Happy New Year! So begins our first month of the video game release year. In January there’s a solid lineup of games being released. Including one of the most the highly anticipated games of 2017 Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. If you’re a fan of JRPGs this month is for you. We’ve got Gravity Rush 2, Disgea 2 as well as another addition to the Tales series.
Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star by Marvelous, XSEED – January 17th
Expanding upon the extensive and much-beloved Fate universe with a standalone story. Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star, transpires on the new world of Extella through a diverse cast of “Servants”. Ancient warriors of legend and imagination, always at their Masters’ orders. In a future ruled by the all-powerful lunar super computer Moon Cell Automaton, these champions now duke it out for dominance over this digital realm, known as “SE.RA.PH.” This story takes place after the events described in Fate/Extra, and depicts the world after that previous Holy Grail War.
Platform: PS4, PS Vita
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King by Level-5 – January 20th
Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King‘s 3DS version will include updates like more story content, full voice acting, two additional playable characters, new side quests and StreetPass functionality. There’s also a fast forward feature to cut down on time spent in random battles, as well as a quick save option. These and other new features — like improved graphics and an alternative ending — aside, the game will be familiar to those who played it in its original PlayStation 2 iteration.
Platform: 3DS
Gravity Rush 2 by SIE – January 20th
Another mind-bending adventure awaits gravity queen Kat as a new danger emerges to threaten the fabric of the universe itself. Still searching for clues behind the mystery of her origin, and with the powerful Raven at her side, Kat must master three unique gravity attack styles as she takes on enemies and massive bosses. The sequel to one of the most well-received PS Vita games of all time is coming exclusively to the PS4. For fans of the the original Gravity Rush, the biggest change in the sequel is the introduction of new gravity modes.
Platform: PS4
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue by Square Enix – January 24th
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 will be the final Kingdom Hearts game/compilation released before Kingdom Hearts 3. It will include a collection of three games that each take place during different parts of the overall story. There’s Dream Drop Distance, originally released for Nintendo 3DS. Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover is a series of cutscenes culled from the eponymous mobile game. And 0.2: Birth By Sleep — A Fragmentary Passage.
Platform: PS4
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard by CAPCOM – January 24th
Resident Evil 7 is a first-person survival horror game that attempts to bring the series back to its roots after it nearly went off the rails with Resident Evil 5 and 6. The entire game takes place in one location, with an ordinary man trying to escape the clutches of an insane, seemingly unstoppable family.
Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tales of Berseria by Bandai Namco – January 24th
The latest entry in Bandai Namco’s Tales RPG franchise, Tales of Berseria was released to solid reviews in Japan last August. Players embark on a journey of self-discovery as they assume the role of Velvet. A young woman whose once kind demeanor has been replaced and overcome with a festering anger and hatred after a traumatic experience. If you’ve ever played a Tales game before, you should know what you’re getting from Berseria.
Platform: PC, PS4
Disgaea 2 by Nippon Ichi Software – January 24th
This second entry in the Disgaea franchise joins the original, Disgaea: Hour of Darkness. When Adell and his family accidentally kidnap the Princess of the Netherworld, all hell breaks loose. Adell races to return the Princess to her home, where he hopes to defeat the Overlord and break the curse on his world.
Platform: PC, Linux, Mac
Yakuza 0 by Sega – January 24th
Yakuza 0 is the latest open-world, action adventure game in the long-running Yakuza series. It will actually serve as a prequel to the original Yakuza game, which released in Japan way back in 2005. If you have any interest in the franchise, this should be a good jumping off point, both in terms of the story and the gameplay.
Platform: PS4
Memoranda by Bit Byterz, Digital Dragon – January 25th
Memoranda is a game about forgetting and being forgotten. A point and click adventure game with magic realism elements that tells the story of a young lady who gradually realizes she is forgetting her own name. The story happens in a quiet little town where a few ordinary and strange characters live together. There is one thing all these characters have in common: they are losing something. The story is inspired by various Haruki Murakami short stories that describe a surreal world full of lonely characters.
Platform: PC
Digimon World: Next Order by Bandai Namco Entertainment – January 31st
Digimon World: Next Order, a console port of the Japan-only PlayStation Vita title. Begins when players are sucked into the Digital World to discover it is under siege by Machinedramons. Rescued by two Digimon from impending doom, players must forge forward with their Digimon partners and journey through the Digital World. To discover the origins of the Machinedramon scourge and find a way back to the real world.
Platform: PS4