During Halloween, it is very easy to find games to play to celebrate the season. Any title with a spooky theme is fair game, and there are certainly no shortage of those these days. But what about the Christmas season? There aren't many games that carry an explicit Christmas theme, so finding an enjoyable title to ring in the holidays isn't always an easy task. Now that the holiday season is upon us, I thought it would be fun to take a look at some games that many may not know are set during the Christmas season to put us in the holiday spirit. Bear in mind that most of these titles have very little to do with Christmas, but don't let that stop you from giving them a try!




Dead Rising 4


Dead Rising is back, and it's goofier than ever! Dead Rising 4 sees the return of original series' protagonist Frank West as he returns to Willamette, Colorado to investigate a new zombie outbreak that has occurred. As is typical of the Dead Rising series, you are free to explore a mall while killing every zombie you see with literally anything you can find. Dismembering zombies with a huge assortment of both practical and impractical weapons may not sound very festive, but running through a shopping mall while fending off hordes of maniacs isn't really that much different than your typical holiday shopping rush either. The game is set during the Christmas season, so the shopping mall and surrounding areas are filled to the brim with holiday decorations, and, if the jazzy Christmas music that plays on the pause screen doesn't fill you with holiday spirit, nothing will. The game also features multiplayer co-op for up to 4 players, so invite some friends and have a jolly good time!


Parasite Eve


Square's experimentation with the survival-horror genre resulted in a unique action/RPG hybrid that quickly became one of my all-time favorite games. Utilizing a unique combat system that is a mixture of real-time and ATB systems and a story that is based on a Japanese novel (faulty biology aside), Parasite Eve is quite unlike anything else in the PS1 library. Look past all of the spontaneously combusting bodies and mutated monstrosities and you will discover that Parasite Eve actually takes place during Christmas Eve and the days that follow.


Yakuza (0, 1, 2, 5)


Sega's cult favorite crime drama drops you into the criminal underbelly of Japan where you are mostly free to explore the environments at your leisure. Whenever you feel like deviating from the excellent stories of these games, you are able to partake in a large variety of activities, such as bowling, pool, gambling, arcade classics such as Virtua Fighter and Super Hang-On, or you can just beat up every random street thug you see if that's how you prefer to spread holiday cheer. The Yakuza series also has a recurring theme of being set during the Christmas season, and to my knowledge, the first, second, fifth, and the prequel all follow suit. It is common to see and hear Christmas themed decorations and music while exploring the cities, which lends these games a festive atmosphere.


Shenmue


Sega's original cult classic is a revenge story set in Japan that follows Ryo Hazuki as he looks for sailors, races forklifts, and hunts down Lan Di, the man who killed his father. Revolutionary at its time of release, Shenmue is more of an adventure game with a heavy emphasis on exploration. Originally conceived as a Virtua Fighter RPG, combat plays an important role in the game as well. There are a variety of activities to participate in whenever you need a break from looking for your father's murderer, such as darts, arcade classics, and asking about sailors. The game is set in December 1986 in Yokosuka, Japan, so keep an eye out for the drunk man dressed as Santa!


Batman: Arkham Origins


It has never been more fun to be Batman than with the Arkham brand of Batman games. Featuring a large Gotham City to explore that is filled with content and secrets, and a fast and fluid combat system that makes beating up thugs satisfying and fun, the Arkham series has earned its reputation as a modern classic. Set on Christmas Eve, Batman: Arkham Origins sees a relatively inexperienced Batman in the early days of his crime-fighting career. With a bounty placed on his head, a rogues' gallery of classic Gotham villains are vying for the chance to take down the caped crusader. Don the batsuit, jump in the Batmobile, and don't forget your Bat Credit Card, and ring in the holidays like only Batman can!

Happy holidays and happy gaming! What are some of your favorite titles to play during the holidays?

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