Lord of Arcana debuting Jan. 25

The next year is shaping up to be a big one for fans of multiplayer monster-hunting games on the PSP. While fans of the genre wait for Capcom to confirm international releases for Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, they will soon be able to check out the first entries into the genre from Namco Bandai and Square Enix. D3Publisher has confirmed plans to bring Namco Bandai's successful God Eater franchise to North America, and Square Enix today nailed down a January 25 North American release date for Lord of Arcana.

Lord of Arcana brings its own aesthetic to the monster-hunting genre.

Set for a simultaneous release in stores and on the PlayStation Network, Lord of Arcana will allow players to go it alone, but a local cooperative mode will support questing parties of up to four. Players will also be able to outfit their characters with customized weapons and armor.

The story of Lord of Arcana revolves around a powerful stone called Arcana, said to be "the source of all order in the world." Only the most powerful can lay claim to the stone, so players will need to hunt scores of monsters--which the publisher says have been designed by "world-renowned artists"--if they want to discover its secrets.

For more on Lord of Arcana, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.