What games we’re playing this weekend (January 17-19)

Well of us, it’s been an extended week. The Nintendo Switch 2 lastly received revealed. David Lynch handed away. The world is kind of actually burning. It’s rather a lot for one particular person to absorb. Thankfully, a a lot wanted weekend is right here and it’s prime online game time for anybody in want for some stress reduction (I do know I’m!). January is a quiet time for brand new video games, although, and we’ve but to see many thrilling new releases pop up. So what’s price playing?
As somebody who performed over 180 new releases in 2024, I’m right here to assist. I’ve received some suggestions for newly launched games which you can sink into this January. Whether you’re searching for some bombastic motion to alleviate your stress or one thing a bit brainier, these are the three games alone playlist this weekend.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins
The first large recreation of the yr is right here, and it’s Dynasty Warriors: Origins. The action-RPG is a little bit of a comfortable reboot of the Dynasty Warrior collection, which adapts Romance of the Three Kingdoms into big hack and slash battles. It’s a frightening collection that has quite a few entries, however Origins is the proper place to begin in case you’re a newcomer. It higher introduces gamers to its lengthy historic setting and all its characters because of a larger emphasis on cutscenes. The actual meat, although, is its sharp Musou fight that’ll have you ever slicing up 1000’s of individuals over a collection of thrilling battles. It’s not good, particularly in case you’re searching for a smart story. Origins suffers from a disjointed narrative that doesn’t precisely match its violence, nevertheless it’s an ideal recreation to zone out to none the much less. I think about I’ll be returning to it this weekend to blow off some steam.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins is on the market now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
The Roottrees are Dead

Do you’re keen on deduction games like Return of the Obra Dinn? How about Succession? The Roottrees are Dead is someplace in between these two issues. This PC detective recreation begins when a well-known household dies in a aircraft crash. It’s as much as gamers to not simply deduce the identities of the victims, however untangle their total household tree relationship. That’s achieved by looking by means of recordsdata on an outdated laptop and looking for clues as to who every member of the family was. That small process turns right into a sprawling, multi-generational thriller a few messy household enterprise gone awry. It’s loaded with sophisticated interpersonal drama that reminds us how a lot one resolution can snowball into many years of penalties. I’ve barely scratched the floor of that thriller, however I can’t wait to dive again in already.
The Roottrees are Dead is on the market now on PC.
Skate City: New York

This one’s for the Apple Arcade subscribers on the market — nevertheless a lot of you there are. Apple’s cell gaming subscription service got a slew of new games to begin off the brand new yr, together with a Three Kingdoms-themed ways recreation and a Final Fantasy port. The recreation I maintain coming again to from that bunch, although, is Skate City: New York. A sequel to certainly one of Apple Arcade’s greatest launch games, Skate City: New York has gamers skateboarding round 2D New York City landscapes. Doing methods is as straightforward as swiping the display in numerous instructions. It’s somewhat easy, however that makes for a hypnotic cell recreation that ought to really feel acquainted in case you’ve performed games like Alto’s Odyssey. It’s the perfect sofa recreation, which is precisely how I’ve been having fun with it.
Skate City: New York is on the market on iOS gadgets through Apple Arcade.