The upcoming year holds a lot of promise for video games. Long-awaited sequels like Devil May Cry 5 and Shenmue 3 will finally launch alongside new properties like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Skull and Bones. There’s also the possibility that fans may learn more of Microsoft and Sony’s newest line of hardware, as release date rumors for each console have been circulating within the community for some time now. The following month alone has a lot to look forward to, with titles like Kingdom Hearts 3 and Resident Evil 2 Remake slated for launch. Check out all the January 2019 games you should keep on your radar below.
January 2019 Games – Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition is slated to release on January 11, 2019 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC in celebration of the game’s 10th anniversary. It could be a good place to start for JRPG fans who have yet to discover what the franchise is about, as its battle system is accessible and its characters are easy to fall in love with. This new version of the game will feature updated visuals, a new party member named Patty Fleur, and all the cutscenes and skits from Vesperia‘s Japanese release. If you missed out on it a decade ago, this may be a great opportunity to pay homage to one of the genre’s classics.
January 2019 Games – The Walking Dead: The Final Season Episode 3
When developer Telltale Games closed its doors in late September, it left The Walking Dead: The Final Season incomplete. The first two episodes of Clementine’s journey were released, but the last two were presumably never going to be worked on. Things changed in November, however, when Skybound Games announced that it had picked up the project and development resumed on the third and fourth episodes of the season. Seemingly back from the dead, the game will pick up with Broken Toys on January 15, 2019 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Hopefully it builds up to the sendoff that Clementine deserves.
January 2019 Games – Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes
The No More Heroes franchise returns when Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes releases on January 18, 2019 exclusively for Nintendo Switch. Fans expecting Suda51’s raunchy, over-the-top humor will hopefully find a lot of it in this entry, which serves as a fresh take on protagonist Travis Touchdown rather than a sequel to the second game. Suda collaborated with several different indie developers to diversify the title’s top-down gameplay, the likes of which can be enjoyed solo or with a second player.
The otaku hero must navigate through a demonic video game console called the Death Drive MK-II in order to gather six Death Balls from six different games. Meanwhile, a former professional baseball player turned assassin named Badman shows up intermittently to battle Travis and get revenge for his daughter’s murder. From what fans have seen so far, Travis Strikes Again looks like an imaginative new title that only Suda51’s mind can drum up.
January 2019 Games – Resident Evil 2 Remake
Fans of the survival horror genre will have no excuse to miss out on Resident Evil 2 Remake when it releases on January 25, 2019 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The tank controls and fixed camera angles of the original title have been replaced with a third-person perspective to usher the title into the modern era. Characters like Leon, Claire, and Ada have been redesigned to look more realistic, but Capcom has stated that it’s done its best to preserve the horror aspects that made the 1998 title so much fun to play.
Visuals and lighting have been brought into the modern era too, which helps to further immerse players into the zombie apocalypse. Roaches, alligators, zombie dogs, and Lickers are also all returning and will hopefully fuel our nightmares until the next Resident Evil game arrives.
January 2019 Games – Tropico 6
Construction and management simulation game enthusiasts will be able to take on the role of El Presidente once again when Tropico 6 releases on January 25, 2019 for PC. As with other titles in the series, players will be able to be able to dictate where buildings go across colonial, modern, and wartime eras on the tropical nation of Tropico. In this newest entry, however, fans will be able to build on an archipelago of smaller islands and connect each together with bridges. Additionally, they’ll have to listen to the country’s citizens in order to maintain productivity and keep the peace. Tropico 6 seeks to add another layer of sophistication onto a formula that’s addictive as is. Here’s hoping it’s as fun as it sounds.
January 2019 Games – Kingdom Hearts 3
The Kingdom Hearts franchise’s Dark Seeker Saga will come to an end when Kingdom Hearts 3 finally releases on January 29, 2019 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Fans have gotten plenty of spin-offs, prequels, and remasters across home console, handheld, and mobile platforms throughout the years to make the wait a little bearable. Still, the hype around around Kingdom Hearts III is astronomical, considering how the last main entry in the series released on PlayStation 2 in 2005.
This newest installment promises to bring every character and narrative thread together to give fans the conclusion they’ve been waiting more than a decade for. It helps that new worlds inspired by Disney properties like Frozen, Big Hero 6, Toy Story, and Monsters Inc. will be thrown into the mix to help keep the experience magical even after the long wait. We’ll have to patiently bide our time just a little while longer to get our hands on the game. Hopefully it lives up to our childhood memories.
One of 2019’s biggest challenges will be trying to keep up with the year’s biggest releases while also completing those titles we didn’t get around to in 2018. There’s no shame in playing the games you already have instead of moving on to new ones as they come out, though you’ve probably been waiting too long for Kingdom Hearts 3 to miss out on it this January. Whatever you decide to pop into your console of choice this month, try your best to start the year off right. Have a great 2019.
