Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer review

Christmas is soon approaching, and so what better way is there to get in the mood than playing a Christmas-themed game? The trouble is, there aren’t that many of them. Not that are actually decent, anyway. Generally, your best bet for getting into the spirit of Christmas via gaming is picking up a title which offers seasonal content. But here comes Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, hoping to spread some Christmas cheer with 3D platforming action for all the family.

Developed by Headless Chicken Games, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer is undeniably generic. Inspired by the 1964 animated classic, it lets players rediscover the story of Rudolph while exploring numerous 3D environments, full of platforming challenges to be completed and collectibles to, er, collect. And while the star here is obviously Rudolph himself, players can take control of other characters if they wish, which also allows for some local co-op action – great for those who want to share some gaming time with their kids or family members.

Most of your time here is spent trying to collect Bells, of which there are many. Sometimes you’ll simply have to reach a specific area using your platforming skills to obtain one, perhaps jumping from one platform to another to reach the top of a tower. Other times, however, you might have to complete a simple puzzle or a quest. In any case, there’s nothing too complex or strenuous; putting pressure on numerous switches using giant snowballs and blocks at the same time in order to activate a platform is about as complicated as it gets.

Bells aren’t the only thing you’ll be collecting in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, however. Each main location also has a number of baubles for you to hunt down, collecting a number of which often allows you to access a new area within that location. There’s a wealth of golden nuggets to be found in each location, too – these can be used to purchase a small number of bells and unlock hints as to where you can find more. If you happen to fall into a pool of water or take damage too many times by being hit by giant snowballs, however, you’ll lose a small number of these golden nuggets.

Thankfully, despite it being very, very generic, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer is enjoyable enough to play. Rudolph, or whichever character you choose to control, is responsive to your inputs, and there’s a decent number of actions available, including a dash which can be used to break certain objects such as sheets of ice, and a downward smash from a jump, useful for unearthing objects. All characters can glide somewhat, too, and double jump. What the game doesn’t seem to tell you, however, is that you can also perform a higher jump by crouching first – useful for reaching platforms and ledges just out of your standard reach.

There are some issues that bring it down somewhat, though. One of these is the game’s camera, which occasionally goes haywire, especially if you try to move it while close to a wall. Some of the game’s mechanics don’t feel all that consistent, either: gaining height via gusts of air can feel hit or miss, for example. And even when playing on PS5 Pro, there are some inexplicable performance issues in certain areas. In general, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer feels like it could have done with just a little more polish.

There are certainly worse 3D platformers out there, though. And so those who like a bit of 3D platforming action will get a kick out of it, especially when playing it at Christmastime. The question is, how much would you pay for it? Strangely, for some reason it can be picked up physically for just over £10 on PS5 in the UK, but on digital storefronts it’s £34.99. For the former price, it’s well worth picking up, but for the latter, you’re better off giving it a miss. There’s some fun to be had here, but only at a budget price.