Release This: Halo 2 PC, Odin Sphere Top Wishlists in U.S.

Gamasutra's regular round-up of worldwide video game releases, "Release This!", takes a look at every game title we know to be shipping to stores this week, in an exclusively compiled list. Odin Sphere and the PC port of Halo 2 currently headline as the biggest news in upcoming releases in the United States, where both titles are expected to meet with an enthusiastic reception and big sales numbers. Meanwhile, Europe will soon get its first shot at Wii online multiplayer with Mario Strikers Charged Football, while Japan enjoys Forza Motorsport 2 several days in advance of its release in other regions. The following list covers all of the game software we know to be available -- across all platforms and regions -- for the week ending May 25th, 2007. Games Released in the United States:

The United States is set to see its biggest week in new releases in quite some time, with the PC port of Halo 2 leading as the lineup's single most anticipated title across all platforms. A much more surprising story is told in the week's second-most awaited release, however. Though the Atlus-published RPG/brawler hybrid Odin Sphere certainly had the potential to be overlooked by many, a recent outpouring of praise from critics and from gaming-related sites like Penny Arcade has resulted in a remarkable level of interest and purchase intent among gamers surveyed by IGN's GamerMetrics. Thanks to its popularity, Odin Sphere manages to outpace rival RPG Dawn of Mana in this week's Mindshare data, and also outperforms all seven ports of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. The anime-licensed Naruto: Ninja Council 3 also fares well in this week's results, though few other non-Pirates of the Caribbean releases manage to stand out otherwise. Games Released in Europe:

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End also sets its sights on Europe this week, where a number of significant releases will soon make their debut. One of the more notable and anticipated titles among these is Mario Strikers Charged Football, which promises to be the first Nintendo Wii title to feature online multiplayer capabilities. Charged will remain exclusive to Europe until its U.S. release in July. Other UK-exclusive releases and localizations debuting this week include Shinsengumi Gunrou-den, Spectral vs. Generation, and Crush. Konami's previously delayed Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops will also soon see European release, barring any additional last-minute setbacks. Games Released in Japan:

The much-awaited Xbox 360 driving sim Forza Motorsport 2 will be making its worldwide debut in Japan this week, with releases for other regions to follow in the coming weeks. The original Forza Motorsport was one of the Xbox's highest-selling titles in Japan, and the sequel is meeting with a rush of preorders in all regions in the days leading up to its release. The Touch Detective sequel Osawari Tantei: Ozawa Rina - Season 2 1/2 is also picking up a significant amount of preorder steam prior to its impending release, as is the Bandai-published Kekkaishi: Karasumori Ayakashi Kidan. Importers will also likely find interest in this week's Bleach: Heat the Soul 4, the latest entry in the PSP's popular 3D fighter series based upon the Bleach anime series. [About IGN GamerMetrics: IGN GamerMetrics is an interactive tool designed to report the real-time behavior and interests of visitors to IGN Entertainment's network of gaming enthusiast web sites. Using data collected from IGN's readers, GamerMetrics shows the levels of consumer awareness, engagement, and purchase intent in every video game title released in the U.S. market.]