New in Videogames: Highlights for January 2010

While these last few months have been massive in terms of blockbuster releases, this month still has a solid selection of action-packed games to plow through. Among the releases for January include:

Bayonetta

Coming January 5th to PS3/360

Nothing says “Japanese-made” like a power that summons a humongous heel from the heavens to squash your opponents to the ground. That’s par for the course in Bayonetta, a fast paced action slicer in the vein of the Devil May Cry series. This game certainly isn’t for everyone given it’s extreme weirdness and somewhat complex fighting mechanics, but it’s certainly a trippy ride to experience. Just check the trailer below to see what I mean.

Watch the Japanese TV Spot!

Army of Two: The 40th Day

Coming January 12th to PS3/360/PSP

Battle your way through China as everything starts splodin’, Michael Bay style. Buildings fall, people die, and it’s just you and your partner along with a huge assortment of weapon customization. Everything is twice as good when you’re playing with a friend, and Army of Two: The 40th Day is pretty much non-stop co-op whether it’s split screen, online, or just an AI bot at your side. Why you would play by yourself on a game specifically created for two players, I’m not sure, but it’s there.

Watch the Trailer

Dark Void

Coming January 12th to PC/PS3/360

The concept of Dark Void is to “fly anywhere, fight everywhere” as you take to the skies with your jetpack and weapon-wielding skills. Dark Void might be one of the first games to be optioned by Hollywood for a movie before it’s even released. Looking at the trailer I don’t really understand why, but at least the game looks like a hell of a fun time. It’s pretty much everything the Iron Man game should have been.

Watch the Trailer

Mass Effect 2

Coming January 26th to PC/360

Shepard’s back as you battle dudes in space in this epic adventure! Amass your party and travel to the ends of the universe as you follow quests and engage in combat with your trusty array of weaponry. Your original Mass Effect save will carry over to this game as you continue the story, so if you haven’t played the original you can find it pretty cheap in most stores. As the sequel carries on almost exactly where the original left off, it’s probably a good idea to start there than to go with ME2 if you haven’t played the series yet.

Watch the Trailer

MAG

Coming January 26th to PS3

From the creators of SOCOM comes MAG, which stands for Massive Action Game. Well…alright then. But given that this games has 256 online player battles, maybe MAG is the best name for this massively huge game. It’s a bit more tactical than your standard shooter, so Modern Warfare vets might not feel quite at home here, but it’s worth trying out just to see how they pull off 256 players all at once. There’s no single player campaign, just all multiplayer, all the time.

Watch the Trailer