1. Dawn of Fear is old school Resident Evil in all but name, and one of the few known PlayStation exclusives of the year
Say what you want about the remakes and sequels, but the fixed camera format of the original Resident Evil trilogy still gave us some of the best scares of the 20th century. Modern technology and changing appetites means Capcom has long since abandoned that perspective, and while that's largely for the better, some still yearn for the days of watching your protagonist meander through corridors from the viewpoint of a cutting edge CCTV network. If that's you, Dawn of Fear may be worth watching out for. From relatively unknown studio Brok3nsite, the homage to survival horror games of old hits PS4 later this week, and looks to be a near shamelessly authentic facsimile of its inspirations. It's hard to say whether the final product will hold a candle to its peers but, hey, it can't be any worse than Umbrella Corps, right?
What: Dawn of Fear
Where: PS4
When: February 3
2. The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics brings turn-based battles to the world of Thra
In the world of Thra, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics puts you in command of a fledgling resistance group of Greifling who fight to stand up against their oppressive overlords, the Skeksis. Set to take place over 50 turn-based campaign battles with all manner of challenges, you'll be able to test your strategy skills in Jim Henson's classic fantasy setting. Featuring recruitable characters from the classic 1982 movie and the Netflix series that came out last year, you can customize your forces as you face the Skeksis by assigning them different jobs and kitting them out with gear along the way. Said to go beyond the events of the Netflix series, Tactics expands on the story and introduces as yet unseen characters. This is a definite must for any Dark Crystal fans out there.
What: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics
Where: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch
When: February 4
3. Harley Quinn returns in Birds of Prey – and she’s leading a comic book movie revolution
Margot Robbie takes center stage once more as Harley Quinn in Birds of Prey (or: Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn to give it its full, impossibly long-winded title). And of all the things to come out of Suicide Squad, Mistah J’s puddin’ was undoubtedly the first to deserve an encore.
In a move that hints at DC’s willingness to try something a little different – even if it does feel a little overdue – Birds of Prey sees Harley Quinn team up with several heroines in dire need of their own place in the spotlight. Huntress, Black Canary, Cassandra Cain, and Renee Montaya all team up to take down Ewan McGregor’s Black Mask. As the trailer above shows, it’s a world away from the po-faced DC Universe or melancholy and Marthas – this looks like a straight-up blast, brimming with color, character, and chaos. Birds of Prey 2 when?
What: Birds of Prey
Where: Theaters
When: February 7
4. Locke & Key brings whimsical horror to Netflix
What if The Haunting of Hill House had less post-suicidal coping and more weird keys that opened up your brain for all your friends to explore? That's very roughly the premise for Locke & Key, a new family-friendly-ish horror series you can start watching on Netflix this Friday. It's based on a fantastically mind-bending comic book series, and if you've already read it, you know that Locke & Key gets dark fast. It sure ain't Narnia with more monsters, but Locke & Key's Netflix adaptation still looks set to dwell on the more fanciful end of the Guillermo whimsy-to-gore scale. Sometimes that's exactly what you need.
What: Locke & Key
Where: Netflix
When: February 7
5. Could Joker win Oscars gold?
Ah, the Oscars. There's no other night in the cinephile's calendar quite like it. The glitz, the glamour, the stars. It's a wonderful evening for all. Well, not everyone... While we celebrate the winners, there also have to be some losers. And no movie has more to lose than Joker.
The supervillain origins movie has been nominated for 11 awards – but looks set to only win one major statuette. Chances are Joaquin Phoenix will win Best Actor, but hot on his tail is Leonardo DiCaprio for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. This weekend, we'll discover who comes out victorious.
What: The Oscars
Where: Los Angeles (but also on TV)
When: 9th February
Release Radar picks the best games, movies, and shows of the next seven days every Monday at 11am GMT.
