Asia Shippin' Out April 24-30: Operation Flashpoint: Red River

With a flurry of games last week ranging from puzzles to hyper-level violence, it wouldn't be surprising if gamers thought that the next few weeks of gaming would be slightly barren in terms of content. Depending on your preferences, this week does not seem to be the case.

Heading the front is Operation Flashpoint: Red River from Codemasters. This game is a sequel to Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising and still retains the realistic military tactical first-person shooter gameplay for gamers who prefer their modern warfare a little more challenging. Not only does the game features co-op gameplay and a leveling-up system that gives players access to better gear and perks, but it also has Fireteam Engagement mode when players have exhausted the campaign mode. The game is out today for the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3.

The third game in the Patapon series is out this Thursday. Instead of having players build an army of Patapons to combat enemies by dishing out orders through the rhythm of the sacred drums, players control a single Patapon hero, which turns the game more into an action role-playing game of sorts. The game also features multiplayer mode and more than 20 different Patapons to customize and use. For our detailed review on the game, head here.

Also out this week is El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron. Players assume the role of Enoch, a blond-haired warrior given the task by God himself to recapture the seven fallen angels in the midst of building the Tower of Babel on Earth. The game mixes Devil May Cry-style combat with highly stylized visuals comparable to the watercolor-style graphics of Okami. Gamers can look forward to this biblically inspired adventure this Friday.

Finally, Darkspore is out on the PC. Even if it almost shares its namesake with 2008's Spore, this game eschews a life simulator in favor of action RPG loot hoarding. Gamers can breed their own heroes with a multiple array of skills to combat the horde of Darkspores out to ruin the galaxy. Next to the single-player campaign, action RPG fans can check out the player-versus-player arena or even team up online within the same campaign mode. The game is out today.

April 26
Darkspore (PC)
Operation Flashpoint: Red River (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)

April 28
Saigo no Yakusoku no Monogatari (PSP)
Patapon 3 (PSP)

April 29
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron (PS3)
Virtua Tennis 4 (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii)
Thor: God of Thunder (Xbox 360, PS3)