I originally planned to write this post as an introduction to a list of games on my radar set to release in February 2019, however, it would simply result in too much reading for one to digest without falling to boredom. Thus, I’m separately covering the few major hits remaining in the last week of January, which will further break up the already intense competition of big releases primed for February 2019, and vie for gamers’ limited budgets and time. There’s no way to buy them all either, or cover the entire spectrum of releases, with many left behind as the strong leads take over. While much of my selection consists of larger games, and I’m sure the comments can point out some gems I’ve missed here, I list the ones I’m personally interested in so far.

Right before the biggest drop of the month, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 comes out January 24^th. A space strategy sim set in the dark Warhammer 40K universe, Armada 2 is a massive update to its predecessor, greatly expanding the selection of its warring factions, improving customization and further iterating on its refined yet complex gameplay. As a fan of the universe, I’ll attempt to cover it, although the surprisingly expansive depth of its systems may prove too difficult to break the ceiling of. I’m especially pumped to try out the Tyranid and Necron factions, which have some of the most unique spaceship designs.

Next up is by far one of the most anticipated releases in 2019. January 25^th sees the long-awaited release of the Resident Evil 2 Remake, and oh boy is everyone excited about that one. I’ve only managed to get into the series with Resident Evil 7 which completely shifted the series’ design perspective, but the updated release of RE2 is simply too huge to pass up. Unlike the remasters of the original and Zero, this will be a full-on remake built using the RE7 engine, and it will be interesting to see just how good it comes out in the end. And it might just get me to enjoy one of the older third-person RE games. I’m sure I’ll cover it at some point, and it will undoubtedly receive high praise across the board, or at least we all hope. Further given its highly impressive visuals, it’s essentially a brand new title at this point.

Update: Now delayed to March 26th

January 29^th, the MMO FPS series Planetside joins the battle royale craze, with the newest free-to-play entry Arena aiming to compete with likes of Black Ops 4: Blackout. Each prior game has been nonsensically over the top, enabling hundreds of players to battle it out on vast maps using sci-fi weapons and vehicles. It ships with two game modes from the start: Massive 250 vs 250 group battle, and Battle Royale for up to 500 players, which both promise unparalleled action. While I’m still a galaxy away from getting caught up on the genre bandwagon, and don’t fully intend to be, PlanetSide Arena is one of the few I’m willing to try. With the game available at no down cost, there’s no reason not to dive into the series’ well-polished action.

The only indie offering to really grab my eye is Volcanoids, which joins the ever-growing staple of first-person survival games. This genre likewise to battle royale, keeps tossing out game after game after game with no end in sight, and I’ve seriously lost track of how many are now available. I’m even playing one right now, called Desolate which I’ve recently picked up for its interesting atmosphere set on a weird Russian island (expect to see a review at some point). Volcanoids has a few unique ideas on offer, though, with players able to construct weird mobile bases and survive volcanic eruptions in the game. It’s steampunk setting is the best-selling point by far, and if you enjoy the aesthetic, Volcanoids will be one of the more unique survival games. No concrete date for its release is set, but Steam lists the Early Access version to come out by the end of the month.

Last but not least, comes Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, slated to unlock on Steam January 31^st. While already available on PS4 and Xbox One for a few days now, PC gamers will be getting the newest instalment in the arcade sim series at the end of the month. I’ve always had a soft spot for military jets, but majority of the genre is simply way too complex to get into, and I lack both time and patience to really get into them. Ace Combat 7 is by far most approachable, and its gameplay looks exhilarating, so I’m bound to give it a go sooner or later.

What did you think of this list? Are there any interesting games left this month you have your eye on? Do you want to see me write about games of February 2019 I have on my radar so far? Let me know in the comments below.