AU Shippin' Out May 17-21: Red Dead Redemption

Games set during the cowboy era are rare, and few have been as anticipated as Rockstar Games' Red Dead Redemption. Powered by Rockstars' proprietary RAGE engine, the game has you play as John Marston, an outlaw who is out for revenge against his old crew. As for the multiplayer component, each game starts off with a Mexican standoff, and whoever survives gets the first pick of items scattered through the map and the chance to score a good vantage point. Red Dead Redemption is due out for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in Australia on Friday.

Next up we've got Alan Wake, which is also highly anticipated but is exclusive to the Xbox 360. The game is heavily story-driven and follows writer Alan Wake as he uncovers the mysteries of a country town and the circumstances surrounding his wife's kidnapping. Like in Doom 3, most of the action takes place in dark areas or at night, so Alan will have to use his flashlight to get around. After five years in the making, Alan Wake is slated for release on Thursday.

Hailed as Sony's solution to Mario Kart, ModNation Racers is another PS3 game that focuses on user-generated content. Featuring all the familiar mechanics of kart racing--like power-ups and drifting--MNR's biggest draw card is the Track Studio tool. Basically, it lets users create their own tracks using assets in the game, which can then be uploaded to the Internet and shared with players around the globe, Little Big Planet-style. Keep an eye out for MNR when it's released on May 20.

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Red Dead Redemption Official Launch Trailer