Whenever the holiday season comes around, while not everyone may not be in the spirit for a variety of reasons, there are undoubtedly folks looking for games that help get them in the mood. Whether it’s festive in-game decorations or outfits, yuletide mods or DLC, or titles that fully embrace this time of year outright, sometimes it’s fun to play something with some Christmas vibes. Now, normally when I think of games for the season, the tendency is to think of heartfelt stories or titles with some feel-good vibes, but given my love for all things twin-stick shooter, when I saw this title I can’t say I was disappointed.

Krampus and a horde of his evil-but-festive minions are coming to ruin the season, so you’ll lock and load as Santa (and if you have someone to play with, Mrs. Claus as well) to take them down. For the most part this is a pretty straightforward affair, breaking little to no new ground, or doing anything revolutionary, but that isn’t to say it can’t be fun. Mowing through hordes of snowmen and zombie elves, or watching them get blown apart by a well-thrown bomb can be satisfying, if a bit silly, and I’ll admit that the Christmas carnage managed to put a smile on my face a few times. While none of the weapons are particularly revolutionary, I was happy with the variety, and that you’d often get to at least choose between two so you could better suit your preferred style.

In terms of issues, aside from there not being much to the game in the way of nuance, its overall performance could be better. Whether the issue is that it can feel sluggish in spots, that enemies can sometimes feel like they’re on some other plane as bullets that should be hitting them pass through instead, or you’ll lose a few moments as Santa tries swinging his axe even when you didn’t hit the button to do so, it can be a bit quirky. Also, if you’re looking for true depth (aside from being able to up the difficulty), you’re not going to find much of it here. That isn’t to say you can’t have a pretty good time with it though.

I chalk games like this up to being a bit like those tabloids or perhaps, candy (depending on your tastes), at the check-out counter at the store. It’s a budget-priced romp that, in the context of the season, is a pretty fun but brief guilty pleasure. You’ve got Santa, sniper rifles, rocket launchers, flamethrowers, and plenty of seasonally-appropriate enemies to lay waste to. It isn’t rocket science, but it doesn’t need to be… sometimes indulging in a bit of timely fun can be good for the spirit.