I was reading a book about a popular and good-at-one-time band yesterday, concerning their relationship with mainstream religious establishment-type folks. My mind went all over the place, as it is wont to do, and one stop was at the video game station. A couple conceptual passengers alighted, which I'd like to mess around with here. I'll probably ramble some. Your kind indulgence.
Fret not, fair reader. Herein is not an attempt to proselytize for this faith or that. Believe as you wish, or not at all. The existence or not of a Supreme Being and our relationship to he/she/it is well beyond the scope of this post. Neither is it my aim to belittle any faith.
Some slight personal history: I was raised in a religious environment, and stayed in some manifestation of same for decades. Mainstream Catholicism and Protestantism were the brands of choice, whether mine or my parents'. I say this only to give context - my thinking was of course shaped significantly by those experiences, good and bad. Whether I would have it so, I view the world through the lenses given to me by others, then through my analysis of those lenses. As we all do, natch.
The notion that intrigued me was, why, given that many, many people express some form of religious conviction as integral to their lives, do we not see more examples of those convictions presented in games? Belief is a big deal, and video games are big business. Plenty of examples in movies. Plenty of examples in television. Artists in most media have explored their faith publicly. Why the dearth in gamer culture. Or am I way off in my perception?
By religious subjects, I mean more than the mere appearance of gods and angels and demons. I mean faith in a higher power that leads humanity to act in certain ways and do certain things. We set aside our best interests for the good of others. We make sacrifices. We strive to do good (or evil?), because we believe in something bigger than ourselves. And, of course, mortality and what happens next.
Spiritual experience, or serious acid trip?
One can cite many games that have religious imagery. But, I would contend, not so many that actually address religious issues. El Shaddai is replete with Aprocryphal images. That's its point, after all. But the game, as cool as it is and as much as I dig the art style, is, at its core, a beat-em-up/platformer. God of War is set in the world of Greek mythology. Gods and demons all over the place. But it's a setting, an excuse for the gamer to eviscerate powerful deities and spill gallons of blood. Very cathartic, but not exactly ecclesiastical. "But Mr. Fathead," you say, "GoW explores the concepts of revenge and the self-destructive path it sets one on, leading through the darkness to redemption in the end." Maybe. But do we play it for that reason? Hell no.
Kratos on his way to church
Developers like Ken Levine and Thatgamecompany are attempting to push the envelope of the video game medium. They confront racism, class distinction, peace and life and death. However, do we want them to? Sales figures would suggest the answer might be yes. But traditional FPSs sell gazillions more than Bioshock or Journey (Bioshock being no slouch, mind you).
The Legend of Zelda series uses overtly religious symbolism. The three goddesses, a creation myth, good versus evil on a grand scale, good overcoming evil against seemingly overwhelming odds. The hero makes sacrifices for the others. A contender?
Who's yer daddy, Ahriman?
The Prince of Persia game from 2008 - the one with Elika - plumbs those depths more than most games I can recall offhand-like. The roots of the story lie in Zoroastrianism, an Iranian religion that predated Judaism and thus Christianity, as well as Islam. It shares many similarities with these faiths. Existence is in balance, the god of light and creation, Ahura Mazda (Ormazd), in constant conflict with the spirit of darkness and destruction, Ahriman. The Prince and Elika battle the released Ahriman, who is intent on ruling all. The game is basically about light and darkness, destiny and free will. What will we do to get what we want? You know, life stuff.
Video games are a still growing medium. Art forms such as film have a leg up on games, and game developers and writers are only relatively recently attempting to expand the gaming palette to a great degree. But do we want them to? And how far will we want them to go?
I'm just thinking out loud here. What do you think? Are the teachings of religious faiths something you'd like to see explored in games more often? Or are you content with the pleasure of games as entertainment, as fun distraction? It's a big fat world out there, and there's room for lots of perspectives. One is not necessarily right and the other wrong. I hold that, as in other media, having many options is a very good thing. Sometimes I like to listen to the Rolling Stones, sometimes Bach. Sometimes I like games that make me think, and sometimes I just wanna blow sh*t up.
Correct me, tell me I'm full of it, add, subtract. Just don't divide.
Thanks.