Every year when Christmas rolls around you hear the same debates over whether Die Hard is a Christmas film or not.
It absolutely is and I’ll die on this hill, as I’m a firm believer that any film can be a Christmas film if it’s set during the holiday season, it doesn’t need to be more complicated than that.
Surprisingly though I hardly ever hear the same arguments being made for video games, so I thought it’d be fun to list the top five games that might not be explicitly about Christmas, but are Christmas games nonetheless.
Brains And Candy Canes
Kicking things off with Dead Rising 4 (I never said these would be good games). Now I have to confess that Dead Rising 4 was a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine for quite a while. I tried very hard to convince myself that it was a worthy continuation of my beloved Dead Rising series but as time has gone on I just can’t defend it anymore…
That said I can’t deny that it’s not a decent game to throw on over Christmas as it’s about as festive as you can get for a zombie apocalypse. Mowing down the infected horde with a gun-toting nutcracker helmet or frying one with an electrified wreath is certainly an interesting way of spreading Christmas cheer. It’s not a game worth playing all-year round mind you. Dead Rising 4 is a good game, a bad Dead Rising game, and a great Christmas game, there’s my verdict.
The Batmobile Lost A Wheel…
From beating up zombies to beating up criminal scum, next we have Batman: Arkham Origins.
Like Die Hard, one film I see heavily debated around Christmas is Batman Returns (1992) and like the Bruce Willis film I’m firm in my belief that the caped crusader’s battle for Gotham City is indeed a Christmas film.
In that same vein Batman: Arkham Origins is a Christmas game as while the residents of Gotham City and getting cozy indoors the Dark Knight stays out in the cold, thwarting a plot that’d bring anarchy to the streets if it’s not prevented. Between the snow-covered rooftops of Gotham, Joker rigging presents into detonators and Batman dropping a goon onto a Christmas tree how could one deny that this isn’t a Christmas game?
Web-swinging Round The Christmas Tree
Sticking with the superhero theme Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales doesn’t get the credit it deserves during any time of the year, much less Christmas.
While Insomniac didn’t go as heavy with the snow as Batman: Arkham Origins did, New York still dazzles as a Winter wonderland. Miles and Peter teaming-up to stop a rampaging Rhino and passing J. Jonah Jameson dressed up in a Santa outfit was excellent, as was barrelling through a shopping mall filled with Christmas shoppers. Loading the game up when it’s dark outside, getting yourself a hot drink and swinging through the city with Miles’ Winter suit equipped is a prime experience this time of year, and one you shouldn’t miss out on.
A Kamurocho Christmas
The Yakuza series is one that’s become very near and dear to my heart in recent years, and at least one of them deserves a spot on this list as several Yakuza games are set around Christmas.
I’ve elected to include Yakuza 0 and it’s not only the first game in the series chronologically it’s also one of the best, and a game I’d recommend to anyone even if they were planning on getting into the series.
It’s the game I think is most reflective of the Die Hard argument, and while Christmas isn’t a factor in the overall narrative it is going on in the background, with shops decorated for the holidays and a winter chill blowing through the streets of Kamurocho/Sotenbori. It’s a long game so if you start it this week don’t expect to have it finished by 2026, and if by some miracle you manage it I can only assume that you steered clear of the karaoke bar and other such side content.
If your idea of festivity is watching angry, shirtless yakuza showing no good will towards men this is the game for you.
Silent Nights
Finally we have Tom Clancy’s The Division. Set in New York just after Black Friday, The Division treats Christmas like a post-apocalypse with a New York that’s decorated for the holidays but no people left to enjoy it.
You won’t have too much time to take in the sights as you’re tasked with restoring peace and uncovering the truth of what happened but as you make your way from A to B you’ll see trashed decorations littering the streets and nearby stores. What should have been a time for Christmas shopping has turned into a time for survival, making it one of the darker games on this list, though not as dark as Dead Rising 4 of course.
There you have it, five games that are undeniably Christmas games, whether the holiday is integral to the plot or not. Out of all five I think I’ll be playing Batman: Arkham Origins this year, in the hopes that next December we’ll finally have that remaster waiting for us.
