Atelier games have been around since the late '90s, with more than two dozen titles shipped in that time - but you're forgiven some unfamiliarity the series, as Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories and the Envisioned Land will be the very first to arrive on Xbox. After playing through the first few hours of the game and speaking with producer Junzo Hosoi, it's becoming clear that the first Atelier title on Xbox isn't simply the latest in the series, it's the most ambitious entry yet.

"As a huge Xbox fan, I'm thrilled to finally bring the series to the system," Hosoi told me via email, "But when I look at the game as a whole, I don't describe Atelier Yumia as the next Atelier game. I describe it as a completely new JRPG series that has Atelier features." My preview session bore that out; players will find familiar RPG elements aplenty - strategic, real-time battles, crafting, exploration - but they come together in way that feels altogether different from others in the genre. The secret ingredient, if you will, lies in the super deep crafting system.

January 17 will bring Dynasty Warriors: Origins, a thrilling new addition to the Dynasty Warriors series to PC, PlayStation 5 & Xbox, and we recently had the opportunity to play the tactical hack-and-slash action ahead of its release.

The gripping tale of a "nameless hero"
Dynasty Warriors: Origins follows the drama surrounding China's Three Kingdoms period, from the Yellow Turban Rebellion to the Battle of Red Cliffs. At the beginning of the game, the protagonist gets caught up in a battle with Guan Yu against the troops of corrupt officials. The Yellow Turban Rebellion was never portrayed in detail in previous installments of the series. Still, this game goes into depth around the origins and woes of the Yellow Turbans, as well as the perspectives of each general belonging to the defeated troops.

Welcome to the middle of January and a busy week of new game releases. We kick off this week with some driving, on tracks though, as these cars might not be entirely road legal. If cars aren't your thing, then how about a city builder, but in the sky? If that doesn't tickle your fancy, how about a unique looking ARPG? This is followed by something of a PC clone of recent Zelda games, just without any defined goals. This brings us a futuristic side scroller where you fight demons. We round off the week with some Chinese hack and slash action back in the feudal era.

Assetto Corsa EVO / This week's major release / Thursday 16 January
As with its predecessor, Assetto Corsa EVO will include cars from different classes spanning across years of motoring history. From road cars, classics, hypercars, and race cars. The most iconic representation of the automotive and motorsport world. Each vehicle is reproduced through an advanced system that simulates mechanical, electronic, and aerodynamic performance, combined with the fidelity of the circuits created using Laserscan technology. Steam link

KOEI TECMO America eased fans' anticipation today by announcing that Omega Force's upcoming open-world epic, DYNASTY WARRIORS 9, will be released across the western regions on February 13, 2018 for the PlayStation4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and Windows PC via Steam. DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 will venture into new territory as the classic, time-tested "one versus thousands" action, iconic to the Warriors series, is expanded to its first true open world installment.

KOEI TECMO America has put together an exciting bundle of bonus content for gamers opting to pick up the physical or standard digital version. Comprised of seven costumes for fan-favorite characters, the bundle includes an imposing Beijing opera-style costume for Zhao Yun and six costumes inspired by traditional Chinese undergarment styles - one each for Guan Yinping, Diaochan, Sun Shangxiang, Lu Lingqi, Wang Yi, and Wang Yuanji.