“January 2024: Rise of the Gaming Titans”

A fresh year introduces a new array of games to be enthusiastic about. Though January 2024 may not be the most thrilling month for gaming, a few potential treasures are on the way. Let’s examine which January game releases the contributors at Lords of Gaming are looking forward to!

CUnit aka Chris Jones, Community Manager & Senior Writer

Beginning the year after an outstanding 2024, we have some promising games debuting this month. The one I’m most eager about is Dynasty Warriors: Origins. I’ve been playing these types of games since they were essentially Kessen long ago.

I even reviewed Dynasty Warriors 9 Empires myself. I’ve always enjoyed how captivating the characters and narratives in all the releases are every time a new title comes out. And Dynasty Warriors: Origins appears to enhance it even further. The graphics look incredible, and you can bet I’ll be diving in, hoping to play as Zhuge Liang because he’s the finest character from the series. These titles intend to propel the series ahead in an excellent direction, and I’m incredibly excited!

Subeg Dhaliwal, Writer

January offers a solid variety of titles, but the one that stands out to me is Freedom Wars Remastered. I am particularly excited to see Freedom Wars return because it was quite avant-garde as a handheld game, featuring co-op Monster Hunter-like gameplay set in a captivating dystopian environment.

The concept is also very original. In Freedom Wars, you assume the role of a convict, and completing tasks gradually lessens their prison term. The gameplay presents a nuanced blend of diversity, incorporating third-person shooting, melee combat, and a grappling hook-like mechanism to battle the Abductors. The grappling hook is also employed to navigate the levels.

The remaster appears to be a facelift of the original PS Vita title, providing improved resolutions and superior frame rates. Enhancements will include quality-of-life features like easier upgrading/weapon crafting and options for English and Japanese voiceovers. The remaster looks to stay faithful to its Vita origins, but the thrilling aspect is that if this remaster performs well commercially, we might see a sequel that could evolve into a franchise.

Unfortunately, Freedom Wars Remastered will not be available on the Xbox platform; however, the game will be released on Playstation 4/5, Nintendo Switch, and PC on January 10th, 2025.

Robert Kellett aka Lord Sonic, Assistant Editor

One of the many games I experienced during my attendance at Anime Expo NYC in 2024 was the thrilling Hyper Light Breaker. Drawing inspiration from titles like Breath of the Wild, building upon the foundation established with the fantastic Solar Ash, and paying homage to its predecessor Hyper Light Drifter, this is scheduled for Early Access release on January 14th for Steam.

While playing the demo at the Expo, I was really impressed with how smooth the platforming and combat felt, while also appreciating the stunning art style and how open the environment felt. Engaging with the staff at the booth further fueled my excitement as I witnessed the passion the entire team has for the project and their determination to give back to the community that has supported them throughout the years, both for this latest endeavor and their earlier release with Hyper Light Drifter.

In a month that is relatively light in releases and features multiple ports on alternative platforms, such as Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Spider-Man 2 on PC, an intriguing new indie release like this certainly captures my attention.

Happy New Year!

Let’s all anticipate the new year, and please share what games you are most eager to play this month!