While the debate around whether or notDie Hardcounts as a Christmas movie rages on, people now eagerly hunt for other content set during Christmas despite having little to do with the holiday season, and video games are no exception to this. Currently, there are many festive games, but these range from shovelware and free-to-play titles to underwhelming adaptations of classic Christmas movies likeThe GrinchorThe Nightmare Before Christmas.The availability of well-developed, fully-fledged Christmas games is limited unless players take theDie Hardapproach.
Approaches to Christmas within AAA games, however, tend to underserve festive content as little more than DLC or seasonal updates, such asHitman 3’sHoliday Hoarders level orSonic Frontiers’free Christmas DLC. But if players want an actual Christmas game at its core that won’t fall short of expectations, then the scope should expand to theDie Hardmodel. ThoughDie Hardsaw plenty of gaming adaptations, fans are looking to other games that are set during the holidays to herald as the gamers' ownDie Hardparallel.
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Parasite Eve
Released in 1998 as a sequel to the novel of the same name,Parasite Evewas well-received but broadly compared toResident Evilwhich had debuted just two years prior. Though there were some departures between gameplay and combat, the two games were alike due to focuses on scientific experimentation, biological evolution, and body horror. But being an industry-first in revitalizing horror,Resident EviloutpacedParasite Evedespite the latter becoming a cult classic over time, with fans even calling for theParasite Eveseries to be remastered.
Importantly though,Parasite Eveis set during Christmas in 1997, with the game’s dramatic opening sequence occurring during Christmas Eve where protagonist and rookie cop Aya Brea comes face-to-face with the titular mitochondrial “Eve.” There are possible religious allusions connectingParasite Eveto Christmas, like Eve evoking Genesis or contrasting evolution to ultimate beings, but these aren’t outright central to the game as abiopunk survivalist horror. Between its action, iconic New York settings, and Aya-Eve rivalry,Parasite Eveis one possibleDie HardChristmas game.
Batman: Arkham Origins
While it connects to Rocksteady’sBatman: Arkhamtrilogy,Batman: Arkham Originsis an outlier to the series. Not only did this prequel replaceclassicBatmanvoice actors, but it was also developed by WB Games Montreal instead of Rocksteady. Between this and the average reception from critics, many players aren’t surprised thatBatman: Arkham Originsis overlooked amongBatmangames.
But likeParasite Eve,Batman: Arkham Originsis set on Christmas Eve, though this too has little to do with the game’s plot. Besides the occasional seasonal puns from Joker and the festive backdrop, its Christmas setting was probably chosen to contrast the ordinarily happy holidays with theBatman: Arkhamseries' brutality and darkness. AsBatmanoverall has more in common withDie Hardas an action-adventure where the protagonist single-handedly fends off charismatic terrorists and their henchmen, it could be players' answer for gaming’sDie Hardparallel.
Bayonetta 2
Following the recent release ofBayonetta 3andBayonetta Originsreveal, fans of the Umbra Witch have had plenty to enjoy and might have evenreplayed theBayonettaseries. Consequently, players will recall that 2014’sBayonetta 2is also set during the holiday period. This is made explicitly clear by the game’s whirlwind opening which sees Bayonetta out Christmas shopping, joined by Enzo finding gifts for his kids. But one angel-jet fighter attack later and the seasonal shopping spree is abruptly brought to a close.
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After this,Bayonetta 2mostly overlooks the holiday period, but then so doesDie Hardwhich only uses the Christmas party hosted at Nakatomi Plaza as a backdrop to its story. However, for the brief opening that does acknowledge the season, it does so in full force, where Enzo reflects every parent’s worst nightmare of getting the perfect present for their children to Rodin cosplaying Santa Claus and bearing gifts for Bayonetta. EvenBayonetta’songoing developmentof its style of tongue-in-cheek humor and over-the-top moments could reflectDie Hard’sown yippee-ki-yay absurdity.
Arguably the most explicit Christmas game,Dead Rising 4uses its Christmas backdrop to greater effect, bringing fresh social commentary on holiday commercialism and people’s consumerism. But for the most part, it was, asall otherDead Risinggames, a zombie-smashing romp with ever-outlandish ways of killing the undead. Following the same format the series had long established,Dead Rising 4saw Frank West’s return as he uncovered a burgeoning news story while surviving among zombie hordes in a season-ready shopping mall.
However,Dead Rising 4’sposition as aDie Hardparallel is tenuous. Not least because the game was set after Christmas Day itself, but that the zombie outbreak seen in-game began during earlier Black Friday sales.Dead Rising 4’sChristmas-centric marketingwas prominent though, likely due to not just its content, but also its early December 2016 release date. Thisis probably the best example of an AAA game explicitly framed as a Christmas game, which might be a better alternative than repeatedly referring back toDie Hard.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales
WhileBatman: Arkham Originswas DC’s Christmas,Spider-Man: Miles Moralesis Marvel’s holidaycounterpart. But unlike the gloom of Gotham,Spider-Man: Miles Moralessaw players swing through the streets of Manhattan in an upbeat take on the season. This festive backdrop could have been done to reflect the differences between it and 2018’sSpider-Man,such as the time elapsed between the two to justify Miles' improved abilities as a second Spider-Man. It also works, narratively, as the first Christmas since his father’s death and how it influences the character development of Miles and his family.
LikeBatman: Arkham OriginsorParasite Eve, the Christmas backdrop does little to the game overall as Miles faces a range of classicSpider-Manvillains from the Rhino to a reimagined Tinkerer. However, due to the many festive decorations across the open world and certain story beats, it can be argued thatSpider-Man: Miles Moralesis a Christmas game. Between the parallels of terroristic organizations seeking personal vendettas to high-octane action and comedic back-and-forth,Spider-Man: Miles Moralescould be theDie HardChristmas game.
