“Dead Rising 2” (rated M, $60 on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, $40 on PC): I haven’t had a chance to sit down with Capcom’s latest zombie slaughterfest yet. My copy’s still en route, and I’ve been busy with PlayStation Move games for an upcoming column. That said, I loved both “Dead Rising” and “Dead Rising 2: Case Zero” [review], so I feel like I can recommend this one pretty safely. I’m sure I’ll at least enjoy it, even if it doesn’t supplant the original from my own personal list of top five Xbox 360 games. The “DR” games are very much love it or hate it affairs, though. If you think you’ll be put off by a game that pretty much requires you to start over a few times and adhere to a strict timeline, you might want to steer clear.

“FIFA Soccer 11” (rated E, $60 on Xbox 360 or PS3, $50 on Wii, $40 on PlayStation Portable and PS2, $30 on DS): EA’s been cranking out great FIFA soccer games for a while now. The only question for soccer fans is how often it’s appropriate to upgrade to the latest iteration.

“Wii Party” (rated E, $50 on Wii): It’s like “Mario Party,” but with Nintendo’s popular customizable Mii avatars. You’ll travel around a game board and try to win minigames to continue progressing.

“Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock” (rated T, $60 on Xbox 360 or PS3): “Warriors of Rock” is bound to be a decisive game. Whereas last year’s “Guitar Hero 5” was a frontal assault on Harmonix’s populist “Rock Band” franchise, “Warriors of Rock” represents a return to the metal-dominated setlists of the early “Guitar Hero” games. Furthermore, its punishing lineup of songs was clearly assembled with the aim of appealing to the sorts of faux guitarists who upload videos of their accomplishments to YouTube. When I saw the game at E3, I knew its overall tone and soundtrack wouldn’t appeal much to a casual host of “Rock Band” parties like me, but that’s fine. I respect what Neversoft is doing this time out. Going head-to-head with “Rock Band 3” would’ve been a suicide mission, anyway, based on what Harmonix has shown of the game to date.

“Borderlands” (rated M, $30 on Xbox 360 or PS3, $20 on PC): At long last, “Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution,” the fourth and probably final downloadable add-on for Gearbox’s “World of Warcraft”-inspired shooter, is out. If you’re already a “Borderlands” convert, you’ll want to pick this up. However, if you’re curious about what you’ve been missing, you may want to hold out for the Game of the Year edition of “Borderlands.” It hits stores Oct. 12 and includes all downloadable content to date, including “Claptrap.”

“Sid Meier’s Pirates!” (rated E10+, $40 on Wii): This classic PC strategy title, which has you managing a fleet of pirate ships, has received positive reviews on pretty much every platform it’s ever been released on. The Wii shouldn’t be any different. “Pirates!” is a great fit for the Wii, as there aren’t many deep strategy games available for Nintendo’s console.

“Deathsmiles” (rated T, $30 on Xbox 360) [review]: If you wanted to pick up this game, but didn’t want to pay $50 for a “limited edition” that included a faceplate and soundtrack, now’s your chance to get just the game for $30.

“MAG” (rated T, $30 on PS3): A whole suite of enhancements hit Sony’s online shooter this week. The level cap has been increased, and a whole new in-game economy system has arrived. It also supports the PlayStation Move, so that’s another reason to take a fresh look. PS3Attitude.com’s Matthew Wingler wrote up a pretty good guide to getting your Move on in “MAG.”

“Front Mission Evolved” (rated T, $60 on Xbox 360 or PS3, $50 on PC): I’m not fully ready to recommend this game until after I give it a shot, but it’s been a while since this console generation had a new mech-battling game, so put me down as “intrigued.”

“Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light” (rated T, $15 download for PlayStation 3): I still think this game’s title sounds like a spinoff from the Fairport Convention, but whatever, now it’s available for the PlayStation 3. “LC&tGoL” hit Xbox Live back in August.

“ModNation Racers” (rated E, now $40 on PS3, $20 on PlayStation Portable) [review]: Sony’s kart-racer got a permanent price drop this week. I recommend picking it up on PS3, as the game’s robust customization and level creation/sharing features really reach their potential on the console.

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