Games in January: A new way to catch ‘em all, fight aliens, and nonograms

These next three months are going to be awesome for gaming.

With many video games missing the cut for the usual end-year release due to you-know-what, we're getting a whole load of great games all the way to March.

Here's the first few making their way in January:

Picross S7 

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zLN8IaCNFM[/embed]

Nintendo Switch

If you're looking for a quick puzzle game to play on the MRT, get this game. Picross is a nonogram picture logic puzzle - you need to colour or leave blank cells in a grid according to numbers at the side to reveal a hidden picture.

Release date: Jan 10

Monster Hunter Rise 

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMLk9-tZ-_A[/embed]

Nintendo Switch, coming to PC

My favourite game of 2021 is now coming to PC, with 4K and direct chat support. Unfortunately, no cross-play with Switch players so they can't carry you to up HR but hey - at least the upcoming Sunbreak expansion later this year will arrive for both PC and Switch at the same time.

Release date: Jan 12

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yeB4T0PoYY[/embed]

PC, Playstation 4,5, Xbox One, SX

Take Rainbow Six Siege and combine it with Left 4 Dead, and you get Extraction. You and two bros choose between 18 operators to combat parasitic aliens in this tactical horror shooter. Enemies evolve, and challenges are procedurally generated so you won't get the same experience twice.

Release date: Jan 20

Windjammers 2

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl251UhCrks[/embed]

PC, Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

It's like the air hockey game in your old arcade, except it's now a fictional sport. Millennials who played the original 1994 Windjammers might be familiar with this game, as it keeps the same look and feel with up-to-date graphics. Looks like this could be a lot of two-player fun with bae.

Release date: Jan 20

Reverie Knights Tactics

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHNiydi3FLg[/embed]

PC, Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

Fans of Final Fantasy Tactics style turn-based isometric grids should keep an eye out for this game. Terrain in the battlefield can be used to damage your enemy, and the decisions you choose do actually alter the story. Check out the free Prologue of the game on Steam before you buy.

Release date: Jan 25

Pokemon Legends: Arceus 

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V7WYx7Dpp8[/embed]

Nintendo Switch

As a huge Pokemon fan, I'm super hyped for this game, and the end of the month can't come soon enough.

Pokemon is finally shaking things up, ditching the turn-based battle system for an action RPG. It might not be completely open world like Breath of the Wild, but this game certainly looks like it is going in the right direction for the Pokemon franchise.

Release date: Jan 28

Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyJ7sRru7LM[/embed]

Playstation 4, coming to Playstation 5

My first Uncharted game was no.4 when I bought my PS4, and I fell in love with the gorgeous graphics and rich story that I played the first three games immediately after I was done.

This rerelease for the PS5 includes both Uncharted 4: A Thief's End and the side story Uncharted: The Lost Legacy so definitely give these games a shot if you haven't played them yet.

Release date: Jan 28

Rugby 22

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI1ikwB_LrE[/embed]

PC, Playstation 4,5, Xbox One, SX

I've sung praises for F1 2021 and FIFA 2022, but will Rugby 22 be as good? It does have 60 licensed teams including the mighty All Blacks, and a career mode where you can create and manage your own original team.

Here's hoping this is the best rugby experience fans have been wanting for a long time.

Release date: Jan, exact date TBC

This article was first published in Wonderwall.sg.