"Left Behind: Eternal Forces"
An evangelical Christian video game

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Quotations:

Overview:

A new video game called "LEFT BEHIND: Eternal Forces" was first shown at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles during 2006-MAY. The Los Angeles Times commented:

" 'Eternal Forces' is part of a new wave of religious games coming out at a time when the mainstream industry faces increasing criticism that its products celebrate misogynistic mayhem." ₂

"Eternal Forces" is based on the runaway best selling book series "Left Behind" by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. Both the game and books follow dispensational beliefs -- a subset of  pre-millennial theology. This is a belief system that is a relatively recent development in Christianity. It was declared a heresy by the early Christian movement, but was resurrected in the early 19th century and is now very popular among Evangelical Christians.

In advance of 2006-Christmas, the game was stocked by more than 10,000 retailers -- including Best Buy, Circuit City, EB Games, GameStop, Sam's Club, Target, and various Christian stores. ₆

Reviews of the game:

Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities, believes that the game may be a financial success. He said:

"The reason that I think this game has a chance is that it's not particularly preachy. I will say some of the dialogue is pretty lame — people saying, 'Praise the Lord' after they blow away the bad guys. I think they're overdoing it a bit. But the message is OK."

Jack Thompson, an attorney, author, and critic of video game violence is concerned about the level of carnage in the game. He said:

"We're going to push this game at Christian kids to let them know there's a cool shooter game out there. Because of the Christian context, somehow it's OK? It's not OK. The context is irrelevant. It's a mass-killing game. ... It's absurd. You can be the Christians blowing away the infidels, and if that doesn't hit your hot button, you can be the Antichrist blowing away all the Christians."

Thompson has severed his ties with Tyndale House in a dispute over this game.

A. Larry Ross, president of a Christian public relations firm that helped to market Gibson's "Passion of the Christ" and three "Left Behind" movies commented on the game, apparently without having seen it. He said:

"There's an audience here. In addition to the youth audience — that's the primary target — there are parents who are concerned about what their children are exposed to and are encouraged by products that are biblically based. I would assume, if there is violence, it's the cosmic struggle of good versus evil, not gratuitous violence." ₂

Jeffrey Frichner, president of Left Behind Games' said that the game actually is pacifist because players first try to convert non-Christians. If they are unsuccessful, the players then kill the non-Christians, but lose "spirit points." They can replace the lost spirit points by having their Christian characters pray. Frichner said that players on Christ's side:

"... are fighting a defensive battle in the game. You are a sort of a freedom fighter. ... Muslims are not believers in Jesus Christ -- and thus can't be on Christ's side in the game. That is so obvious." ₆

Actually, Muslims revere Yeshua of Nazareth (Jesus Christ) as the second most important prophet in history. They consider themselves to be on Yeshua's side.

Jeff Gerstmann, senior editor at Gamespot.com, said that they rate the game at 3.4 out of a possible 10 and report that it has lots of glitches. ₆

The Democratic Underground discussed the game in its news release for 2006-JUN-05. They rated "The Left Behinders" as #8 of "The top 10 Conservative Idiots" for the week. ₈

Plugged In, a publication of the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family, gave the game a "thumbs-up." The reviewer called it "the kind of game that Mom and Dad can actually play with Junior -- and use to raise some interesting questions along the way." ₆

Zach Whalen reviewed the demo copy released on 2006-SEP-01 and commented:

"... as a visual message, the exclusion of minorities is profound and troubling. For a game developer to go to so much trouble to include backstories for its unit characters (some of whom are, it turns out, Asian Americans) without bothering to program in corresponding appearances indicates that they didn't think it was important."

"Along with minorities, women are also excluded from doing much important in the game. Again, I've only looked at the demo, but so far, women can only be trained as Medics, thus excluding them from such career paths as Builder, Soldier, Disciple, and Musician. Female units are also distinguished in that, whereas untrained male units bear the label "friend", female units are identified by "friend woman." This qualifier, "woman," here serves the purpose of signalling [sic] to the player that this unit is not as useful as an unqualified "friend." And since men can also be medics, women may not be necessary at all in terms of completing one's goals in the game." ₉

American Atheists commented that the game:

"... promotes intolerance and demonizes Atheists and other nonbelievers, gays, and even members of minority religious groups..."

"Ellen Johnson, President of American Atheists, said that everything from the content to the marketing of "Left Behind" takes the game to a new and possibly dangerous level. 'There are plenty of violent and racy video games out there in the market, but 'Left Behind' conveys a message of intolerance.' Johnson added that players score points for 'blowing away' their heretical opponents, and that points scored for 'unnecessary killing' can be redeemed by prayer. 'In a time when our nation and the rest of the world desperately need to stress tolerance, this game -- targeted at a vulnerable segment of our community, namely, young people -- preaches that violence is acceptable as long as Jesus or some religious figure demands its use'." ₁₁

However, American Atheists did not advocate censorship of this or any other video game. Communications Director Dave Silverman wrote:

"We're not asking the government or retailers to ban this game. Parents, though, should use the church-centered marketing of this as an opportunity to talk to young people about good judgment, acceptance of others, and the need for tolerance -- not violence." ₁₁

Wired magazine commented that the game is:

"... a classic real-time strategy game: Starting with a single 'recruiter,' your job is to proselytize followers, level them up into an army of soldiers, medics and 'spirit warriors,' then bring a hard rain down on the forces of the Antichrist. This all takes place in a sprawling version of Manhattan that is rendered with breathtaking accuracy -- down to the precise location of Duane Reade drugstores -- and superb camera work. Actual battles offer nail-biting action, forcing you to make split-second decisions as helicopters swarm through the air."

"But what's particularly intriguing is how the developers incorporated prayer as a central game mechanic. Each of your team members has a 'spirit' ranking. If you let them get too fatigued or hurt, their spirit drops into 'neutral' territory and you lose them. You can sway enemies to your side by unleashing your 'spirit warriors' or Christian-rock singers, whose joyful noises raise the spirit of anyone near them. (You can even convert evil forces if you're persuasive enough. Of course, the Antichrist has his own evil heavy-metal musicians who work precisely the opposite effect.) And if your forces accidentally kill neutral innocents, their spirit drops further: The act of murder actually has a moral dimension in this game." ₁₃

The game's plot:

The game is based on the Left Behind series of books which state that God had separated young children and the saved -- individuals who have repented of their sin and trusted Jesus as Lord and Savior -- from the Earth. In a process called the Rapture, they miraculously rose through the air to meet Jesus Christ. They abandon trains, planes, automobiles, jobs, fields, sidewalks, homes, etc. That leaves only confused unbelievers "left behind" on earth. Some would be nominal Christians who were not saved before the rapture. Others would be Muslims, Hindus, many Mormons, many Roman Catholics, followers of other world religions, secularists, Atheists, Agnostics, etc.

The "good side" is represented by the "Tribulation Force." These are often spouses, family members, and relatives of the saved Christians who had been raptured, have left the Earth, and are now with Jesus. According to the most common Evangelical Christian interpretation of key biblical passages, everyone left behind on earth must endure seven years of tribulation -- violent, horrendous evil which will cause the death of one third of the population of Earth in the greatest Holocaust the world has ever seen.

On the other side -- the bad guys -- are the non-Christians: the United Nations, the Antichrist, and his "Global Community Peacekeepers." They are the enemy to be destroyed.

The game involves a battle for New York City. It has a few interesting wrinkles not found in other violent computer games involving mass destruction and murder:

The game itself:

The creators of the game expect to receive either an "E" rating (appropriate for ages 6 and above) or a "T" rating (for ages 13 and above.) It can be played by a single person, or by a team of up to eight players. In the latter case, one has the opportunity to play as a member of either the Tribulation Force or the Global Community Peacekeepers.

According to the producers of the game, one can engage in the following activities:

The Left Behind Games web site contains two Quick Time trailers. ₃

Newsweek Magazine commented:

"Left Behind Games CEO Troy Lyndon, whose company went public in [2006] February, says the game's Christian themes will grab the audience that didn't mind gore in 'The Passion of the Christ.' 'We've thought through how the Christian right and the liberal left will slam us,' says Lyndon. 'But megachurches are very likely to embrace this game.' Though it will be marketed directly to congregations, Forces will also have a secular ad campaign in gaming magazines." ₄

The FAQ section of the Eternal Forces web site states:

Question: "What is the level of violence in the game?"
Answer: "Our game includes violence, but excludes blood, decapitation, killing of police officers, etc. Our game is expected to be widely accepted by the mainstream and Christian marketplaces, just as they have accepted Star Wars games which are “T” for teen rated. We have taken great care to make certain that consequences for poor gamer behavior will adequately reflect the gamers actions. Accordingly, unnecessary killing will result in lower Spirit points."

Question: "How does your game compare to more widely known games such as Grand Theft Auto or 25 to Life?"
Answer: "LEFT BEHIND: Eternal Forces was developed to provide an alternative form of entertainment to those desiring more positive game content, while still engaging core gamers in battle. The difference is that our game features fictional battles set on the stage of an apocalyptic world. Our game includes no intestines, no blood spatter, no severed limbs, no vulgar language, no sexual conduct, no morally reprehensible conduct – such as cop-killing, prostitute-bashing, or other criminal behavior, no Bible-bashing believers, no Bible thumpers, no radical extremists killing in the name of God, no abortion clinic stalkers…or other such content in the games you mention." ₁₀

Allegations of spyware imbedded in the game:

According to The Register:

"Watchers of right-wing Christian groups in the States say a new apocalyptic videogame released by cultish Revelations-based fiction series Left Behind is riddled with spyware."

"Developers have incorporated software from an Israeli firm called Double Fusion. It incorporates video advertising and product placement into the game, and reportedly records players' behavior, location, and other data to be uploaded to Left Behind's Bible-powered marketing machine."

We have no way to verify whether this is a valid criticism of the game. It seems unlikely that a major video game producer would resort to such tactics.

The spyware comment may be due to a misunderstanding of one function of the game. It allegedly connects to the Internet and downloads updated advertising posters that appear on the sides of buildings in the game.

Reactions to the game:

On 2006-DEC-12, two liberal/progressive Christian groups, the Campaign to Defend the Constitution and the Christian Alliance for Progress asked Wal-Mart not stock the video game.

"It's an incredibly violent video game. Sure, there is no blood. (The dead just fade off the screen.) But you are mowing down your enemy with a gun. It pushes a message of religious intolerance. You can either play for the 'good side' by trying to convert nonbelievers to your side or join the Antichrist." ₆

"So, under the Christmas tree this year for little Johnny is this allegedly Christian video game teaching Johnny to hate and kill?" ₆

Tara Raddohl, a Wal-Mart spokesperson, said that they have no plans to pull the game from their shelves. She said:

"We look at the community to see where it will sell. We have customers who are buying it and really haven't received a lot of complaints about it from our customers at this time."

The Associated Press comments:

"[Troy] Lyndon, the Left Behind Games CEO, said parents who have seen the game are thrilled. They say it will instill good Christian values in their children -- and they're especially excited about the "pray" button." ₁₂

References:

The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.

1. Jonathan Hutson, "The Purpose Driven Life Takers (Part 1)," Talk To Action, 2006-MAY-29, at: http://www.talk2action.org/
2. Dawn C. Chmielewski, "Converting Video Games Into Instruments of God. A title based on the 'Left Behind' books embraces the medium's violent style. It may reach a new audience, but can it impart spiritual values?," Los Angeles Times, 2006-MAY-10, at: http://www.latimes.com/
3. "Left Behind Games," at: http://www.leftbehindgames.com/.
4. Newsweek Magazine, 2006-MAR-06.
5. Chris Williams, "Evangelical apocalyptic schlockfest 'snoops' on gamers," 2006-JUN-23, at: http://www.theregister.co.uk/
6. Ilene Lelchuk " 'Convert or die' game divides Christians. Some ask Wal-Mart to drop 'Left Behind'," San Francisco Chronicle, 2006-DEC-12, at: http://www.sfgate.com/
7. " 'Left Behind' Now an End-Times Game," Plugged In Online, at: http://www.pluggedinonline.com/
8. "The Top 10 Conservative Idiots, No. 246," Democratic Underground, 2006-JUN-05, at: http://journals.democraticunderground.com/
9. Zach Whalen, "Left Behind: Eternal Forces -- First Impressions, Finally," Gameology, 2006-SEP-07, at: http://www.gameology.org/
10. "Frequently asked Questions," LEFT BEHIND: Eternal Forces, at: http://www.eternalforces.com/
11. "Support good choices -- not censorship," American Atheists, 2006-DEC-27, at: http://www.atheists.org/
12. Hillary Rhodes, "Christian game: good word, or bad idea?," Associated Press, 2006-APR-11, at: http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/
13. Clive Thompson, "Going Into Godmode in Left Behind," Wired magazine, 2006-NOV-06, at: http://www.wired.com/

Copyright © 2006 and 2007 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Originally written: 2006-JUN-06
Latest update: 2007-OCT-02
Author: B.A. Robinson