For years, January was a barren wasteland when it came to video games. 2000, for example, was so bad, that the month's most anticipated release was Zombie Revenge for Dreamcast. Fast forward nine years later, and January 2010 bears a striking resemblance to October and November 2009, with several high profile games hitting shelves, some just a few days into the new year. With that, join us for a special look at the month's hottest titles.

Bayonetta (1/5- Xbox 360/PS3)

Sega kicks things off with a fast-paced action adventure starring a sexy witch who not only wears her flowing hair, but also uses it as a weapon. If that sounds bizarre, you clearly haven't experienced the scene where she conjures a guillotine to lop off her enemies' heads, or the gigantic demon that devours them. Actually, there's so much action on screen that we doubt the human eye can keep up with it. Our advice? Just mash buttons like crazy and watch the carnage unfold.

Darksiders (1/5- Xbox 360/PS3)

You might as well save for two games, because in addition to Bayonetta, you'll also want to pick up Darksiders. THQ casts players as War, one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, and sends them on a journey across a demon-ravaged Earth. One of the coolest features, aside from cleaving monsters in two with a gigantic sword, is the ability to ride a horse across the barren wasteland, unloading countless rounds upon Satan's minions and looking cool doing it.

Dark Void (1/12- Xbox 360/PS3/PC)

Capcom rings in the new year with a sci-fi romp inside the Bermuda Triangle, otherwise known as The Void. After teaming up with some other folks, you'll battle aliens (as a guy named Will) both on foot and in the air, thanks to a jetpack that lets you chase UFOs, hover while raining hot death upon those slimy monsters and crash into walls. We also love the vertical cover system that allows us to ascend structures while enjoying a new perspective; blast a robot's head off and watch it plummet into the abyss.

Army of Two: The 40th Day (1/12- Xbox 360/PS3)

Critics had some less than favorable things to say about the original Army of Two, and consumers responded by making it a best seller. Now the game's terrible twosome return to make bad guys dead, this time in a Shanghai run amok. Two players (or one person alone with the computer- so sad) team up to shoot enemies across a wide variety of locations, including a zoo. They can play dead, give one another a boost over walls and create thousands of unique weapons with a handy mod feature. Then they can test their new toys in the field by giving someone the business end of a screwdriver attachment. It looked choppy during a recent demo, but there's no doubt that players will enjoy the 40th Day.

Dance Dance Revolution (1/12- Xbox 360/PS3/Wii)

Yes, DDR's still around, and Konami hopes to reenergize both the dancing franchise and user base with this new installment. Instead of relying on just J-pop and quirky music from around the world, the publisher created a soundtrack better suited to western tastes. The list includes such artists as Rihanna, Jordin Sparks, Diana Ross, Gorillaz and Natasha Bedingfield. Sure beats listening to Paranoia 80th mix.

MAG (1/26- PS3)

Unless something changes, Sony's MAG arrives this January, and with it, 256-person multiplayer matches full of explosions and mass death. In other words, chaos on an unprecedented level. After choosing one of three armies to pledge allegiance to, you'll team up with an eight-person squad and attempt to complete objectives within one of the most ambitious games we've seen. It looks so crazy, that we're still not sure how Sony plans to keep order without the entire match falling apart. We'll find out soon enough.

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars (1/26- Wii)

It's slim pickings for Wii owners this month, unless Konami's Walk it Out sounds appealing, but we suggest playing Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars, easily the system's premier fighting game. Capcom took characters from Tatsunoko anime (Ken the Eagle, Yatterman No. 1) and pitted them against familiar faces from its own stable, including Mega Man, Frank West, Ryu and Chun-Li. It's a 3-D game that essentially plays like Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, with over the top special attacks and the ability to tag in a partner. We played it, we love it and so will you.

Mass Effect 2 (1/26- Xbox 360/PC)

Finish January 2010 in style with Mass Effect 2, the sequel to BioWare's critically acclaimed action RPG. As Commander Shepard, the hero from the previous adventure, players must crisscross the galaxy to stop a mysterious enemy from consuming entire colonies of humans. They'll assemble a team, beef up their stats and make use of the enhanced combat system that feels more Gears of War 2 than Knights of the Old Republic. On top of that, how they respond to different characters will determine the outcomes of multiple situations, and with several different endings, there's lots of value jammed into this incredible looking game.