We’ve made it to another year of new video game releases, but it’s more than that: it’s also the beginning of a console launch season for the PS5 and Xbox Series X. January also, of course, marks the result of gamers everywhere having some of the best titles of the year – and previous years – at their fingertips due to gifts given, holiday bonuses received, and/or overtime finally cashed in. This combo results in most of the video game community being distracted by other things, whether it’s playing with new shiny games from this generation or getting ramped up and researching what’s coming later this year. And because of that? It’s a very, very empty month for new stuff coming out for this round of consoles and on PC. Let’s take a closer look, all the same.

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AO Tennis 2 — January 8

Similarly to golf, there’s something universal about the zen aspects of playing tennis (or table tennis) video games, where even those who aren’t exactly enthusiasts can find some enjoyment in playing. One could argue that the process of playing Pong resembles the engaging, yet relaxing rhythm of tennis video games, so the concept of bouncing digital dots between competitors – either sitting next to you or digital – has been a thing for a long while and evolved with the years.  Over the years, however, popularity of these games has fallen to the wayside, and releases are slim.  AO (Australian Open) Tennis stepped up a few years back taking aim at a realistic, detailed tennis experience, but the release was married with the need for a day-one patch that still couldn’t overcome critically panned physics and unsatisfying graphics.  Despite this, AO Tennis 2 hopes to serve up this sequel inbound the first time, and hopefully on January 9: there are conflicting dates, as it may have been pushed to the end of February.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon — January 16 (Japan; WW Later 2020)

SEGA’s storied game series about a semi-fictionalized gang atmosphere in Japan has long prided itself as one of the more reliable beat-‘em-up franchises out there. A shift to turn-based combat might be a bit of a shock to some players, but fans of other Japanese RPGs might be drawn in enough to counterbalance those hesitations.  Guess we’ll see with Like a Dragon, which transforms the martial-arts combat fans have come to love into a somewhat similar-feeling turn system. Yakuza’s storytelling has always stood out from the gameplay, and regardless devotees will dig into this revamping on the series that follows a new setting and a new “emotive and outspoken” protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga.  All these new variables could make Like a Dragon out to be a reboot of sorts for the Yakuza series; however, execution will of course determine whether it feels like something new or a natural extension of what comes before. Those in Japan will learn soon enough, and worldwide gamers who can’t play it until later in 2020 will be waiting anxiously for their impressions.

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Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot — January 17

Whenever Dragon Ball Z enters conversations about what superheroes would win in battles over one another, the Japanese property often gets shrugged off because its characters are often portrayed as exaggeratedly overpowered. In video game form, reducing these powers to the scope of a fighting-game framework keeps that perception somewhat in check … though with modern tech and open-world games being so popular, a boundless DBZ “simulator” from the perspective of these characters is certainly something fans would desire.  Enter Kakarot, which allows the player to gain control of Goku (and other series regulars) and maneuver around the vast landscape of the game’s universe: to glide, levitate, charge, slam into obstacles, traverse towns, fish, converse, and of course fight. Other Dragon Ball games have attempted the open-world feel – Xenoverse, for instance – but not with the genuine freedom, emergence, and reactions that Kakarot has boasted thus far.

Journey to the Savage Planet — January 28

Somewhere between The Outer Worlds and No Man’s Sky lies Journey to the Savage Planet, the debut game from Typhoon Studios, a new collaboration of gaming dev vets. Players gain control of a faceless protagonist – essentially assumed to be you, the player – as they navigate what was believed to be an uninhabited planet under the employ of the “4^th Best Interstellar Exploration Company”.  With vibrant colors and a focus on humor, the first-person action shooter then allows the player to discover why the “uninhabited” part of their assumptions isn’t correct. Progression has been labeled as something like Metroidvania style of games, where certain obstacles and challenges are insurmountable without certain gear earned later down the line, and the breadth of the hazardous world has been described as “focused” due to the small scale of the dev team.  Seems like an easy pickup for those who dig sci-fi and lighter-hearted gaming experiences (like myself).

A few assorted ports and remasters fill out the rest of the calendar for January, with PC players getting both the latest Monster Hunter World expansion, Iceborn, on the 9th and the Warcraft 3: Reforged remastering of Reign of Chaos and The Frozen Throne coming on the 28th. The Atelier franchise of JRPGs will be releasing its Dusk series of games in a PC/Switch/PS4 bundle on the 14^th, while a Nintendo Switch port of Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath will be descending on January 23. And finally, The Walking Dead will be scaring up some excitement on the VR front with Saints and Sinners, also on the 23^rd.

January’s Video Game Releases Start Off 2020 With a Slow Serve

After ten years, this is just the beginning.

SEGA’s ‘Yakuza’ series began life in the latter days of the PS2, and after ten years, ‘Yakuza 0’ brings the landmark series full circle. Focusing in on the beginning of this PS4 gem, (which releases in the West on January 24th, see here), and players get to be both a member of the Yakuza and a member of the Dojima family. We are talking dragons and back tattoos that are both stylish and mind-blowing.

Series’ fans know what to expect, but happily, newcomers can start right here on the PS4. And it’s here where players will learn how to walk the streets of Kamurocho (a very red light area of Tokyo). Forget modern day, this is 1988. It takes a mean mug to subsist on all the glitz and sleaze exuded by the desperate, drunk, mean and goofy types of people here, and that is where we find Kazuma Kiryu.

Just look at him.

Pretty mean looking, right? But now see him when he’s had a few and is relaxing with friends.

Kazuma has plenty of fun diversions, but he tends take his leisure pursuits a bit seriously. Of course, who can resist relaxing with a hot shower after a long day?

Right. So after carefully checking out the beginning of ‘Yakuza 0’ on the PS4, here are the top reasons why this is a can’t-miss game:

1. You Can Befriend a Mushroom Dealer

No really. Not just friends, but good friends. Even the best of friends.

2. All Cab Drivers Know Where the Crime Families Live

It really says something when the homes and HQs of all the crime families and their subsidiaries are requisite knowledge for cab drivers. Who needs a smart phone when cabbies are this capable?

3. You Can Break Up Burusera Rings… from the Inside

This is serious. Way before ‘Orange is the New Black,’ Kazuma came face to face with a mess of Burusera, and it’s up to the player to decide how to play it. (Fewer words and more punching makes for a strong statement.)

4. The Thrill of Defending Miracle Johnson from Zombies

Miracle Johnson has pop starred his way into town. Now just defend him from zombies while Stephen Spining directs the music video. (Yes, it’s that Stephen Spining.)

5. The Fashion of 1988

Just look at these guys. They mean business. And that business is looking damn good while they beat your ass Yakuza style. The mere sight of this trio alone would make ‘Final Fantasy XV’s Prompto delete all of his pictures.

Ok, so these select reasons highlight how the beginning chapters of ‘Yakuza 0’ are overflowing with undeniable swag. But here are a few more just for kicks.

Runners-Up

The Scary Clown Guy Gives You Stuff

Remember when ‘Dead Rising’ was cool?

There are Time Paradox Mega Drives With Legs

Just in time for the ’88 launch.

Learn Words Like Pseudanthium and Subotenuhigeukiro

And of course, Burusera.

Dabble in Real Estate

I really want to play a game called “Insane Cash War.” I think I may just be attracted to the action.

Collect Telephone Cards

Finally, something worth collecting (apparently). These cards so much better than those inventory-clogging tissue adverts.

Rob Mr. Shakedown

Funk this guy. Taking Mr. Shakedown down is one of life’s most just pleasures.

Space Harrier Forever

‘Space Harrier’ is hard, but it’s not ‘Out Run’ hard.

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The Top 5 Reasons ‘Yakuza 0’ on the PS4 is Can’t-Miss