AU Shippin' Out March 14-20: Homefront

With this week's release of Homefront, THQ enters the military first-person shooter battlefield for the first time since 2008's Frontlines: Fuel of War. Set in the year 2027, America has almost been completely conquered by the North Koreans, and you play as a resistance fighter trying to push them back. Sound like a modern-day video game equivalent to Red Dawn? That's one way to put it, especially given that Homefront writer John Millius also wrote Red Dawn. Keep an eye out for Homefront when it is released on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC around Australia this Thursday.

Swapping from the lone soldier to the bigger battlefield picture this week is Shogun 2: Total War. Shogun 2 sees the series return to its roots, as it was the original Shogun game that launched the franchise way back in 2000. Like its predecessors, Shogun 2 blends turn-based strategy on a global scale, with real-time military battles both on the ground and in the ocean. Given the archipelago nature of the topography in Japan, the game marks the first time that naval battles will take place along coastlines, giving would-be admirals the chance to use land formations as part of their strategy. Shogun 2: Total War invades stores on March 17.

MotorStorm Apocalypse, which will be released on Thursday, marks the fourth installation in the popular PlayStation 3-exclusive off-road racing series. Set in an American city that's been ravaged by natural disaster, this latest addition to the series sees players not only competing with other cars, but also with buildings that are toppling over and two different gangs that are fighting for control of what's left of the area.

To find out what else is out this week, check out the list below:

March 17, 2011
Homefront (PC, 360, PS3)
Shogun 2: Total War (PC)
Patapon 3 (PSP)
MotoGP 10/11 (360, PS3)
MotorStorm: Apocalypse (PS3)
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (PC)
Okamiden (DS)

March 18, 2011
Major League Baseball 2K11 (360)
Top Spin 4 (Wii, 360, PS3)