A new year is upon us, and that means another 12 months of banger video game releases to be excited for. You’ll be able to read about our picks for the most exciting games pegged to release in 2023 soon, but as usual we’re also bringing you a monthly rundown of what’s to come. Traditionally a fairly quiet month, this January actually has its fare share of big hitters to look forward to as we simultaneously prepare ourselves for the rest of the onslaught that is Q1 2023.
Here are our picks of the titles coming in January, why they’re worth your time, and where you can find them for the best price.
KartRider Drift
Platforms: PC
Release Date: January 11th (pre-season on PC)
KartRider: Drift is the only free-to-play, cross-platform kart racer with arcade thrills, and the fastest drift fueled skilled competition. With deep kart and character customization in stunning high-definition, fun and chaos awaits you on the track.
Chasing Static (console release)
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch
Release Date: January 12th
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 and non-linear exploration.
One Piece Odyssey
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: January 13th
The Cheapest Copy: $79 at Amazon with free shipping
A new RPG commemorating the 25th anniversary of the series – the famed pirate, Monkey.D.Luffy, better known as Straw Hat Luffy, and his Straw Hat Crew, are sailing across the New World in search of the next island and the next adventure that awaits them. Play as various members of the Straw Hat Crew in a classic RPG set in the world of the popular One Piece anime!
Persona 3 Portable/Persona 4 Golden
Platforms: PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch
Release Date: January 19th
Two bonafide Persona classics are headed to modern consoles with Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden. Relive these fan-favourite JRPGs remastered in high definition.
A Space for the Unbound
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date: January 19th
A slice-of-life adventure game with beautiful pixel art set in the late 90s rural Indonesia that tells a story about overcoming anxiety, depression, and the relationship between a boy and a girl with supernatural powers.
Monster Hunter Rise (new ports)
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
Release Date: January 20th
Rise to the challenge and join the hunt! In Monster Hunter Rise, the latest installment in the award-winning and top-selling Monster Hunter series, you’ll 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. Available for the first time on PlayStation and Xbox platforms with 4K/60fps support.
Fire Emblem Engage
Platforms: Switch
Release Date: January 20th
The Cheapest Copy: $69 at Amazon with free shipping
Use hero-summoning strategies to defeat an ancient threat in a brand-new Fire Emblem game. Summon valiant heroes like Marth & Celica alongside a new cast of characters and engage in turn-based, tactical combat against a great evil in this new Fire Emblem story.
Forspoken
Platforms: PS5, PC
Release Date: January 24th
The Cheapest Copy: $85 at Amazon with free shipping
Forspoken puts players in the shoes of Frey Holland, an ordinary young woman who must harness her magical abilities to survive in a fantastical and dangerous land called Athia. Frey takes center stage in Forspoken, exploring an unknown world and facing treacherous trials to unravel the mystery behind Athia.
Read our recent hands-on preview of the game here.
Warlander
Platforms: PC
Release Date: January 24th
Up to a hundred players will be able to join up and battle it out as part of two or five armies in skirmishes and castle sieges with the goal of breaking into the opponents’ stronghold and destroying its core. Playing either as a warrior, cleric, or mage with their own unique set of skills, players will have the option to build up decks of finely customized characters for the battles ahead.
Dead Space
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release Date: January 27th
The Cheapest Copy: $75 at Amazon with free shipping
The sci-fi survival horror classic Dead Space returns, completely rebuilt from the ground up to offer a deeper and more immersive experience. This remake brings jaw-dropping visual fidelity and suspenseful atmospheric audio, as well as new gameplay content and improvements while staying faithful to the original game’s thrilling vision.
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date: January 31st
The Cheapest Copy: $59 at Amazon with free shipping
When the mysterious fortune teller Kassandra grants SpongeBob and Patrick wishes, the two buddies unintentionally open up portals to strange Wishworlds… it’s all F.U.N. and games until their friends get lost in the portals!
Explore seven distinct worlds and don more than 30 cosmic costumes to rescue the universe of the brand new adventure SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake.
Season: A Letter to the Future
Platforms: PS5, PS4, PC
Release Date: January 31st
Close your eyes, take a deep breath and let yourself be carried away by the great journey of Season, a third-person atmospheric adventure bicycle road trip game. Explore the world through the eyes of a young woman. Collect artifacts and memories before a mysterious cataclysm washes everything away.
Inkulinati (early access)
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: January 31st
Inkulinati is an ink-based strategy game straight from medieval manuscripts, where a rabbit’s bum can be deadlier than a dog’s sword. Take your turn in Inkulinati duels filled with unexpected tactical depth (and humour!). Embark on an ever-changing journey, build your own bestiary, defeat medieval superstars and collect perks to unleash special powers. Become a master of the Living Ink, grab your quill and build your unique strategy time after time so
