Shippin' Out Jan. 16-22: Little Big Planet 2, Mass Effect 2 PS3

Last week, massively multiplayer superhero fans received the long-awaited DC Universe Online, but the hero of this week is more Lilliputian.

Spearheading the week is Media Molecule's Little Big Planet 2. First expected to debut during the holiday season, its developer pushed it back in favor of additional polish in September. Little Big Planet 2 expands upon the triple-platinum first game's creative options. Instead of just being able to create levels in a game, players will now be able to craft entire genres of games, such as top-down racing games, multiplayer shooters, and role-playing games.

Also out this week is BioWare's Mass Effect 2 for the PlayStation 3. Running on the Mass Effect 3 game engine, the title will debut both at brick-and-mortar retail and via Sony's PlayStation Network as a 12GB digital download on Tuesday. The game casts players once again as Commander Shepard, a former Alliance Marine who finds himself in the employ of the shadowy pro-human group known as Cerberus. For more information, check out GameSpot's full review of the Xbox 360 edition of the game.

Gamers with a thirst for shooting can pick up Mindjack this week for the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. The title places players in the turbulent world of 2031, when the planet is beset with political unrest. They will assume the role of Jim Corbijn, a federal agent equipped with high-tech devices that allow him to "hack" the minds of enemies or civilians and control vehicles to control their respective abilities. His skills will come in handy once he is sucked into a netherworld of intrigue where corporations battle countries for supremacy.

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 Wii Shop Channel will be revealed later this week. Release dates are based on retailer listings and are subject to change.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 18
Little Big Planet 2--PS3--SCEA
Mass Effect 2--PS3--Electronic Arts
Mindjack--X360, PS3--Square Enix
The Mysterious Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde--DS--O-Games
Plants Vs. Zombies--DS--PopCap
Touch 'N' Play Collection--DS--O-Games
Venetica--PC--Atari