It's almost the end of 2014, and although it's more than likely you're still enjoying some games courtesy of Santa (or your accumulated Christmas card cash) from a few days ago, it's a good time to check and see what's on the release roster for the first month of 2015.
On January 20th in the US – or the 23rd in the EU – Volition and High Voltage Software will be releasing not one, but two titles in the Saints Row franchise. Saints Row: Gat Out Of Hell is a standalone expansion for the game – you won't need Saints Row IV to play it – and allows the player to play as either Johnny Gat or Kinzie Kensington as they navigate an all new open world that's at least somewhat familiar to those of us raised in Abrahamic religions – Hell (or, more correctly, New Hades).
In addition to this standalone content, Saints Row IV: Re-Elected is a next-gen game port of the popular 2013 title being released this month, allowing Xbox One and Playstation 4 players the chance to play the game on next gen consoles.
Dying Light, from Polish developer Techland, is due to be released at the end of January (27th for US, 28th for Australia, 30th for Europe and Japan), with the player taking on the role of undercover agent Kyle Crane as he navigates a Turkish city during a zombie apocalypse. The game combines elements of free running and parkour that have previously been seen in games like Mirror's Edge with the survival elements and crafting involved in The Last of Us – along with dangerous infected enemies. Much of Dying Light's gameplay revolves around the day and night cycle in the game; during daylight hours, the zombie enemies are slow, sluggish, and easily discernable in the sunlight, making it comparatively easier to navigate the world. At night, however, the infected become faster, will strike harder, and aren't quite so easy to detect in the darkness. These elements will also be complicated by an in-game weather system, adding another dimension to the game.
Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires will be reaching the west on Jan 27th (US) or 30th (EU), adding more new content to the Warriors franchise which this time includes new modes such as Ambition Mode, where the player must build a base and their own social status through tactical skirmishes.
We'll also be seeing Resident Evil Remastered released on the PSN around on Jan 20th (US) or 21st (EU), as well as the first episode of Life is Strange on Jan 30th, a time-travel-butterfly-effect adventure game, Far Cry 4's “Escape from Durgesh Prison” DLC, and Raven's Cry, a new grimdark pirate action-adventure game from Reality Pump Studios.
With all that in just the first month, it looks like 2015 is shaping up to be an interesting year for games!