It’s a brand new year, which means that it’s time to figure out our goals for the year ahead and get a fresh start on things. We have a lot of interesting games coming out this year but let’s start small, here’s five to look out for this month, writes Aiman Maulana
1. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
The Resident Evil series has been blasted by fans across the globe as it transitioned from a true horror game experience to something more akin to a third person action game. While not officially considered as a reboot, Resident Evil 7 will see the series return to its horror roots, something that fans have been asking for a long time. This game will feature new characters so don’t expect to see familiar faces here.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard takes place four years after the events of Resident Evil 6 in the fictional city of Dulvey, Louisiana. It stars a new character, Ethan Winters, as the protagonist. Ethan is searching for his missing wife and finds a lead at the Baker family mansion. However, something sinister awaits him, and he has to persevere through the darkness to find out the truth behind his missing wife.
Fun fact: The Resident Evil games in Japan are sold under the name Biohazard. Apparently, Capcom said that the combination of those two names wasn’t made for fun as it serves as a clue to what’s behind the game’s plot. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard will be coming to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PCs on Jan 24, 2017.
2. Digimon World: The Next Order
Coming off the success of Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth, Digimon World: The Next Order is an open world role-playing game based on the infamous digital monsters that we know and love. The game follows the story of third year high school students Takuto and Shiki. Long after the protagonists have forgotten about Digimon, they find themselves transported into the Digital World where they meet their Digimon partners.
Interestingly enough, the game seems to be more focused on the first generation of Digimons, as we see Agumon, Gabumon, Palmon, and Biyomon early on in the game. Players will be raising two Digimons simultaneously and the battle systems seems to be something similar to the first Digimon World game for the original Sony PlayStation, where the Digimons automatically fight and players can issue commands to them.
Digimon World: The Next Order is coming exclusively to the PlayStation 4 on Jan 31, 2017.
3. Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue
It has been about 11 years since the release of Kingdom Hearts 2, and fans have been waiting for so long for the final chapter of the Xehanort saga in Kingdom Hearts 3. Instead, we get another side game leading up to that called Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue. It’s not actually a full game by itself but rather, a special Kingdom Hearts compilation that will help flesh out the story prior to the final chapter.
The game consists of a remastered version of Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, which was made available on the Nintendo 3DS and set after the events of Kingdom Hearts 2, Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep — A Fragmentary Passage, a short episode which takes place after the original Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep from Aqua’s perspective, and Kingdom Hearts Back Cover, a one hour cinematic story that focuses on the Foretellers and the history of Kingdom Hearts.
This is something that Kingdom Hearts fans will not want to miss as it provides important story details that bridge the game with Kingdom Hearts 3. Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue will be coming exclusively to the PlayStation 4 on Jan 24, 2017.
4. Tales of Berseria
If you’re done with Final Fantasy XV, chances are that you’re already on the lookout for the next big Japanese role-playing game to sink your teeth into. Well, look no further than Tales of Berseria, the latest instalment of Bandai Namco’s infamous role-playing game series. This time around, the game has a pirate theme and its signature Aifread will play a major role in it.
Tales of Berseria is set in the Wasteland which is ruled by the Holy Midgand Empire. Alongside the humans, exists a being known as Malakim, spiritual beings that have been enslaved by the human race to harness their magical prowess, as well as Daemons, humans who have transformed into monsters via an illness known as the Daemonblight. The world’s delicate balance will soon shatter and chaos will ensue but according to a prophecy, there exists a savior who will bring order back to the world.
Fun fact: It takes place in the same world as its predecessor, Tales of Zestiria, with Berseria’s story taking place years before Zestiria. Tales of Berseria will be coming to the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and Windows PCs on Jan 24, 2017.
5. Gravity Rush 2
Expected to be packed with lots more action and even more gravity-defying feats, Gravity Rush 2 is the direct sequel to its predecessor, with the story taking place right after the first game. While not much is known about the game, it has been confirmed that Kat will indeed return as the protagonist and she will have more powers and upgrades.
Initially, Gravity Rush 2 was slated for release in early December 2016 but it was delayed to January 2017 to fix some bugs and flesh out the game. In trailers, Kat is shown to have more control over her gravity manipulation abilities, showing off a red aura around her wrists as well as being able to leap around weightlessly as opposed to just shifting gravity completely. But like the game’s story, not much is known about her new abilities yet.
Fun fact: This game will be sold in Japan under the name Gravity Daze 2. Gravity Rush 2 is coming exclusively to the PlayStation 4 on Jan 20, 2017.