The 8 best Christmas video game levels you can play in 2024-Michael Beckwith-Entertainment – Metro

Tis the season (Nintendo)

Gamers looking to celebrate the festive season will want to check out these video games for their special Christmas levels and set pieces.

Christmas time is not only an opportunity to catch up on the latest video game releases of the year (something we recommend our Christmas shopping guide for, if you’re in need of ideas), but also to revisit Christmas themed levels and missions from past games.

We’re not just talking snow or ice themed levels either, but experiences that are the gaming equivalent of classic Christmas films, explicitly designed to capture the spirit of the season.

If you’re in need of some inspiration for something festive to play this month, we recommend checking out what we believe are the best Christmas themed gaming moments out there, especially for modern games that are easy to play today.

Winter Wonder in Astro Bot

The celebratory atmosphere is even more fitting after Astro Bot’s Game of the Year win (Sony)

While this is the most recent addition on this list, having only come out earlier this month, we foresee Astro Bot’s Winter Wonder update becoming an annual tradition for some players.

It’s essentially a playground of mini-challenges that make use of almost all of the game’s gimmicks, like the time stop power and size shifting mouse rucksack, wrapped up in an immaculate Christmas vibe. It also throws in extra cosmetics and more fun cameos from other PlayStation titles.

It’s a perfect match for a game that’s already as charming as Astro Bot and getting more of the same at no extra cost makes for a delightful early Christmas present.

Bayonetta 2’s first level

See, Father Christmas is here, so it must be a Christmas game (Sega)

Bayonetta 2 may be a Christmas game in the same way Die Hard is a Christmas movie, but if that lets us mention one of the best action games ever made on this list, we’ll take it.

The game opens with the titular witch enjoying some Christmas shopping, with perennial sidekick Enzo forced to carry it all, before she comes under attack by angels and is forced to ditch her fancy attire as she fights her assailants atop fighter jets and trains.

It perfectly sets expectations for the rest of the adventure, with its gorgeous set pieces, and you get to see tough as nails barman Rodin play Father Christmas, costume and all.

New York in Spider-Man: Miles Morales

The game’s pleasingly short length means you could beat the whole thing over Christmas too (Sony)

Spider-Man: Miles Morales’ choice of a Christmas setting not only allows for warm and homely visuals as you swing through its snowy rendition of New York, but it’s also thematically appropriate considering you spend a good chunk of the game helping regular citizens with their own issues.

Sometimes these side missions require Miles to beat up some mooks, but at their core these are fairly minor problems, like finding missing pets or helping a driver deliver meals to needy families.

Aside from bolstering Miles’ reputation as the new Spider-Man in town, it all contributes to the feeling of community and pays off come the end of the game, when said community comes to support Miles.

Merry Mountain in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

A magical flying train is much cooler than a sleigh (Nintendo)

Technically, this racetrack debuted in the Mario Kart Tour mobile game, but it was added to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as part of the Booster Course Pass DLC, which is frankly the best way to experience it.

Although it lacks any of the mid-race changes seen in some other courses (meaning every lap is identical), Merry Mountain still boasts a wonderful Christmas atmosphere as you race beneath a starlit sky while driving through a quant Christmas village and down a snowy mountain. All while a flying train carrying presents zooms overhead.

If you’re compelled to boot up Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for a play session with friends and family this Christmas, then this has to be your first choice.

Turnabout Goodbyes in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

The best Christmas present ever is a not guilty verdict (Capcom)

One of the Ace Attorney series’ most beloved and iconic cases is set during the week of Christmas, with prosecutor rival Miles Edgeworth arrested for shooting a man on Christmas Eve. Of course, it’s your job to prove his innocence and catch the true culprit.

It may lose the Christmas atmosphere whenever it shifts to the courtroom scenes, but it remains an especially heartfelt case as Edgeworth’s steely demeanour drops to reveal a man haunted by his past and desperate for help, even if he feels he doesn’t deserve it.

Protagonist Phoenix Wright, despite the odds, strives to pull Edgeworth out of the darkness and pay back the kindness Edgeworth offered him so many years before. Is there anything more Christmassy than that?

Toy Day in Animal Crossing New Horizons

Be sure to send holiday greetings to your Animal Crossing villagers this year (Nintendo)

Even if you don’t play Animal Cross: New Horizons super regularly now, it’s always worth checking in on Christmas Eve to partake in Toy Day, the series’ own take on Christmas.

From a gameplay standpoint, Toy Day is the only time of year you can acquire certain Christmas related items and clothes, as well as meet the reindeer Jingle.

But the real reason to stop by is simply to celebrate the occasion with your fellow villagers and soak in the atmosphere. Plus, you can play as Father Christmas yourself and make your heart full by helping Jingle deliver presents to the villagers.

The Santa Hunters from Yakuza 5

Nasty criminals will get worse than coal from this Father Christmas (Sega)

For the most part, Yakuza 5 doesn’t really have anything to do with Christmas, despite being set in December. However, one of the game’s most fondly remembered side quests sees the burly yakuza Saejima disguise himself as Father Christmas, to deal with a gang who are attacking anyone dressed as the holly jolly man in red.

Compared to other Yakuza side quests, it’s not the most ridiculous thing ever, but it does give us the hilarious sight of Saejima forced to flee overly demanding kids who want their presents now, before delivering a satisfying and amusing beat down on the aforementioned gang.

How can anyone not enjoy the sight of Father Christmas grappling thugs and throwing them into walls?

A Christmas Gift from Elite Beat Agents

Although we much prefer Elite Beat Agents’ forebear, the Japanese-only Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, our hearts are not so cold and coal-like that we can’t appreciate the former’s Christmas themed mission.

This might be the most well-known example on the list, since even gamers who’ve not played Elite Beat Agents will have seen this mentioned elsewhere whenever Christmas rolls around. It’s certainly the saddest as the agents need to lend support to a heartbroken daughter whose father died before he could make it home for Christmas.

You always want to perform well in Elite Beat Agents, to get a high score, but with A Christmas Gift it’s not a matter of points. It’s a matter of helping a girl mourn her father and bring about a miracle so the two can see one another one final time. It may be tonally out of step with the rest of the game, but that’s precisely what makes it so special and memorable.

This a silly game about a glorified cheerleading squad; why is it so sad? (Nintendo)

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