New releases for January 2025

Japanese publishers are looking to capitalise on the typically quiet month of January, offering up a handful of RPGs and whatever Neptunia Riders VS Dogoos is. Our best guess considering the peculiarly vague product description is that it stars the cast of Neptiuna riding bikes while collecting/fighting blob-like creatures. Quite the departure for the franchise.

A couple of the RPGs on the agenda are remakes. Launching 7th Jan, Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana adds a new turbo mode, features voice acting for the first time ever, and has a choice of soundtracks including those from the original. It’s due both at retail and on the eShop/PSN. Although not a remake, NiS America are also behind the strategic sequel Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero, due at the end of the month. Before that on the 17th Jan there’s the multiformat Tales of Graces f Remastered, which promises to be easier to play with the ability to turn off enemy encounters in fields and dungeons.

Another re-release on the horizon is FREEDOM WARS Remastered, based on one of the bigger Japanese PS Vita games. This sees it go multiformat while adding high res textures, a new crafting system and more difficultly options. Set in a desolate world, you’re tasked with reducing your prison sentence by taking on missions. Look out for it on 10th Jan on PC, PSN and Switch.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins is looking like one of the more promising titles from Koei-Tecmo

Saying on the same subject, there’s Donkey Kong Country Returns HD for Switch – Nintendo’s first major release of 2025. Curiously, this is being developed Forever Entertainment, best known for bringing back Front Mission, The House of the Dead, and Panzer Dragoon. STAR WARS: Episode I – Jedi Power Battles is also making a comeback on 23d Jan, featuring new characters. The PSone original didn’t exactly leave critics smitten, but it might be able to offer some light-hearted co-op fun for a couple of hours.

From remasters to something new. Dynasty Warriors: Origins is looking like one of the more promising titles from Koei-Tecmo, reported to feature more in-depth storytelling. Releasing on PS5 and Xbox Series only, the game engine is said to allow 10,000 soldiers on the screen at once. It’s down for a 17th Jan release.

In addition to Tales of Graces f, Namco-Bandai are also readying SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada – an anime-style mech based extractor shooter (PvPvE) for up to 12 players. After being forced underground, it’s a case of taking to the surface to fight off deformed creatures while collecting rare resources. This one is due 23rd Jan on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series.

Publisher eastasiasoft has laid out their slate for January, which includes the top-down shooter The Legend of Cyber Cowboy, retro-style platformers Popotinho’s Adventures and Runny Bunny, fantasy themed sliding block puzzler Popotinho’s Adventures, and the pixel art co-op run and gun shooter Agent Fall. The Legend of Cyber Cowboy is due New Year’s Day.

Kuro Games’ Wuthering Waves is also set to launch on PS5 this week (2nd January,) clearly looking for a slice of Genshin Impact pie. This open-world adventure, with monster taming and combo-driven combat, shares vocal talent with recent Final Fantasy games and has been praised for its fast action. As long as you aren’t expecting a deep storyline, it’s one to check out.

Sniper Elite: Resistance, set in France and with a story that runs alongside SE5.

Other indie releases include the robot-starring basketball roguelike RoboDunk, explorative 2D action platformer Morkull Ragast’s Rage – which stars a self-aware hero, prone to breaking the fourth wall – and the tidy drawn 2D Metroidvania Blade Chimera.

Then at the end of the month there’s Sniper Elite: Resistance, set in France and with a story that runs alongside SE5. Co-op play and a 16 player online mode will feature, along with a co-op survival mode. While it doesn’t appear to be largely ambitious, the SE games rarely disappoint. Xbox Game Pass subscribers can play it at launch.

Eternal Strands is another lined up for Game Pass at the end of the month, being an UE5 powered adventure that borrows a few ideas from Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Early footage has us intrigued, looking like a richer alternative to Immortals Fenyx Rising.

The isometric dungeon crawling/restaurant management sim hybrid Cuisineer also makes the jump from PC to PS5, Xbox Series and Switch on 28th Jan. Young adventurer Pom must collect ingredients from the land and then turn them into tasty treats back at her restaurant.

Other games due at the end of the month include the Switch’s Hello Kitty Island Adventure – with puzzles, different seasons, and a multiplayer mode – broader choice-driven sequel Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, and a multiformat release of the retro-style platformer Gimmick 2.