Be a good Christian, play some video games

Issue date: 9/12/06 Section: Arts & Society

The next big video game hit might actually get you closer to God. Left Behind: Eternal Forces allows you to command the so-called forces of good, as you triumph over evil in a post-apocalyptic war of salvation. Kill bad guys with guns -- or with prayer, and use Biblical clues and Scriptural instruction to progress through the game. The violence may not be that graphic, but Eternal Forces will certainly kick Christianity up a notch.

You might sometimes ask yourself, "I don't have time to learn about the Christian faith and Scriptures each Sunday in mass, where can I go to get myself a quick fix of spiritual healing?" Well for all of you Christmas and Easter Christians your prayers have been answered. Based on the religious book and film series of the same name, Left Behind: Eternal Forces is a real-time strategy video game set in apocalyptic New York City.

To beat the game you play as a commander of the forces of good, arming your followers with guns, bombs, and the Our Father. These pilgrims then fight the forces of evil for control of strategic buildings and houses. Further details about the instructions of the game have not been released since the game is scheduled to come out later this year. But while there are violent themes, the Christian creators of the game were sure to restrict graphic dismemberment and bloodshed.

Once released, Eternal Forces will be the largest Christian based video game ever produced, costing between $3 and $5 million. The game's creators hope to reach a volume between 250,000 and 1 million units in sales, while retailing the game at $49.99. In a recent interview with Yahoo News, video game industry analyst, Michael Pachter, commented on these expectations, "In order for the game to hit the higher end of that range, I think they have to attract mainstream consumers who just want to play the game because it is a good game."

Finding various Scriptural clues and trying to solve Biblical mysteries may not be mainstream enough for the market. What's more is that the apocalyptic setting is based around the people left on Earth after millions of Christians ascend to heaven because of their collective faith. Not only does that fall outside of the mainstream, but it is just downright offensive to those of different religions. This means that the point of the game is not to convert people to the forces of good, but to convert them to Christianity -- so that they may stop working for the forces of evil and gain permission to ascend to heaven.

With a soundtrack by Christian rockers and a well-developed game design, Eternal Forces does contain a lot of appeal to gamers. Many online gaming sites have positive things to say, and looking at screen shots, one can see that the game could be rather fun to play -- as long as the game does not become to self-righteous. Real-time strategy games like this one have had a lot of success in the gaming community but it may be hard for gamers to have fun when they have to concentrate on reading long-winded mission descriptions and clues that are supposed to help with the game's progression.

Whether you are looking for some mild entertainment or a lesson straight out of the New Testament, give Left Behind: Eternal Forces a shot. Right now you can try a game demo out for free on the game's website, LeftBehindGames.com. The game should hit shelves this November.

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Loyola Greyhound

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