Christian Left Behind video game preview

[CptStern]

the politics:

The series is controversial for its political viewpoint, use of violence, becoming a vast money making machine, suspect political views and its largely unpopular interpretation of the bible. While Left Behind is meant to be set in the future many critics point out that the paranoia over the UN and support for Israel no matter its policies is more about bolstering a current right-wing worldview.

"The worldview (to call it "thinking" would be an exaggeration) propounded in the books was first popularised by the Protestant theologian John Nelson Darby in the mid-19th century, and it is disturbing how it has become an underlying meta-narrative for American life: progress for the righteous, doom for the enemy," wrote Dr Gareth Higgins on the excellent Christian website ship-of-fools.com. "The message of the Left Behind books is insidious. It is incompetent theology. It is an astonishing example of bad faith of the worst kind, because even its proponents seem to have deceived themselves. They don't even translate the word apocalypse properly (it means revelation, not catastrophe).

However my main problem with the series is the way it sells itself as Christian to a market that exists in a ghetto. I know all too well that some Christians will buy anything if it has Christian written on it or a fish symbol. Left Behind's Christian Warriors and the book's setting has very little to do the teachings of Jesus and more to do with those who want to use the faith to justify such adventures as the war in Iraq. Left Behind relies on an evil rather than loving God, which makes it all the more strange the franchise has been taken to heart by so many Christians across the world.

the game:

Left Behind: Eternal Forces is set in New York City. Those city streets have been very well realised and the game bears a striking resemblance to map programs such as Google Earth. The player commands the troops of the Tribulation Force against the rival actions of demonic Global Community Peacekeepers (note the anti-UN name). It's the true battle for good and evil, the small band of the Trib Force against the massed demonic hoards of the Antichrist.

Prayer plays an important part in the game and keeping your troops' spirit meter high is important to success in the game. Soldiers with low spirit are not as effective and are in danger of being recruited by the opposing forces.

Wanton destruction will lower the spirit of your troops which means they will be less effective. Killing is part of the game but not taken lightly. Dead bodies persist on the map showing the results of another battle. The player can click on the corpses to read a biography of the slain. Each of these biographies has been individually written and often feature tragic stories of why that person fought for the enemy.

Yet despite my obvious misgivings about the Left Behind source and worries over the heavy handed morality of the game I was pleasantly surprised by my time spent with Left Behind: Eternal Forces. While the lack of some tactical depth leaves the game behind some modern RTS games, the gameplay didn't seem far behind games such as Battle for Middle Earth. Certainly the use of spirit and prayer is very interesting and I love the ideal of detailed biographies of all units in the game. At this stage Eternal Forces looks like a solid title with a controversial source that may help its profile more than hinder it, the only problem may be selling the game to right-wing Christians who will balk at the level of violence. Gamers ironically may be much more receptive to Left Behind: Eternal Forces.

http://pc.boomtown.net/en_uk/articles/art.view.php?id=11428


surprisingly good even handed preview of the game ..does little to sell the concept for me personally (I'd prefer a more tongue-in-cheek apocolypitic themed game where you play a fire and brimstone shot-gun toting preacher) but more than I expected from a chrisitian game ..still spyware and questionable politics will keep me away from this game

 

[DeusExMachina]

The books were pretty entertaining...

Matter of fact, I don't really remember them ever killing or shooting anyone.

But the whole spyware crap is definitely going to keep me away.

 

[CptStern]

but how did they punish the unbelievers? surely they sent them to hell in some violent manner

do-gooders: "begone forces of evil, here's some chocolate, please go away"
evil-doers: "thanks <munch munch munch> ...ummm no .. die god-boy" <stabstab>
do-gooders: "oh noes my own passivity has been my undoing!" <croak>

 

[DeusExMachina]

I don't remember much, I read some of them long ago when I was a boy of the faith

 

[CptStern]

so before your de-programming

 

[$kelet0r]

Christian Left

oxymoron alert!!!

 

[DeusExMachina]

Not really. By definition, Christians should be liberals anyway.

 

[Ikerous]

Not really. By definition, Christians should be liberals anyway.

Actually, I believe Jesus prefered when the poor and elderly starve

He's kewl like that

 

[CptStern]

Not really. By definition, Christians should be liberals anyway.

I agree ..if they were to strictly follow christs teachings (which I've yet to see) ..in fact he was put to death because of his radical ideology

 

[$kelet0r]

oh c'mon deusex - it was a joke

 

[CptStern]

oh c'mon deusex - it was a joke

no you're right ..the idea of a christian left (today) is almost laughable

 

[gick]

I agree ..if they were to strictly follow christs teachings (which I've yet to see) ..in fact he was put to death because of his radical ideology

Indeed. Jesus was killed by conservatives.

DISCLAIMER: I said conservatives, not Conservatives. There is a difference.

 

[DeusExMachina]

Difference: One is capitalized, one isn't >_>?

 

[Mechagodzilla]

Targeting almost entirely hardcore, christian gamers seems like an utterly dubious strategy.

 

[CptStern]

what better way of tracking them?

 

[gick]

Difference: One is capitalized, one isn't >_>?

Essentially, (as I understand it at least) conservative = a political ideology that seeks to preserve a culture/heritage/system/way of thinking etc. Whereas Conservative could be taken to mean a person who follows the Conservative Party, or identifies his/herself as a Conservative in the American sense.

 

[DeusExMachina]

Ohhh, ok. I getcha now.

 

[K e r b e r o s]

surprisingly good even handed preview of the game ..does little to sell the concept for me personally (I'd prefer a more tongue-in-cheek apocolypitic themed game where you play a fire and brimstone shot-gun toting preacher) but more than I expected from a chrisitian game ..still spyware and questionable politics will keep me away from this game

Questionable politics? You mean the whole one world government thing?

I get sick thinking about anything 'one-man controlled, or one-world government controlling' thing. I'd play it. If it were'nt for the spyware.

Overall, I like that the bodies stay. I wish more bodies stayed in other video games.

 

[gh0st]

the books were ok... not sure i'd like to play the game.

 

[K e r b e r o s]

Well, if the game was more developed? Its like a 3D version of some old over the top, under developed Magic/Sword play game.