Christmas Massacre is a horror game with retro art style and graphics. Puppet Combo, a one-person game developer, has developed the game. The game can be downloaded from Pupper Combo’s Patreon site and Steam. The game has been available on PC since 2021.
The developer is known to develop games that are a blend of classic games like the Silent Hill and Resident Evil franchises and vintage horror movies. The developer has been active since 2012 with his first game, Minotaur.
On November 17, 2023, Christmas Massacre will be released on PlayStation consoles. Fans enquired about the game’s release date on other consoles like Xbox and Nintendo, which the developer denied categorically, saying that only PlayStation would allow it.
Puppet Combo’s Christmas Massacre: What Is It?
The game is a slasher horror game released in 2021. The game follows the story of a male protagonist named Larry. The plot shows Larry’s Christmas tree telling him to go on a killing spree. The game sees Larry use a more guerilla approach to slay every visible NPC.
The gameplay shows Larry going to different rooms. The strategy involves hiding, and the game also features first-person and third-person modes. If Larry is spotted, a timer appears as the NPCs rush towards the exit. Larry has to kill the NPCs before the timer ends.
The game’s AI is also attentive to corpses and other environmental changes, like switching off the lights. The entire usable weapon throughout the game is a kitchen knife, which can also be thrown.
In the last level of Christmas Massacre, Larry can acquire a flamethrower. The flamethrower is also a realistic weapon. That is because using it realistically can lead to Larry burning himself accidentally. Players can also develop costumes at various levels and equip them.
Dolls are collectables present in the game, which are eight in total. Once all of them are collected, doll mode is unlocked. This makes Larry shrink to the size of a doll and then face his enemies.
The game’s teaser confirms this. Although attached below, the teaser contains gore and graphic elements. Viewer discretion is advised.
At first glance, it feels like the game’s overly gruesome and gory theme, style, and setting are responsible for not being released on every platform.
Why Is Christmas Massacre Not Being Released on Xbox and Switch?
Recently, a conversation between fans and the developer took place on X. This was on the post where the developer shared the release date for PlayStation consoles. On the centre, there were various comments from fans asking if the game would be released on Xbox and Nintendo Switch.
The developer simply replied with a “No” because the game is “too crazy” for those platforms.
It is plausible that the title did not receive a green light on the Xbox and Nintendo Switch, despite attempts. Other games by the Christmas Massacre developer, like Cannibal, are available on Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch. So, the selective treatment being received by Christmas Massacre is confusing.
But to look at the matter from a more objective and balanced perspective, Christmas Massacre does contain some religious themes. The word Christmas itself could be considered offensive to many people.
Furthermore, tying elements of mass homicide to the holy and pious Christmas tree could also hurt religious sentiments. Targeting children, nuns, and burning down schools- all of this could potentially gather attention for the wrong reasons.
This is probably why Xbox and Nintendo didn’t want to list the game in their stores, to avoid backlash against their brand name.
There are also other controversial games that have only been released for select platforms in the past. Some of them include the likes of lesser-known titles like JFK Reloaded, along with other popular ones like Silent Hill: Homecoming. The former includes such disturbing imagery that it was banned in some countries.
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