It felt like 2016 was never going to end. Death, political turmoil and general unease defined the past 365 days, but gaming somehow came out the other end a bit shinier than before. A record amount of games were released last year, and a suite of new adventures awaits us in 2017, so let’s focus on the future, shall we? January is a little light, as most are, but a few huge sequels are lined up as well as the disc version of our favorite game of 2016!

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

This is a total oldie but goodie, as 2004’s Dragon Quest VIII is back again, but this time on the Nintendo 3DS. For a lot of people, this might be their first foray into the world of Japan’s greatest role-playing game franchise (the debate between this and Final Fantasy will rage for eons). For others, it’s a way to experience the cel-shaded goodness of the past on the go and in a new light, as this is a fully 3D game with updated graphics and new playable characters. If you have the appetite for 80+ hours of leveling, adventuring and upgrading, do not hesitate to add this absolute classic to your collection.