There are a few interesting videogames making their debuts this week, but once again it’s a downloadable title generating the most excitement. That, and an incredibly bold choice in 2K’s latest sports game.

Shank (360, PS3)

You won’t find ‘Shank’ in stores, but it’s a huge title for Klei Entertainment. Never heard of Klei? They’re the guys behind ‘Eets’ and the incredibly cool platformer ‘N+.’ Their latest game is a bit more traditional, but still very highly anticipated. ‘Shank’ seems to have the one thing a game needs to be good – solid mechanics. It has more than that, though, including a fantastic art style, a multiplayer mode and even co-op. You’ll be able to grab it for the PS3 today while 360 owners will get it tomorrow.

Mafia II (360, PC, PS3)

The original ‘Mafia’ was fairly well received, and the sequel seems to be right along the same lines. Strangely enough, while the first game got rave reviews on PC, the console ports were just plain disappointing. Along those same lines, the console versions of ‘Mafia II,’ especially the PS3 edition, seem to be less promising than the PC version. ‘Mafia’ has a lot of that ‘Grand Theft Auto’ feel to it, but in a different environment. It’s not exactly the sexiest game around for console players, but it’s definitely worth checking out.

NHL 2K11 (Wii)

How many times have gamers said things like, “Sports games don’t need to come out every single year,” or “Why don’t they just take a year off and do something cool and new instead of just making tiny improvements?” Well, that’s just what 2K is doing this year with its NHL franchise. The only NHL game from 2K is the one for the Wii, leaving a year until the HD consoles get 2K hockey back. It’s one hell of a gamble, but it just might pay off in the long run.