2024 might not be as dizzyingly busy for the video game industry as 2023 was, but even without quite so many surefire blockbusters, there’s plenty to look forward to. In fact, the year is starting off with a bang, as January is loaded with new video games in beloved franchises, from Prince of Persia to Tekken to Yakuza. If you were planning to catch up on your backlog this month, you’re going to need to hurry before these new releases start dropping.
Best new video games of January 2024
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
- Release date: January 18
- Systems: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Prince of Persia returns to its roots this year with the new 2D action-platformer The Lost Crown. While some of the familiar time-based powers will resurface in this entry, you won’t be exploring big, 3D open worlds as in most modern Prince of Persia games. That said, you’ll still be fighting enemies, solving puzzles, running, jumping, climbing, and dashing.
Another Code: Recollection
- Release date: January 19
- Systems: Switch
In 2005, the point-and-click adventure game Another Code: Two Memories (or Trace Memory in the US) launched on the Nintendo DS, following a 13-year-old girl who is searching for her missing father on a mysterious island. Four years later, a sequel came out on Wii, but only in Europe and Japan. This month, US gamers are finally going to get a chance to play both games in the enhanced remakes that debut in Another Code: Recollection.
The Last of Us Part II Remastered
- Release date: January 19
- Systems: PS5
Less than four years after The Last of Us Part II launched on PS4, a remastered version is coming to PS5. According to developer Naughty Dog, TLOU Part II Remastered will feature enhanced visuals, faster load times, and DualSense integration. The team is also including scrapped levels, so those who already beat the game will have something new to explore.
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- Release date: January 26
- Systems: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC
The ninth mainline entry in the Like a Dragon (previously Yakuza) series, Infinite Wealth picks up where the previous game left off, with Ichiban Kasuga leaving the familiar confines of Japan and washing up in Hawaii. The game will once again feature a turn-based combat system, but the previous protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu, will play a much larger role.
Tekken 8
- Release date: January 26
- Systems: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Nearly a decade after the last entry, Bandai Namco is finally unleashing Tekken 8 in January. There will be 32 playable characters on the base roster, and director Katsuhiro Harada says players will be rewarded for being aggressive. Tekken 8 is also the first fighting game built on Unreal Engine 5, so expect it to take full advantage of the technical upgrades.
Those are the highlights, but here are some other notable new video games in January:
- January 18: Bulletstorm VR (PS VR2, Quest, PC), Turnip Boy Robs A Bank (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, PC)
- January 23: Graven (PC), Howl (PS5, Xbox Series X/S)
- January 24: UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes (PC)
- January 25: Apollo Justice Ace Attorney Trilogy (PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC)
- January 30: Rugby 24 (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC)
- January 31: One Punch Man: World (PC, iOS, Android)
We’ll be back next month with all of the new video games in February 2024, including Persona 3 Reload, Helldivers 2, and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
