Shippin' Out Feb. 7-13: Dante's Inferno, BioShock 2

As has been the trend during the first part of 2010, the second week of February sees a handful of high-profile games march largely alone to retail shelves. This week, the games in question come from Electronic Arts and its one-time acquisition target, Take-Two.

From EA and Dead Space developer Visceral Games comes Dante's Inferno for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. (A PSP edition is expected to arrive later this month.) Like the epic poem it's based on, the game follows a descent through the nine circles of hell--limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, violence, heresy, fraud, and treachery.

Rather than seeing the protagonist as a passive visitor, the game reimagines Dante as a fierce scythe-wielding warrior who must slay all manner of demonic creatures to rescue his ladylove, Beatrice. A demo for Dante's Inferno is available through Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network.

Take-Two's highly acclaimed BioShock franchise returns on the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC this week, though Irrational Games has handed off development to a new studio--or should that be "studios." 2K Marin has taken the reins on the single-player campaign of BioShock 2, and Digital Extremes is crafting the multiplayer component. Support is also being provided by 2K Australia, 2K China, and Arkane Studios.

The single-player campaign is set 10 years after the events of BioShock, with players putting on the diving boots of one of the hulking Big Daddies. The game will feature new plasmids, areas, and opponents, including the dreaded Big Sister. The multiplayer component is set before the first game, allowing gamers a glimpse of life in Rapture as things started to go wrong in the undersea utopia.

One other notable release this week is Square Enix and Tri-Ace's Star Ocean: The Last Hope - International for the PS3. Released as a timed Xbox 360 exclusive in February 2009, the Japanese-style role-playing game is the fourth proper installment in the Star Ocean franchise. The Last Hope is set after World War III and follows humankind as it makes its way into outer space. For an idea of what to expect, check out GameSpot's review of the Xbox 360 installment.

For further details on the week's games, visit GameSpot's New Releases page. The full list of downloadable games on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Marketplace, and the Wii Shop Channel will be revealed later this week. Release dates are based on retailer listings and are subject to change.

FEBRUARY 8, 2010
Family Party: 30 Great Games Winter Fun--WII--D3Publisher

FEBRUARY 9, 2010
BioShock 2--X360, PS3, PC--2K Games
Dante's Inferno--X360, PS3--Electronic Arts
The Daring Game for Girls--DS--Majesco Games
Data East Arcade Classics--WII--Majesco Games
Rock Blast--WII--UFO Interactive
Samurai Rising--IP--Trippert Labs
Scene It? Twilight--DS--Konami
Shiren the Wanderer--WII--Atlus Co.
Sniper-X--IP--Trippert Labs
Square Logic--PC--MumboJumbo
Star Ocean: The Last Hope - International--PS3--Square Enix
Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll--WII--Sega
World Cup of Pool--DS--Aksys Games

FEBRUARY 10, 2010
Bookworm Adventures--DS--PopCap
Darwinia+--X360--Valve Software
Windchaser--PC--Got Game Entertainment

FEBRUARY 11, 2010
No new releases announced.

FEBRUARY 12, 2010
World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars--X360--THQ
Zorro: Quest for Justice--DS--505 Games