A Game about Religion

[Specter Von Baren]

One of the problems with putting religion in games is that it's always the same message it seems, religion is false and a cover for some sort of secret movement or government or aliens in order to control the people and x's (Insert a person or people for x) faith is broken when they find out and then they move on. That or God/Gods/Ect. have an obvious force in the world that everyone sees all the time and so accepts outright and there's no real analysis of things like faith.

Unfortunately, if the huge negative backlash Extra Credits received for suggesting a game based around faith is anything to go by... I'm not surprised I haven't seen anyone try to tackle it.

"One good piece of fiction deserves another huh?

Why would anyone want to play a game based around finding religion? I find the cynic in me just see's it as another way to try and indoctrinate weak minded fools and children into an ideal that has no basis in fact.

Let's make games about the reality of religion. I want a game where i play a paedophile priest whose entire organisation hides my crimes from the world and actively allows me to continue on my world tour of destroying other peoples lives...all in the name of god. Or one where you persecute people for their sexual preferences until they kill themselves but then pretend that god is the answer, the forgiveness, the love.

I've got a good title for your hypothetical game...let's call it 'Hypocracy'"

Stuff like this for instance, is why this is a bad idea. Unless the game is about taking down religion or killing God, it's not going to be popular because it's trendy to bash something showing religion in any positive light, especially on this site where most people seem to be of the opinion that, at best, the world is just waiting for all the "stupid, evil religious freaks" to die off of natural causes, or at worst actively hope the "stupid, evil religious freaks" die in a gutter. Therefore, developers wouldn't put much time in it, customers wouldn't buy it, and if it has anything positive to say about religion then it will be branded as propaganda attempting to brainwash teens and children.

My opinion? Don't even bother. If someone wants religious aspects in a game then it needs to be aspects that are not the main focus so it can get in under the radar. Maybe make a game that's based around being like Vash from Trigun? Give the player tons and tons of power but have it so the trick to the game isn't killing people but finding ways to end conflicts without killing people. Would tie into various beliefs of pacifism in Christianity.

But something that is obvious? No. No one will be happy with it.

Well, it isn't like there aren't Christian games out there. The problem is that they are more concerned with preaching to the audience rather than actually telling a compelling story. Even for all my ranting on Assassin's Creed 2 for being too preachy with its anti-religious message, it at least tried telling more of a story, at least in comparison to those games. For the most part, I think people just want a good story, and it doesn't matter if someone wants to explore religion while doing so so long as the story is good.

In any case, there are some games that have touched on religion. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow was basically all about Gabriel's redemption (minus the epilogue and DLC), and they were hardly subtle with the Christian imagery, even going so far as to him asking God for forgiveness for his sins while he is strangling Satan. Xenoblade Chronicles is, essentially, all about breaking from religion, and while I haven't played the other Xeno- games, I've heard that they have similar explorations. Dante's Inferno was similar to Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, but that comes with the territory of being based off of Inferno. I know both Oblivion and Skyrim at least explored the ideas of religion in their worlds, and the exploration had quite a few references to religious exploration in the real world. The Assassin's Creed games also explore religion heavily. Ultimately, it seems like the exploration of religion is hardly a problem for people. It is just the fact that trying to become too preachy while doing it at the expense of actual story, character, and world development stops people from enjoying it.

Never play Knytt Underground then.

 

[l3o2828]

Isn't Shin Megami Tensei all about religion and finding your own Reason? Be it by siding with the religions nuts or going against the crazy and hateful YHVH.

 

[MysticSlayer]

Well, it isn't like there aren't Christian games out there. The problem is that they are more concerned with preaching to the audience rather than actually telling a compelling story. Even for all my ranting on Assassin's Creed 2 for being too preachy with its anti-religious message, it at least tried telling more of a story, at least in comparison to those games. For the most part, I think people just want a good story, and it doesn't matter if someone wants to explore religion while doing so so long as the story is good.

Never play Knytt Underground then.

No, I haven't, but I don't see how that changes anything of what I said.

 

[TheDoctor455]

So here is a question I want to pose to you my fellow escapists. How do you think gamers would respond to a game about religion? I don't mean in the superficial angels vs. demons, god vs. devil, heaven vs. hell type. I mean that the main character's journey through the game is either finding religion, more specifically Christianity and even more specific Roman Catholicism, or growing away from religion. Of course should the player gravitate towards religion on their journey it would be casting the church in a very positive light. So how do you think we as a community and you yourself might respond to a game taking on that subject matter? This is of course assuming that the game is good etc etc. Would we as a community condemn such a game or welcome the change in pace of religion represented in games?

Umm... this has kind of already been done...

for Judaism anyway... but really, unless you're living in an oppressive regime or are unfortunate enough to be a Scientologist... the process of leaving whatever faith in question is probably going to be fairly similar.

Anyway... as for the game I'm talking about...

its from the same guys who brought us the Blackwell series...

The Shivah. A murder mystery that puts your character, Rabbit Stone, and his crisis of faith at the center of it.

 

[The Towel Boy]

Well, it isn't like there aren't Christian games out there. The problem is that they are more concerned with preaching to the audience rather than actually telling a compelling story. Even for all my ranting on Assassin's Creed 2 for being too preachy with its anti-religious message, it at least tried telling more of a story, at least in comparison to those games. For the most part, I think people just want a good story, and it doesn't matter if someone wants to explore religion while doing so so long as the story is good.

In any case, there are some games that have touched on religion. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow was basically all about Gabriel's redemption (minus the epilogue and DLC), and they were hardly subtle with the Christian imagery, even going so far as to him asking God for forgiveness for his sins while he is strangling Satan. Xenoblade Chronicles is, essentially, all about breaking from religion, and while I haven't played the other Xeno- games, I've heard that they have similar explorations. Dante's Inferno was similar to Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, but that comes with the territory of being based off of Inferno. I know both Oblivion and Skyrim at least explored the ideas of religion in their worlds, and the exploration had quite a few references to religious exploration in the real world. The Assassin's Creed games also explore religion heavily. Ultimately, it seems like the exploration of religion is hardly a problem for people. It is just the fact that trying to become too preachy while doing it at the expense of actual story, character, and world development stops people from enjoying it.

I think you forgot a little gem that was more about the "God is good" thing, El Shaddai Ascension of the Metatron was actually a pretty decent game that was praised by reviewers.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

Well, it isn't like there aren't Christian games out there. The problem is that they are more concerned with preaching to the audience rather than actually telling a compelling story. Even for all my ranting on Assassin's Creed 2 for being too preachy with its anti-religious message, it at least tried telling more of a story, at least in comparison to those games. For the most part, I think people just want a good story, and it doesn't matter if someone wants to explore religion while doing so so long as the story is good.

Never play Knytt Underground then.

No, I haven't, but I don't see how that changes anything of what I said.

It doesn't?

I'm saying, if you don't like a game being overly preachy with its anti-religious message then don't play Knytt Underground. It gets to sickening levels at times.

I'm giving advice, not trying to discredit anything you said.

 

[Boogie Knight]

Lack of mention of El Shaddai is disappointing. True, it's based on apocryphal works and takes great liberties with the source material, but it's still inspired by religious beliefs.

People reflexively chafe at being preached at. I recall one book my dad read called The Cabin or something like that. I skimmed a few pages after reading the back and was greatly disappointed that it was exactly the boring tripe that I suspected it was. There's great religious art, and games are art, thus it stands to reason that there can be great games with overtly religious content. The only stumbling block is that it needs to be frickin' inspired and at least be unique rather than just following the precedent set by hacks.

 

[MysticSlayer]

Well, it isn't like there aren't Christian games out there. The problem is that they are more concerned with preaching to the audience rather than actually telling a compelling story. Even for all my ranting on Assassin's Creed 2 for being too preachy with its anti-religious message, it at least tried telling more of a story, at least in comparison to those games. For the most part, I think people just want a good story, and it doesn't matter if someone wants to explore religion while doing so so long as the story is good.

Never play Knytt Underground then.

No, I haven't, but I don't see how that changes anything of what I said.

It doesn't?

I'm saying, if you don't like a game being overly preachy with its anti-religious message then don't play Knytt Underground. It gets to sickening levels at times.

I'm giving advice, not trying to discredit anything you said.

Sorry, I misread what you wrote. I thought you were framing a question, not making a statement.

 

[thiosk]

I'd be more interested in a game based on atheistic deconstruction of pseudochristian mythology.