This week in videogames, the makers of ‘Resistance’ unleash a new IP on both the PS3 and Xbox 360, but an independent developer may offer an even more intriguing option.

Note: ‘Leisure Suit Larry: Reloaded’ was set to be released this week on PC and MC, but has been delayed until the end of June in order to tackle more bugs.

Fuse (360, PS3)

Uh oh. Insomniac Games, long the developer of PlayStation-only franchises ‘Ratchet and Clank’ and ‘Resistance’, has brought to bear its first non-Sony-exclusive project. ‘Fuse‘ is a co-operative third person shooter, and as is typical for Insomniac, focuses on an array of wild weapon types.

Unfortunately, Insomniac has somewhat infamously let slip the development history of the game. What started out as a more stylized title called ‘Overstrike’ became a grittier and, yes, more brown title renamed ‘Fuse’. Truly, the game seems to want to fuse together the typical brown-on-brown shooter title with the silly sci-fi setting and far-out weapon powers of ‘Ratchet and Clank’. One possibly appealing feature (at least for those playing solo) allows players to switch between team members during play.

All three games in the ‘Resistance’ series are very polarizing, and I was never able to fully enjoy a single one of them even though I liked ‘Ratchet and Clank’. With ‘Fuse’ seeming to fall more towards the ‘Resistance’ side, I imagine that it’s really only for die-hard Insomniac fans.

Grid 2 (360, PS3, PC)

Codemasters is no stranger to racing games. After fostering both the ‘TOCA’ and Colin McRae series, the developer brought touring car racing games to the mainstream with ‘Grid’. The 2008 title is not only one of the better attempts to blend arcade style pacing with a simulator level of detail (to a degree), it’s also responsible for adding the now ubiquitous rewind game mechanic. The first ‘Grid’ managed to innovate what was then a next-gen feature set, which was quickly imitated even as sales for ‘Grid’ itself fell short of other popular racing titles.

Like the first game, ‘Grid 2‘ combines fun racing with unique-feeling cars and tracks based in the real world. It’s a seemingly no-brainer approach that many titles completely miss. With luck, ‘Grid 2’ could just be the sleeper hit that the genre needs.

The Swapper (PC)

‘The Swapper’ has been something of an indie darling for the past few years. The game’s handmade style represents a new approach to an old problem – creating compelling visuals. In the game, players control an astronaut who needs to traverse through side-scrolling platforms and puzzles in order to continue exploring. That astronaut becomes even more capable the moment that he acquires the ability to create clones. By switching among all the clones, players can defeat the mounting puzzle design and guide the astronaut on. It sounds diverting enough, and hopefully all of the fawning over ‘The Swapper’ will be justified when it launches on Steam this week.

The Warriors (PSN)

Rockstar’s celebration of its PS2 era domination continues with a PS2 Classic re-release of ‘The Warriors’. I’ve never played the game, which makes this re-release appealing to me. It casts a spotlight on what is for me a forgotten title. The core mechanics of the 3D beat ’em up mean that anyone should be able to pick it up and play. Naturally, fans of the movie and Rockstar’s other titles should be first in line to get the re-release. That is, of course, if they can handle playing a PS2 game in 2013.