With 2022 coming to an end, we’ve had another great year of exceptional games. From phenomenal sequels like God of War: Ragnarok and Horizon Forbidden West to Indie gems like Stray and Cult of the Lamb. Now 2023 is coming around the corner and January already has a stacked lineup of games released for numerous platforms. Here are ten games we think you should be on the lookout for in January!
Chasing Static
Starting our lineup is Chasing Static, a new psychological horror game that takes players into a mystery set in the untouched wilderness of rural Wales. Originally released on PC in October, Chasing Static is coming to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on January 12th.
Return to a classic look of horror this January
Chasing Static is a first-person psychological horror set during a fierce storm in Northern Wales. Players take on the role of Chris Selwood, who attempts to seek refuge in a roadside café. Shortly thereafter Chris experiences a horrific sight as he finds the café waitress pinned to the ceiling by something with fierce glowing eyes, he passes out waking up to the dusty old abandoned remains of the café.
Inspired by 80s Sci-Fi horror and contemporary surrealist cinema, Chasing Static delivers a unique take on the narrative adventure genre through new audio-driven gameplay mechanics. With the sonic exploration, players will be hunting down anomalies with an experimental frequency displacement monitoring device. Alongside the crunchy low poly visuals reminiscent of PS1 classics with full voice acting, and high-quality sound design, Chasing Static also has a non-linear story. This allows players to explore the world of Chasing Static at their own pace, uncovering its secrets in any order.
One Piece Odyssey
Return to the world of One Piece in a brand-new RPG set within the world of the popular anime. One Piece Odyssey releases on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on January 12th.
Defeat new enemies, unravel ancient mysteries, and experience pure adventure with your favourite Straw Hats!
In this new fantasy adventure, Captain Monkey.D.Luffy and the Straw Hat Crew are caught in a sudden storm at sea whilst voyaging along the Grand Line. When the storm subsides, they find themselves stranded on a lush, but mysterious island called Waford, becoming separated from each other in the process. The crew sets out on a new, daring adventure filled with marvels of nature, powerful enemies, and strange encounters with island locals.
Players can step into the shoes, sandals, and hooves of Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Franky, and Brook! Each character offers unique exploration skills, such as Luffy’s Gum Gum Slingshot traversal and Zoro’s ability to cut down barriers. Experience quests and dungeons all with an authentic One Piece twist. The Dramatic Scene system puts players against unexpected and random scenarios allowing battles to further develop into unexpected and random situations. This forces players to strategize using the unique skills of the Straw Hat Crew members to overcome their enemies! Other than the Main Episode, players can experience rich Side Episodes and Battles to further immerse themselves with the Straw Hat Crew.
Produced with direct involvement from Eiichiro Oda, the author of One Piece contributed to this project both with new characters and monster designs and with the main plot. The game is also complemented by a soaring soundtrack scored by composer Motoi Sakuraba, well known for his musical contributions to video games like Dark Souls and the Tales of series.
Persona 3 Portable/Persona 4 Golden
Next on our lineup is the release of both remasters for Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden. The world-renowned RPGs are heading to Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on January 19th.
Enjoy both genre defining Persona games on modern consoles for the first time!
Persona 3 Portable begins with the protagonist transferring to Gekkoukan High School. Shortly after, they encounter an unfamiliar stillness swallowing the city known as the Dark Hour. People start turning into eerie coffins, and otherworldly monsters called Shadows swarm the city. When they are attacked by a Shadow, and all hope seems lost, their Persona is awakened. With this newfound power, they pursue the truth of the Dark Hour and face the destiny that awaits them. Experience the dark emotional journey through the eyes of two distinct protagonists. Climb the looming tower of Tartarus and take down powerful Shadows while investigating the mysteries of the Dark Hour. Take part in a full school year packed with daily events as you forge bonds with unforgettable characters.
Persona 4 Golden takes players to Inaba, a quiet town in rural Japan where an unforgettable adventure awaits. A strange rumour spreads across town that could be connected to a series of mysterious murders. As the protagonist and his teammates search for the truth, they find themselves opening up a door to another world. Explore otherworldly dungeons, and take down monstrous enemies. Confront the darker sides of one’s self as you get closer to learning the truth behind the serial murder cases. Venture around the town of Inaba and take part in an eventful school year, meet kindred spirits, and forge invaluable bonds.
Both remasters for Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden, come with new quality-of-life features. This includes, improved graphics and smoothness, difficulty selection, and quick save functionality. Alongside these features, players can now choose between Japanese or English voice over.
Monster Hunter Rise
After releasing in 2021 as a Nintendo Switch exclusive and then being ported to PC in 2022, Monster Hunter Rise finally comes to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on January 20th.
Become a hunter, explore brand-new maps and use a variety of weapons to take down fearsome monsters as part of an all-new storyline.
Enjoy an exciting new storyline set in the serene locale of Kamura Village. As you meet the colourful cast of characters, help them in a time of great fear. The Rampage is coming! This was a catastrophic event where countless monsters attacked the village all at once. Now that the Rampage is returning, it’s time to go on the offensive.
Hunt down a plethora of monsters with distinct behaviours and deadly ferocity. From classic returning monsters to all-new creatures inspired by Japanese folklore. You’ll need to think on your feet and master their unique tendencies if you hope to reap any rewards. Take their materials and begin crafting new weapons, armour or upgrade to your existing gear. Hunt larger and rarer monsters for bigger rewards.
Use up to 14 different weapon types that offer unique gameplay styles. Dispatch monsters with the Long Sword, be quick and deadly with the Dual Blades, charge forth with the punishing Lance, or take aim with the Bow and Bowguns. New to your hunter’s toolkit is the navigational tool known as the Wirebug, which essentially is a grappling hook. Use it to zip up walls and across maps, you can even use it to pull off special attacks with your equipped weapon. Both your trusty Palico Felyne and Palamute Canyne can assist you on the hunt. The Palamute Canyne companions are fully rideable, making the trek to certain hunting locations that much easier.
Fire Emblem Engage
The first exclusive on the list is Fire Emblem Engage, the newest entry in the Fire Emblem series. The new instalment is scheduled for release on January 20th as a Nintendo Switch exclusive.
The next entry in the beloved Fire Emblem series begins in January
In Fire Emblem Engage, 1000 years have passed since the Fell Dragon was sealed away by heroes. As the evil prepares to reawaken, you emerge as Alear a chosen hero who can summon heroes from other realms and seal the chaos dragon again. Summon characters from other Fire Emblem games and equip Alear with their weapons and skills. Like other Fire Emblem protagonists, Alear can be male or female, with a similar red-and-blue hairstyle.
Fire Emblem Engage has turn-based tactical combat gameplay with a wide array of original characters to use. Check their stats and upgrade them to suit your playstyle alongside customising them to your liking. Fire Emblem Engage is class-based, so whatever class you choose will be specialized in certain weapon types. When you upgrade your classes, you’ll gain new specializations, making the combat more engaging. When in combat scenarios, you’ll do battle on a grid, so positioning units is key. Place units with special bonds side by side to gain bonuses in battle.
Visit Somniel, your home away from the battlefield. This is where you’ll talk with characters new to Fire Emblem Engage as well as characters from past games. Other than interacting with characters in Somniel, you can visit shops and manage any other party management like weapons or class load-outs.
Forspoken
The long-awaited spellcasting adventure game, Forspoken is finally releasing on January 24th. Forspoken releases as a PlayStation 5 exclusive though it will also launch on PC.
Lead Frey on an unforgettable journey in her search for a way home after being mysteriously transported to a breathtaking, fantastical land.
Forspoken takes players to the breathtaking land of Athia, where the fate of the kingdom is in the hands of a mysterious woman. This mysterious woman is Frey, a human who was sucked into the world of Athia from her home in New York City. Using her newly established abilities from a sentient bracelet that she calls “Cuff”, giving her the use of powerful spells. Frey now navigates through her new environment, taking down monstrous creatures in four dangerous landscapes. After reluctantly agreeing to help the last remaining citizens of Athia, Frey journeys through the treacherous land where she must confront the powerful Tantas, and uncover secrets hidden away.
Explore the sprawling realms of Athia, a striking land of remarkable vistas and otherworldly creatures brought to life through stunning graphics and cutting-edge technology. Venture deep into corrupted territories where a mysterious darkness defiles everything it touches. Take on twisted monsters in magical combat with a wide range of powerful abilities catering to a variety of playstyles – from fast-paced and exhilarating to strategic and methodical. Scale walls, vault across canyons, leap from dizzying heights and dash through vast landscapes. Frey’s unique abilities allow her to fluidly traverse the open world with ease.
Dead Space Remake
The sci-fi survival-horror classic Dead Space returns in 2023, completely rebuilt from the ground up to offer a deeper, more immersive experience. The Dead Space Remake releases on January 27th for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X.
Bringing jaw-dropping visuals, suspenseful atmospheric audio, and improvements to the gameplay while staying faithful to the original game’s thrilling vision.
Return to where it all started for engineer Isaac Clarke, who during a mission to repair the USG Ishimura, discovers the crew slaughtered. Alongside this horrific discovery, his beloved partner, Nicole, is lost somewhere on board. Armed with only his engineering tools and skills, Isaac races to find Nicole as the nightmarish mystery of what happened aboard the Ishimura unravels around him. Trapped with hostile creatures called Necromorphs, Isaac faces a battle for survival from escalating terrors.
A sci-fi horror classic returns fully rebuilt from the ground up with elevated visual fidelity and 3D atmospheric audio. From the frighteningly detailed rooms and workspaces of a slaughtered crew to the eerie atmospheric sounds of a desolate spaceship, you’ll explore a stunning sci-fi setting full of unpredictable and tense moments without interruption. Confront the nightmare aboard the USG Ishimura with genre-defining strategic gameplay. Repurpose and upgrade Isaac’s engineering tools to creatively defeat enemies with precision.
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake
The Classic Nickelodeon cartoon sponge returns with a brand new game, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake. The game is will be on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One and releases on January 31st.
Wish-granting Mermaid’s Tears in the hands of SpongeBob and Patrick… What could possibly go wrong?
SpongeBob and his friends return in a new adventure! This time around, our favourite sponge and starfish duo get into trouble thanks to a meeting with a mysterious fortune teller named Kassandra. She presents the duo with a vial of Mermaid Tears that grants wishes. Naturally, the two best buddies get overexcited and their flurry of wishes tears open the very fabric of space and time. All while releasing Cosmic Jelly onto Bikini Bottom and opening portals to strange Wishworlds in the process. Now it’s up to our dynamic duo to rescue their friends who got lost in the Wishworlds and restore peace to Bikini Bottom.
In SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake, there will be numerous unlockable costumes for players to unlock like SpongeGar and SnailBob. Alongside costumes to unlock, you’ll also learn new platforming skills like the Fishhook Swing and Karate Kick. You can unlock these while exploring the seven distinct Wishworlds like Jellyfish Fields and Halloween Rock Bottom. Whilst exploring the Wishworlds, you will stumble upon all your favourite Bikini Bottom characters from the series, voiced by their original actors. As a bonus, players can enjoy over 100 songs from the series featured in the in-game soundtrack, including Sweet Victory.
We Were Here Forever
The next entry in the highly celebrated co-op puzzle series “We Were Here” comes to modern consoles on January 31st. We Were Here Forever will be releasing on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Nothing is what it seems in this mysterious Antarctic adventure. Can you two escape together, or will you be trapped… forever?
You and your fellow prisoner are trapped in the realm of Castle Rock. To escape, you must explore the sinister castle for puzzles and plot your escape together. Fresh mysteries await, and you’ll have to make some choices about how to proceed. Your journey leads from the dark prison through the royal halls to the outside. Outside the Keep, you will discover the story of Rockbury, its inhabitants, and plans of a resistance formed against the King to escape this icy place. Hope will lead you on to an eerie Graveyard and have you descend down into the dark waters of the Foundry. Can you both escape Castle Rock or will you be buried within its shadows?
Each puzzle in the game takes two players to solve, making communication key to completing each task. You will use walkie-talkies in order to talk to each other and act as each other’s eyes and ears. With each puzzle, some will give you a limited amount of time, make every second count when talking to your friend, or you may suffer with a swift ending. We Were Here Forever contains the next part of its story, however each game in the series is standalone, so you can jump into this entry with peace of mind.
Inkulinati
Finally, we come to our last game to look out for in January, this time a release for early access. Inkulinati will be releasing on early access for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on January 31st.
Become a master of the living ink, grab your quill and build an unstoppable force of beasts
In Inkulinati, take part in ink-based strategy, inspired by medieval manuscripts. Move your Beasts across the battlefield, make tactical use of obstacles and collect more Living Ink. You’ll see sword-wielding rabbits, dogs with spears, trumpets lodged in bottoms, human-eating snails, and more.
Take your turn in Inkulinati’s duels filled with unexpected tactical depth and humour. Alongside the different Beasts you can summon, you can also cause havoc and damage in other ways. Use your fists to smash your opponent’s units, draw obstacles to create barriers, relocate your units with a move of your finger, or explode your troops to create pure, pure chaos. Each Inkulinati has its own army, with different Beasts, who in turn have different abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Each Battlefield is its own domain with dangers and opportunities to watch out for. You will have to use your wits and adapt your strategy to beat the opposing Inkulinati’s army on each Battlefield.
Play the single-player campaign to uncover the mystery and secrets of Inkulinaiti. Fight the biggest Inkulinati masters in the land, tame the untamed Beasts, build your ultimate army, try to bring back your Master from the clutches of death, and most importantly, finish your grand quest with the biggest party that the middle ages have ever seen! Howza!!!
Have any other games you’ve got your eye on during January? Let us know in the comments down below!
