What are we playing for Christmas?

GRIND EDITION

Aho, aho, gamers and brethren,

Stop for a moment, don't press buttons,

And listen to my word!

Christmas has arrived, and with it, I notice another year of GRIND has passed. We managed to launch GRIND 4 and now we're enjoying a well-deserved break with friends, family, and loved ones. Most of us will probably feast on selected goodies, childhood delicacies, and a mug of mulled wine (or hot chocolate). And after such a feast, you probably feel, as I do, like sitting down and playing something that evokes the magic of this period. Well, especially for you, I've prepared these recommendations for what we're playing in this last week of the year.

Jazz Jackrabbit 2

Recommended by Klamath

When I smell cozonac and mulled wine, I think of rabbits, and this doesn't happen at Easter. My guilty pleasure during the Christmas period is to fire up Jazz Jackrabbit (especially 2) and play a few Christmas levels – both games had themed levels. The music, graphics, sound, cutscenes, and generally the atmosphere of these games give me a sense of comfort. It's easy to return to them and they remain, probably, some of the best PC-exclusive platformers.
One hour each year – on an evening between Christmas and New Year's – I reserve for these moments, and I've never regretted it. It helps if you played them back in the day, but even if not, I think they've aged beautifully enough to be worth a first playthrough. This year I'll have a mega bonus, because I intend to show them to my daughter for the first time…
Merry Christmas!

Max Payne

Recommended by Midnight Geek

Die Hard is the Americans' Christmas movie (yeah, right!), and Max Payne is my Christmas game, the game that screams to be played when the snow (what snow, I don't know, it hasn't visited us for years!)… so, when the snow along with the midnight fog creates that absolutely unmistakable and nostalgic atmosphere… that's when I fire up one of my youthful relics, a computer with a Pentium 4 and GeForce FX 5900, unleashing Max Payne, a detective who was betrayed, who lost everything, and whose inner turmoil is so great that across New York, a murderous snowstorm has broken out, a storm seemingly born from the depths of Max's heart, full of pain and fury.

The game begins with this desperate police call: “Office in danger!”, but no one knew that in fact, everyone who would stand in the way of Max Payne's revenge was in danger, be they police officers, special forces, mobsters, corrupt companies, the American army, drug addicts… it doesn't matter, on the night a powerful blizzard covered New York in darkness, cold, and despair, Max Payne emerged from the subway willing to do whatever it takes to bring those responsible for his family's death to his own justice. Good luck Max, I'm rooting for you, friend, as every year…

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Recommended by Constantin Dumitru

Winter is supposedly the season for giving, for being kinder, etc. So Wolf from Sekiro complied and donated his left arm right at the start of the game. Not very voluntarily, but you don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Instead, he got a ninja prosthetic that does pretty much everything. A kind of secret multi-tool.

You might not necessarily think of winter when someone mentions Sekiro. You might also not use the nicest words while playing it. But indeed, the game's action takes place in winter. More precisely, on a single winter's day. Even if it takes you more than a day to finish it, our shinobi manages to hack and slash all sorts of monsters and enemies in record time.

Still, a few questions remain:

How did his good hand not freeze to the katana at some point?

And how did his prosthetic joints not seize up? He should tell us what kind of lubricant he uses.

Max Payne

Recommended by Silviu Tănase

My comfort game for the holidays is, without a doubt, Max Payne 1. Everyone recognises the game's mechanics that made it popular, as well as Max Payne's face, voice, and dialogue, but often people ignore the location and weather in which the action takes place. Two elements that add both weight and clearly establish the title's identity, a neo-noir whose blizzard seems ripped from a Nordic mythology legend, not from the detective films and political thrillers from which it draws inspiration. If the story hadn't happened in winter, I don't think it would have been as emblematic as it is today. I'm certainly not the only one who gets into the “Christmas Spirit” with this title, worthy of being called one of the best in gaming history.

Return to Castle Wolfenstein

Recommended by Design Something

As soon as it gets cold outside and I have to turn on the heating in the house, a level from Return to Castle Wolfenstein almost instantly comes to mind, namely Mission 5 “Ice Station Norway”. It stuck in my mind because I first played it right after its release in the winter of 2001. In the digs I was staying in Bucharest, something broke and I had no heating that evening, and I said, “That's it, I won't freeze to death until tomorrow.” I didn't move from the computer, playing with my jacket on, my beanie pulled over my ears, and gloves on my hands, a kind of 4D gaming experience in 2001. At least the PC was enjoying natural cooling.

Batman : Arkham Origins

Recommended by Tudor-Codrin Enea

The game I wholeheartedly recommend for the holiday season is Batman: Arkham Origins. Although considered by many to be the black sheep of the franchise (and some fans don't even consider it part of Rocksteady's universe), Warner Bros. Games Montréal's creation has everything you could ask for from a Christmas game: snow, specific holiday decorations, 8 assassins looking to kill you… Okay, maybe the last part isn't quite in the Christmas spirit, but the game has a great atmosphere and takes place right at the beginning of Bruce Wayne's career as Batman. Besides the extraordinary combat system, the game has memorable enemies and allies, and the portrayals of Black Mask and Bane are among the best to date. The game reminds us of The Batman directed by Matt Reeves, but I don't think we can play as Battinson.

Happy holidays and Merry Christmas to all!

Fahrenheit (Indigo Prophecy)

Recommended by Gabi (ArhivaBD)

Fahrenheit is the perfect game for winter evenings, offering an intense psychological thriller story, in which you become a witness and participant in a disturbing mystery unfolding on the frozen streets of New York. The oppressive atmosphere of the snow-covered city, the destiny-changing decisions, and the tense moments between reality and the supernatural create a unique experience, ideal for keeping your adrenaline at maximum levels on long, cold evenings.

Little Nemo: Dream Master

Recommended by Ronan

A game I play every year during the holidays is: Little Nemo: The Dream Master ("

I'm very fond of it and it reminds me of playing it at my grandparents', always around this time of year, it will always have a special place in my heart. The music, story, and super-casual gameplay fit perfectly.

Diablo 2

Recommended by Leo Luția

Christmas is my favourite holiday! It's that special time of year when family gathers, it smells of fir trees (unless you have an artificial one), hot chocolate and tea are consumed heavily (yummy), lights sparkle everywhere, and gifts hide under the tree. What could be cooler? Well, video games, of course!

Since I'm not writing lyrics for a new song by Hrușcă or Fuego, but making a recommendation on grnd.ro, I'll share, in a few lines, my favourite game for this cool season.

Although I have several titles in mind that make me think of Christmas, my favourite remains, without a doubt, Diablo 2. I know, it sounds somewhat antithetical: one of the greatest Christian holidays versus a game that mentions… the devil. However, connoisseurs know that the name comes from Mount Diablo in San Francisco, and upon closer analysis, we observe that the story is rather about the triumph of good over evil. So, the game also has a positive side!

For me, Diablo 2 remains one of the best games of all time and, at the same time, a Christmas tradition. Last year I played Diablo 3, and this year I started Path of Exile 2 – a game I highly recommend, especially if you're ARPG fans. I know it's not Diablo, but, honestly, it's better than what we got from Blizzard on 5 June 2023. If you don't believe me, try it! It costs as much as the Vessel of Hatred expansion and is everything Diablo 3 and 4 combined should have been. Thank me later!

I wish you a Merry Christmas, full of good games and quality time spent with loved ones! And don't forget to browse GRIND IV. Cheers!

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Dear readers, these were GRIND's recommendations for you. Thanks to the team for their contribution to this holiday article. I hope you have a Merry Christmas with your loved ones and are keen to play these solid 7s above.

Merry GRINDmas!

Article by Tudor-Codrin Enea