Monthly Game Guide January

2011 has finally ended, and what a year it was. You'd be hard pressed to say there wasn't one game you enjoyed throughout the year. But now, as we move into the start of 2012, many are wondering if it will be anything like the previous year. While January isn't always the greatest point of reference, there are still plenty of high profile titles to be released, and the Game Rant crew wants to share which games we're playing this month.

If you still haven't taken down your Christmas decorations and need more time procrastinating, then join us and let us know what you'll be playing this month.

Game Rant's Playlist

Robert Keyes:

In January 2012, I'll still be living in 2011 and my list is nearly the same as last month. If I have the time, I'll be doing nothing but catching up in major releases that I've only but started while finding time for a little Star Wars: The Old Republic and Battlefield 3 (PC) in between when my friends are game. I also picked up the Resistance 3 trilogy with the faint hope that I'll have time to play any of them, and due to the violent recommendations of Anthony Taormina, I'm going to jump back into Saints Row 3 after only putting in 15 hours last month.

Ben Kendrick:

A number of pre-holiday Amazon lightning deals netted me a significant backlog of games to play through in January - starting with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. However, first I've got a bit of house cleaning to do - i.e. finish the Gears of War 3 DLC mission "RAAM's Shadow" as well as snag a few lingering trophies in Assassin's Creed: Revelations. A return trip into Portal 2 is also possible - as a friend of mine finally picked up the game and wants to run through the co-op missions together (an experience I missed when the PSN was down). I'm also considering a run through Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception on "Crushing" but that'll depend entirely on how long I can put-off my epic dragon-slaying adventures in Skyrim.

Jeff Schille

As much as I hope to spend January catching up on all the games I missed during the Fall, the truth is that with family and friends around for the holidays, it'll be the crowd pleasers that get the most play: Rock Band 3, Kinect Sports Season Two, even Wii Sports Resort. Hopefully I'll be able to sneak in a little Gears 3 and Forza 4.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Rayman: Origins, and Super Mario 3D Land all (still) need finishing, and I'm sure to take another trip (or two) through Lord of the Rings: War in the North. Finally, if I have any energy left at the end of the month, I really want to give Final Fantasy XIII-2 a try.

Andrew Dyce

With a new year comes new games, but I'll be using the free time to prepare myself for the 2012 onslaught by revisiting as well. A second playthrough of Arkham City with the brand new costumes and DLC is beckoning, and any true Mass Effect fan has to finish up the multiple DLC offerings for ME2 before the end of the trilogy arrives in March. But all of that will take a backseat to my current Skyrim addiction, which has already reached critical mass. Oh, and The Old Republic once it's bug-free and patched. So many games, so little time:

Riley Little

January is a nice change of pace. Game releases slow down significantly when compared to the last couple of months, and I finally have some time to kick back and play the games I've accumulated over the Holidays. I'll definitely be playing Assassin's Creed: Revelations, Skyrim, and Mario Kart 7 will be my main focus this January; however, Gears of War 3 will still maintain a prominent role — especially with the next batch of DLC coming out later this month.

As for games coming out this month, Soul Calibur 5 will definitely be a must-buy for me, and the fact that Ezio Auditore is a playable character in SCV, only makes the latest version of this classic fighting game franchise that much more appealing.

John  Jacques

January for me means the start of a second semester to go along with the New Year, but that doesn't mean my gaming is going to take a hit. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has proved to be a seemingly endless form of entertainment, with sidequests piling up a faster pace than I could ever hope to complete them. Gears of War 3 is also getting solid playtime, especially with 5 new maps coming out mid-January to keep me knee-deep in Immulsion. Lastly, I picked up a long-overdue copy of Portal 2 during the Steam Holiday sales, so I'll have to set a weekend aside and triumph over that! And if there's still time, I think my housemates are churning for some Castle Crashers. It never gets old!

  • Skyrim
  • Gears of War 3
  • Portal 2

Anthony Taormina

Just like December, January will definitely be the perfect month for me to play catch up on all the games I have missed. While I've started everything from Batman to Uncharted 3 to Assassin's Creed: Revelations, I'm a hardcore completionist and will not be satisfied until I've finished all of them.

On the new game front I am very excited to see how Square Enix has responded to fan criticism with Final Fantasy XIII-2. Despite its linear progression I found a lot to like in FFXIII and can't wait to get back into the paradigm groove.

  • Arkham City
  • Uncharted 3
  • Assassin's Creed: Revelations
  • Final Fantasy XIII-2

Dwayne Holder

Two main goals for January will be to finish Skyward Sword and start Assassin's Creed: Revelations. Mario Kart 7 will be filling in the gaps as I attempt to 3-star every track. For the new year I'm really only looking forward to Diablo 3 and Mass Effect 3. I'm sure there are other titles that will catch my eye, but for now I'm keeping it simple since I still have a healthy back log of titles from 2011 that need attention. This list includes Batman: Arkham AsylumArkham City and Uncharted 3, which I have yet to purchase.

  • Skyward Sword
  • Assassin's Creed: Revelations
  • Mario Kart 7

Anthony Mole

As is with everyone on this list, I'll be primarily going through my backlog, though I won't be playing Revelations. I picked up Blur on Boxing Day and that's all I've been playing, aside from Outland and KOTOR 2, both of which I still need to finish. When I complete the latter, I'll probably be moving on to The Cursed Crusade. As for January releases, the only game that really interests me is NeverDead.

Matt Rowland

January is going to be a slow month for me personally, as I try to recover from the holiday food comas and the thousands of new plastic toys invading my house (you're welcome kids). I only have one "must play" new game on my list: Soul Calibur V. While I wait for this title to be released, my time is still focused on Skyrim as I now attempt my second playthrough with a different character, as well as finishing up Assassin's Creed: Revelations, though I must admit Skyrim (and Christmas) has put Ezio on the back burner for the time being. Having just recently purchased Arkham City, I anticipate many nights spent battling Gotham's baddies as I try to catch up with my fellow Game Rant writers.

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas!

  • Soul Calibur V
  • Skyrim
  • Assassin's Creed: Revelations
  • Arkham City

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Game Rant's Most Anticipated Game:

Soul Calibur V

SoulCalibur 5 Game Rant's Most Anticipated Game

Even with the sparse amount of video game releases this month, fighting fans still have one gem to look forward to at the end of January: Soul Calibur V. In the series fifth installment, the beloved fighting franchise returns, this time featuring Assassin's Creed protagonist Ezio as a playable character. Sure, he might not have as much stage presence as Darth Vader, but we'd say he's still a very worth adversary.

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January 2012 Video Game Releases

Based on North American release dates, all information is subject to change

Week of January 2nd, 2012

  • Various PSP Game Bundles (PSP; January 3rd 2012)

Week of January 9th, 2012

  • National Geographic Challenge (PS3, Xbox 360 Wii; January 10th, 2012)

Week of January 16th, 2012

  • Gran Turismo 5 XL Edition (PS3; January 17th, 2012)
  • Kids Learn Spelling and Grammar: A+ Edition (DS; January 17th, 2012)

Week of January 23rd, 2012

  • Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 (3Ds; January 24th, 2012)
  • Tropico 3 Gold Edition (Mac; January 26th, 2012)

Week of January 30th, 2012

  • Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3, Xbox 360; January 31st, 2012)
  • Soul Calibur V (PS3, Xbox 360; January 31st, 2012)
  • NeverDead (PS3, Xbox 360; January 31st, 2012)

Unfortunately, no one on staff will be playing Kids Learn Spelling and Grammar: A+ Edition, but if you are, or are planning to play anything else, follow us on Twitter @GameRant or like us on Facebook and let us know, or just leave a comment down below!