The Month in Games – January 2023

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©Square Enix/Electronic Arts/Bandai Namco/JoyMasher/Scavengers Studios

A new year brings with it some new adventures in the world of gaming. From side-scrolling adventures, and seafaring capers to simply just trying to figure out how to survive, there is something for everyone to enjoy kicking off 2023.


Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider

Fight back against oppression in this homage to 16-bit. Taking place in a dystopian and desolate future, Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider sees players take on the role of the titular Moonrider. Originally created to uphold the dominance of the totalitarian leadership with an army of super soldiers, Moonrider has rejected that role and instead chosen a different path. Now on a quest to take down the regime that created them, Moonrider must fight against all manner of machines and beasts to seek vengeance for themselves and for others.

Taking place across eight deadly stages, Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider recreates the classic 16-bit style using an intricate pixel art design and crunchy audio alongside side-scrolling action. Fused together with a snappy combat system and seamless platforming, this game will test players’ skills as they run the gauntlet of challenges put in front of them. In select territories, Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider will also be available on Amazon Luna.

Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider will be available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC from January 12*


One Piece Odyssey

Set sail with the crew once again with this latest story from the world of One Piece. In One Piece Odyssey, players will soon find their journey with Captain Luffy and the Straw Hat crew goes awry thanks to a powerful storm. With the Thousand Sunny lying in tatters and the crew nowhere to be found, it will be up to Luffy to bring them all back together again. Marooned on the idyllic but mysterious island of Waford, a new adventure awaits with powerful enemies to face and a few odd encounters along the way.

Players who pre-order will receive a bonus pack including 10 Energy apples, 10 Excite apples, 3 Golden Jellies and a Travelling Outfit set. The Deluxe Edition includes a copy of the game, a Deluxe Pack with a Sniper King outfit and additional jewelry accessories and the Adventure Expansion pack which includes 100,000 Berries and access to future story DLC. The Collector’s Edition includes a copy of the game with a SteelBook case, all the content in the Deluxe Edition, and an exclusive Monkey.D.Luffy & Lim figurine and exclusive postcards in a Collector’s box.

One Piece Odyssey will be available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and PC from January 13*


Forspoken

Fight for freedom in this action-packed magical tale. In Forspoken, players follow the story of Frey Holland, a woman living in New York who finds herself transported to the world of Athia. Under the rule of the tyrannical Tantas, Athia is a land of magic and mystery. With her newly found magical powers, Frey must travel through Athia to find her way home but also discover more about this land, which has been devastated by a terrifying blight known only as “The Break” with the power to corrupt anything it touches.

Players who pre-order will receive a Trigger Happy nail set, a Symbol Combo necklace and No Limits cloak (console only) or an Overclock nail set, Elite cloak and Spectra Combo necklace (PC only), with those pre-ordering via select retailers will receive an exclusive SteelBook case. The Digital Edition includes the game, pre-order items and the Crafting Starter kit. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes a copy of the game a digital mini-artbook, a digital mini soundtrack, a rare resource kit, Crafting Starter kit and access to the prequel story DLC Forspoken: In Tanta when it launches in summer 2023.

Forspoken will be available on PlayStation 5 and PC from January 24*


Dead Space Remake

Fight to survive in this survival horror remake. Dead Space sees players board the USG Ishimura, a mining ship which has fallen into disrepair. As engineer Isaac Clarke, players will make their way through the derelict ship to try and discover what happened to the ship and its crew. With only a small set of tools and his skills as an engineer, players must help Isaac survive the alien menace which is looming over the Ishimura as he makes his way through the ship, hoping that his partner Nicole has also managed to stay alive.

The Digital Deluxe edition includes a copy of the game along with three unique suits and 2 exclusive suit textures. The Collector’s Edition (which is only available via select retailers) contains a copy of the game, Digital Deluxe content, a copy of the game’s soundtrack, lithograph print, foil stamped lithograph folio, a set of four mini posters, an Ishimura patch, Marker enamel pin, a 4” Marker statue, SteelBook case, a full-size replica of Isaac’s helmet with working lights and a limited edition box.

Dead Space Remake will be available on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and PC from January 27*


Season: A Letter to the Future

Gather memories while you can with this exploration adventure. Season: A Letter to the Future follows a young woman exploring the world for the first time. Having been secluded at home most of her life, she sets out on her bicycle to explore and document the world around her. With her trusty recording tool and camera, the player will be able to help her discover art, music, and architecture while also learning about fading traditions and faiths through conversations with other characters, wary of a cataclysm on the horizon which will wash everything from the world.

Exploring this last breath of a season will take players on their own special journey, which will be ever-changing through interactions with others along the way. Those on PlayStation 5 will be treated to an even more immersive experience. Feel the resistance and textures of different inclines and terrains with haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, add more depth to your records with improved sound technology and utilise the PS5’s SSD to enjoy faster loading times so that nothing stops you from setting off on your journey.

Season: A Letter to the Future will be available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and PC from January 31*


Free to Play

Those with an Xbox Gold or Game Pass Ultimate subscription will have two new games to download and keep for free this month. Iris Fall will be available from January 1-31*, followed by Autonauts, which will be available from January 16* through to February 15*

Over on PlayStation, those with any tier of PlayStation Plus subscription will have three games to download and keep as part of their subscription. From January 3*, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Axiom Verge 2 will be available on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, with Fallout 76 available on PlayStation 4.

Over on Prime Gaming, there are 10 new games available to download and keep for free to those with connected Amazon Prime and Twitch accounts. January’s selection of games is:

  • SNK 40th Anniversary Edition
  • The King of Fighters 2003
  • Metal Slug
  • Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers
  • Dishonored 2
  • The Last Blade
  • Metal Slug 3
  • The Last Blade 2
  • Metal Slub X
  • Twinkle Star Sprites

Details on how to claim these games, along with drops and bonuses for Lost Ark, Fall Guys, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and many more, can be found on the Prime Gaming website.

Also Released This Month

January 9* – Scrap Riders (PC, Switch)

January 10* – Path of the Midnight Sun (PC), House of the Dead Remake: Limidead Edition (Xbox One)

January 11* – Children of Silentown (Xbox One, PS4, PC, Switch)

January 12* – Lone Ruin (Switch, PC), Chasing Static (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch)

January 13* – Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (Xbox Series X/S, PS5), UnderDungeon (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Switch)

January 17* – Surviving The Abyss (PC – Steam Early Access), Farlanders (PC), Re:Call (Xbox Series X/S, PC, Switch)

January 19* – Colossal Cave (Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, Switch), Persona 3 Portable (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Switch, PC), Persona 4 Golden (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, Switch), A Space for the Unbound (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, Switch)

January 20* – Fire Emblem Engage (Switch), Candle Knight (PC), Monster Hunter Rise (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5)

January 23* – KartRider: Drift (PC, iOS, Android)

January 24* – Mahokenshi (PC), Risen (Xbox One, PS4, Switch)

January 26* – OddBallers (Xbox One, PS4, PC, Switch, Luna)

January 27* – Atone: Heart of the Elder Tree (PS4, PC, Switch)

January 31* – SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, Switch), We Were Here Forever (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5), Inkulinati (Xbox & PC – Early Access), Superfuse (PC – Steam Early Access), Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)

*Dates refer to UK release only. International dates may vary and are subject to change. Information correct at time of writing.

Words by Megan Roxburgh


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