This week’s high-profile new releases, “Alpha Protocol” and “Backbreaker,” have been getting mixed reviews, so we’re gonna switch things up a little and go with a great game that just got a price drop, two games that got downloadable content and a couple of downloadable games.

“Demon’s Souls” (rated M, now $30 on PlayStation 3): From Software’s brutally punishing action role-playing game topped a lot of folks’ Game of the Year lists in 2009. Now it’s gotten a price drop, with both Amazon and GameStop selling it for $30. This game, which pretty much brutally murders everyone at the end of its tutorial, is punishingly difficult and rewards gamers with zenlike patience who like a challenge.

“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” (rated M, $60 on Xbox 360): The Resurgence Pack, which sells for $15, adds five new multiplayer maps, two of which are remakes from the first “Modern Warfare.” As with the last “Modern Warfare 2” add-on, this one is on Xbox 360 first, but should make its way to PS3 and PC in a month or so. Also getting another map pack this week: “Lost Planet 2.”

“Snoopy Flying Ace” (rated E10+, $10 Xbox Live Arcade download): The gameplay on this week’s Xbox Live Arcade offering looks a lot like a World War I/”Peanuts” take on “Crimson Skies,” one of my favorite Xbox Live games on the old Xbox. It’s got single-player and co-op missions, plus online matches that support up to 16 players. Not bad for a little $10 download title. If you’ve been curious about online aerial dogfighting games, no pun intended, the low barrier to entry on this one might make it a better place to start than a full-priced retail game like “Ace Combat 6.”

“Rock Band 2” (rated T, prices vary): I was pretty stoked to see Spoon finally show up as downloadable content for the “Rock Band” games. While I’d have preferred some stuff from “A Series of Sneaks” or “Girls Can Tell,” I can’t pass up “I Turn My Camera On” (above) when I see it sitting there for $2. While we’re at it, here’s one I’d like to see using “Rock Band 3’s” keyboards:

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