Santa’s World review

Taking inspiration from classic experiences is a great move. However, failing to evolve and add something original tarnishes the finished product. Sadly, this is exactly what you get from Santa’s World.

This old-school platform title delivers extremely familiar action across its small range of levels. Additionally, there is minimal challenge as you tackle basic foes, simple obstacles, and an array of understated stages.

Santa’s World focuses on the jolly action.

Santa’s World was ripe for a classic festive tale. Unfortunately, it didn’t get the memo as the plot is as sturdy as a snowman in the winter sun. Instead of a festive and jolly plot, you must find 3 presents per stage while avoiding some angry festive creatures.

Gingerbread men, vibrant animals, angry snowmen, and an array of other creatures want to hurt you. Thankfully, Santa has the power to jump and use snowballs to his advantage. However, snowballs must be collected, and Santa is as nimble as you’d expect from a fat guy who eats mince pies and swigs sherry all night.

A lack of challenge.

Santa’s World asks players to collect fruit, snowballs, and presents as they explore each simple stage. En route, there are traps, pits, spikes, circular saws, and other obstacles. Sadly, none of these elements offers any level of difficulty.

This is where this falls short. The easy nature makes it feel a little bland and understated. If you then add in the Christmas theme, it feels contrived and gimmicky. I suppose this can be expected for this time of year, but I had hoped for a change of pace that never occurred. However, if you have children or you love Christmas, this will be a hit. Even though it was unbelievably simple, youngsters will love the sense of achievement as they jump each platform and slay each festive scorpion.

Santa’s World doesn’t break the mould.

Although Santa’s World is colourful and easy to look at, it uses its assets repeatedly. Moreover, like a cartoon from the 50s, the backdrop never changes. This repetition can also be found in the audio. Consequently, it does its job well, but it is neither original nor memorable.

Santa moves like a slow tanker. This makes it particularly tough to navigate smaller platforms. Additionally, avoiding spikes can be challenging. Thankfully, though, the control system is easy to manage, and anyone can master this game. Replay value is somewhat limited. Each stage features a 3-star rating system to add longevity, but most people will be satisfied with unlocking the achievements and never return.

Santa’s World hits the spot despite its shortcomings.

Despite the simplicity, Santa’s World hits the spot for its intended audience. It is refined, easy, and horribly festive. Furthermore, it can be mastered quickly. Although it lacks longevity, it is ideal for younger and less experienced gamers. Accordingly, if you fulfil that criteria, you should get a copy from the Xbox store!