Is it safe to officially label 2011 as the Year of the Shooter? So far we've seen Dead Space 2, Killzone 3, and Bulletstorm. We've still got Crysis 2, Resistance 3, Battlefield 3, Gears of War 3, and more to look forward to.

This week marks the debut of one of the rarer animals in the shooter kingdom: the original intellectual property. Not a sequel, not a spin off, THQ's Homefront stakes its claim in the increasingly crowded genre this week, hoping to carve out a unique niche for itself. But that's not all shooter fans have to look forward to. There is also the release of Bungie's (likely) final bit of Halo anything, ever -- the Defiant Map Pack for Halo: Reach.

As always, there are plenty of other choices on offer. Take a look at the new releases for March 13 through 19, 2011, broken out by platform and date.

Microsoft Xbox 360

Nintendo DS

  • Rabi Laby 3/14
  • JumpStart Deep Sea Escape 3/15

Nintendo Wii

  • Liight 3/14
  • Maximum Racing: Drag & Stock Racer 3/14
  • Maximum Racing: GP Classic Racing 3/14
  • Fit in Six 3/15
  • Top Spin 4 3/15
  • Trackmania: Build to Race 3/15
  • Crazy Machines 3/17

OnLive

PC

Sony PlayStation 3

Sony PSP

  • Gods Eater Burst 3/15
  • Jikandia: The Timeless Land 3/15

Sink or swim, Homefront is set to make an auspicious debut this week. The game has garnered a huge amount of press, covering everything from the length of its campaign, to the number of copies the game must sell to be successful, to the likelihood that a sequel will be developed. Homefront is also among the first marquee titles to be released for the OnLive service day and date with all other platforms. Given the hype and scrutiny, not to mention the fierce competition, can Homefront hope to live up to expectations? Stay tuned to Game Rant for the final word. Homefront releases March 15, 2011, for the Xbox 360, PS3, PC, and OnLive.

Though it's not the last Halo game we'll ever see, Halo: Reach is the last game in the franchise to be crafted by series creators Bungie. This week sees the release of Bungie's final contribution to the game and the series, the Defiant Map Pack. Reach is both a great game and a sales success, but it would be tough to argue that it hasn't been overshadowed by Call of Duty: Black Ops, which is now the best selling game of all time. A map pack seems like more of a whimper than a bang for Bungie to go out on, but it will no doubt be greeted with open arms by the Halo community. Now, if we just knew some specifics on Bungie's next project. The Defiant Map Pack for Halo: Reach releases March 15, 2011, for the Xbox 360.

As always, we want to hear from you. What games will you be picking up this week? What games on the horizon are you most looking forward to?