AU Shippin' Out February 4-February 8: Burnout Paradise, DMC4

If illegal street racing mixed with a dash of destruction derby is your thing, then you're in luck, because this week sees the Aussie release of Burnout Paradise. Set in the fictional Paradise City, players drive around an open-world environment while completing races at various junctions and wreaking havoc. The Burnout franchise is renowned for its fast pace and relentless vehicle destruction, and Burnout Paradise is no different. Single-player aside, you can also take the game online with up to eight other players. While online, you can choose to either race against each other or work together to complete challenges. Burnout Paradise crashes into retail on February 7.

Another big game to come out this week is Devil May Cry 4. Although it originally started life as a PlayStation 3 exclusive, Devil May Cry 4 will be available on the Xbox 360 and PS3. Technically, DMC4 is the second sequel to the first game, given that DMC3 was a prequel. Instead of taking on the role of Dante as in previous titles, you'll play primarily as Nero, who closely resembles Dante. Devil May Cry comes out on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on the 7th.

When Acclaim became extinct, so did the Turok franchise--not for long, though! The Turok licence was picked up by Disney's Touchstone studio and has been brought back to life on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, with a PC version to follow eventually. In this iteration, players take on the role of a new Turok, who has just joined Whiskey Company. Their mission is to capture the leader of Turok's former unit, Roland Kane. Not all goes to plan, and your ship crashes, which spreads the ship and crew out over the island. As if things couldn't get any worse for the doomed group, it turns out that Kane's planet of choice happens to be infested with dinosaurs. The game sees you blasting your way through dinosaurs and mercs alike in a bid to complete your objectives. On the multiplayer side of the coin, the game supports up to 16 players on both Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network. Online play includes the usual lineup of deathmatch, team deathmatch, capture the flag, assault capture the flag, and wargames. In wargames, two competing teams try to complete their objectives before the other team, while hindering the opposition. Turok comes out across Australia this Thursday.

This week's new releases are listed below (list taken from retailer and publisher information--actual dates may vary).

February 6, 2008
Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck (DS)
Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal (360, Wii, PS2)

February 7, 2008
Devil May Cry 4 (360, PS3)
Medal of Honor Heroes 2 (Wii)
Turok (360, PS3)
The Sims: Castaway Stories (PC)
The Club (360, PS3, PC)
Burnout Paradise (360, PS3)
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (DS)
Donkey Kong Jet Race (Wii)
Geometry Wars: Galaxies (Wii, DS)
NFL Tour (360, PS3)
Nitrobike (Wii)
Lost Odyssey (360)
Universe at War: Earth Assault (360)