I am a total sucker for cheesy holiday festivities in my games. I was talking to a buddy recently about Destiny in 2016, and all of the events leading up to the expansion due next fall. He said he’d be fine with more events and less DLC as long as they stayed away from stupid stuff like the Festival of the Lost. I took offense to that! The Festival of the Lost is one of my favorite Destiny memories, so far. All of the decorations, special quests, and gag items really made the game feel more lighthearted and relevant. I always loved logging into World of Warcraft around Christmas time for the same reasons. Knowing that the developers took their time to place red and green lights on trees, hang banners, and generate snowballs and other fun disposables felt like a gift in and of itself. Does anyone else remember loving the Christmas version of the Crash map in the first Modern Warfare?
If you’re like me and these things really get you into the holiday spirit, then you probably know that Christmas time is one of the best times of the year to play Grand Theft Auto Online. For the past couple of years, millions of GTA V players have been making new Christmas memories with one of the most popular games of this generation by driving in the snow, picking up some hot chocolate to take back to their mansion, going on shooting sprees in festive pajamas, and collecting exclusive new items. It’s that time of year once again, everybody! The GTA Online Festive Surprise 2015 takes place until January 5, and there are a few things that you need to be sure you don’t miss out on.
Masks, new and old:
Ah, masks: so pointless, and so fun. This is why Festival of the Lost was such a success in my book; seeing Cayde-6 wearing an Eris Morn mask alone is worth the price of The Taken King. During the Festive Surprise you’ll be able to buy a variety of new masks, including: Mr. and Mrs. Claus, Bad Elf, Crazy Gingerbread (my personal favorite), Festive Luchador, and more. Of course, there will be a bunch of tacky pajamas and onesies to choose from as well. In addition to the new stuff, all of the holiday attire from the past two years will be available across all platforms. If you’re going to blow up helicopters and get the police on your trail, at least make sure they have a hilarious perpetrator to describe.
Decorations and snow:
If you own an apartment, stilt house, or yacht, be sure to head back over and check out your Christmas tree: all decked out with lights and ornaments! I swear, some things are just better in the virtual worlds we love. There’s something about seeing a well-rendered, well-decorated Christmas tree in your favorite video game that conjures more nostalgia than its real-life counterpart can. Keep your eyes open and you may even get to see some snowfall in Los Santos! Rockstar hinted at a chance for a good snowball fights; it might be a nice change of pace from your usual RPGs and assault rifles.
Snapmatic Photo Challenge
Do you have a knack for composing awesome Snapmatics? If so you’ll want to start thinking about how to combine all of these holiday elements and take advantage of the limited time event to create and capture a Snapmatic that shows just how jovial the Festive Surprise celebration can be. There’s a bunch of cash in it for you, too. Post your best holiday-themed Snapmatic to Social Club before January 5, tagging the photo with #FestiveSurprise2015, for a chance to win a GTA$1M award. You’ll also be featured in the Newswire if you win.
This really is the best time of year to jump back into Los Santos. If you know you’ll be getting some spare gift cards or cash for Christmas, granted you don’t have a child’s education to save for or a 401K that needs some TLC, some GTA Online shark cards might not be a bad idea. Gather your friends, dress up in some offensively tacky holiday outfits, and have a snowball fight. Or just blow sh*t up; whatever rings your jingle bells.