Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, Monster Hunter: World, and Other Games Releasing in January
 2018

It's New Year's Day 2018, and January has some new games to check out. However, while October, November, and December saw a healthy number of titles for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC, January is a lean month. The one bright spot is if, you’re a fan of role-playing and fighting games. Here are some of the new games you can play in January 2018.

Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition
Street Fighter V was far from the sale success Capcom hoped it would be, though its had a bit of a comeback with a steady flow of updates and new content. All of it comes in a single package now, as Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition.

In a welcome gesture, it’s available as a free update for those who own the original game. It features all existing characters along with 12 fighters that were added as downloadable content, new modes such as Extra Battle Mode, and a revamped UI.

• Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition release date: January 16
• Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition platforms: PS4, Windows PC
• Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition price: $40 (India price TBA)

Dissidia Final Fantasy NT
This fighting game with RPG elements is being developed by Dead or Alive and Nioh studio Team Ninja. As the name suggests, it features characters from the Final Fantasy franchise with characters from the long-running series such as Noctis from Final Fantasy XV and Squall from Final Fantasy VIII squaring it off in combat. There’s a story mode, and a combat system that’s refined over what was seen in past entries such as Dissidia Final Fantasy and Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy for the PSP.

• Dissidia Final Fantasy NT release date: January 30
• Dissidia Final Fantasy NT platforms: PS4
• Dissidia Final Fantasy NT price: Rs. 2,999 ($60 in the US)

Monster Hunter: World
If its open beta was any indication, Monster Hunter World will be a game role-playing fans will be spending a lot of time in. Featuring robust combat, a vast open-world, and a slew of monsters to slay, it appears to be the most accessible entry in a series that’s been big in Japan and more of a niche title everywhere else. Throw in visuals that beg for a photo mode, and it could be one of the early surprises of 2018.

• Monster Hunter: World release date: January 26
• Monster Hunter: World platforms: PS4, Xbox One
• Monster Hunter: World price: Rs. 3,499 ($60 in the US)

Lost Sphear
Developed in the mould of 90s Japanese RPGs like Chrono Trigger and earlier Final Fantasy titles, Lost Sphear follows a young adventurer named Kanata who seeks to end a mysterious ‘White Fog’ that’s destroying his home town. It’s helmed by Tokyo RPG Factory - the studio behind last year’s I Am Setsuna - and is published by Square Enix. Though the demo for The Lost Sphear was only okay, could the full game fare better? We’ll know soon enough.

• Lost Sphear release date: January 23
• Lost Sphear platforms: PS4, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC
• Lost Sphear price: Rs. 1,999 ($50 in the US)

And if you’re using Xbox Live Gold, here’s what you can play free this month:

Games for Xbox Live Gold - January 2018

• The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing III (Xbox One, January 1 to January 31)
• Zombi (Xbox One, January 16 to February 15)
• Tomb Raider Underworld (Xbox One and Xbox 360, January 1 to January 15)
• Army of Two (Xbox One and Xbox 360, January 16 to January 31)