The 7 Biggest Upcoming January Video Game Releases On PC, Xbox, PlayStation And Nintendo Switch

January is a little more than halfway over, but the majority of video game releases this month are stacked in the second half of the month. In the following list, you’ll find brand new games, re-releases, remakes, AAA blockbusters and one super creative looking indie. Some of these have released on other platforms in the past, some are brand new. And several are day-one releases on Xbox Game Pass.

Let’s take a look at the biggest video game releases coming out before the end of January, 2023.

Persona 4 Golden / Persona 3 Portable (January 19th — PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X)

I’m bundling the first two games on this list since they come out on the same day, on the same platforms and are from the same beloved JRPG franchise (though it appears Persona 3 Portable hits Steam on the 18th). I love the Persona franchise, which I started with Persona 4 Golden on the PS Vita. I’ve never actually played Persona 3 Portable which came out on the PSP (which I never owned) so I’m excited to take it for a spin on my Steam Deck. If you’ve never played a Persona game you’re missing out. They’re wildly imaginative roleplaying games that blend the real world of Japan with demonic dungeon-crawling adventures. Great stories and characters and fun turn-based combat with plenty of strategy, mystery and charm. Both these games are available on Xbox Game Pass at release.

Fire Emblem Engage (January 20th — Nintendo Switch)

The latest in the turn-based tactical fantasy RPG franchise from Nintendo, Fire Emblem Engage is getting high marks for its engaging combat system and low marks for its lackluster story. But I never really played these games for the story, truth be told. Some are better than others, but I’m here for the tactical combat and the fun ways you can pair different characters throughout the campaign. Overall it sounds like this one is a step down from Three Houses but still worth a playthrough.

Monster Hunter Rise (January 20th — PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X)

Not gonna lie, the Monster Hunter games just never “clicked” for me. I always thought they would since they share some DNA with Dark Souls, which is basically my favorite series of all time. Oh well. I know a lot of people adore these games, and now Monster Hunter Rise makes its way from Nintendo Switch to more powerful consoles, with plenty of improvements. This one is available on Xbox Game Pass day-one, and comes with a host of graphical and performance improvements, similar to the PC port from a year ago.

Forspoken (January 24th — PC, PS5)

The big PC / PS5 release of January is Forspoken, a game all about using superpowers—like magical energy blasts and flight—to navigate deadly, sprawling open-world environments. Frey, a young New Yorker, has been transported to the fantasy land of Athia and must use these newfound powers to survive and fight for a way back home. There’s a PlayStation demo that I keep meaning to play—maybe I’ll go do that after I finish writing this post!

Dead Space Remake (January 27th — PC, PS5, Xbox Series S|X)

I’m very, very excited about this one, especially since its big competitor, The Callisto Protocol, ended up being a major letdown. Dead Space is such a classic. It’s space horror at its very best, and the remake looks absolutely stunning. It’s nice to have a game like this designed for PC and current-gen consoles only, and I think we’re in for a graphical treat.

Age Of Empires 2: Definitive Edition ( January 31st — Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X)

If you enjoy strategy games and building massive Medieval civilizations that you have to protect and expand with your armies and fleets, Age Of Empires 2 is one of the best. The remastered Definitive Edition has been out on PC for a while but now it comes to Xbox One and Xbox Series S|X and yes, it’s out on Xbox Game Pass on day-one. Frankly, I’m not sure how you play this kind of game with a controller, but you can also hook up a mouse and keyboard to your Xbox!

Inkulinati (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, Switch, Mac)

One of the coolest, most creative-looking games on this list, Inkulinati is a strategy RPG that takes place in the pages of a Medieval manuscript. Yes, this reminds me a lot of Obsidian’s Pentiment, but that wonderful game (also on Xbox and PC via Xbox Game Pass) is more of a point-and-click adventure with lots of dialogue and reading. This one is more of a tactical combat game. I suspect that if you like one, however, you’ll probably like the other. They may very well compliment each other! Very excited to dive into this one.

And then it’s on to February, which has plenty more exciting releases. I’ll go over those in a separate post here on this blog, so be sure to subscribe!

What upcoming video game releases are you looking forward to? Let me know on Twitter or Facebook.