I would be lying if I was in the least bit encouraged by the religious themed extravaganza in Left Behind: Eternal Forces. The pretext for a game is based on a million plus selling best seller series of book, obviously playing on the meek faithfuls' staunch exercise in faith based capitalism (take that Disney!) never quite seen myself but matched squarely with product loyalty worn by NASCAR fans. Of course, the execution of the game was quite apropos for a first time developer with probably little experience and marketing intuition; the only thing remarkable in the end being its rather flimsy and gaudy packaging at least 1.5 times larger in volume than standard sized PC game boxes, standing out from the crowd for all the wrong reasons. As for the rest...the less said about the game, the better.

It is unfortunate, since I share the general enthusiasm and conviction that probably had at least some sway over the development of the game. Surprise! The good news must be preached via tireless evangelizing efforts, and this is the great comission that Jesus Christ and God Himself has entrusted on us. Wherever our talents may lie, we would only be wallowing in self-doubt and complacency if not using these to proper effect, and that certainly does not exclude games as a means of communication. Just any activity or process that a person can take to the pinnacle of form, without constant practice and template for new experiences, the discipline and vigilence required of our faith will be atrophied, making ourselves that much more vulnerable to temptations and sin.

That is perhaps why the resoundingly negative critical hounding of Left Behind was in a way a blessing in disguise. It provided the developer the experience of managing a huge and coordinated project as crafting a game that catered to a generally limited audience while nevertheless flaunting pretty heavy handed religious themes. While being roundly panned for atrocious gameplay, it nevertheless garnered the press coverage that other games of similar ilk would ever dream of. More astonishingly and fortuitously, the game was more or less spared for its overt presentation and incorporation of religious agenda, which thoroughly tested the barometer for tolerance of such themes in the medium...and passed with flying colors even with an air of legitimacy, not to such extent seen since the Bible Adventures on NES. It seems that gamers do not get concerned about other aspects of their experience as much as gameplay in the end..

That substantial gain in exposure probably reached its zenith by the time that the developer licensed Big Huge Engine, perhaps for more serious stab at exploiting this gaming potential better than their seminal effort. I hope them all the best.

If it were up to me, the Left Behind property should be more rounded with subtle sensibilities while still be truthful to its source or whatever its message is. The game as an interactive media should not necessarily aim to rely on the core target demographics where the thematic resources drawn from the issue of religions are so widespread and pervasive in its potential and effective reach. The elements such as scenarios, overarching plot and characters should all be conceived not with the Christian conceit of limiting itself to archetypes and professing self-fulfilling religious discipline in the process of its creation, but with the Christian value of embracing and respecting gamers equally to be drawn to the core message and get them piqued to what we have to say.

For example, it would be a worthwhile yet perilous trip into the abyss of total destruction and portrayal of abject violence with impunity that the audience may be directed to psychological solace in the context of framework that the message has been implemented, that only Christianity will offer the worthwhile recourse and outlet from the utter desensitizing and disturbing effects of violence.

The most dangerous and insidious betrayal of our role as stewards of faith is to discredit the far reaching effects of violence and other confluence of worldly vices, observed in ambiguously sanitized and effortless violence that detracts and detaches the audience from the full impact and consequences of violence all the while acclimating them and increasing their threshold of perceiving violence by piecemeal depictions. With today's technology, it is fully possible to leave an impression many times visceral and powerful for the purpose of substituing the basis of reality that is so attuned to our collective perspective and that which pervade a myriad of the aspects of our lives.

What I am proposing is to deliver the message and spread the good news not directly by the way I profess our faith, but by the way of staring squarely into the abyss, along with gamers, of all things ungodly and chaotic, of which I can very well discern foregoing any relativitism. I would design the contrast that is only possible with the intervention of understanding and requiring faith in their faculty to change and turning to God. Gamers would more appreciate our respect for them to determine their own version of apprehension and respond more favorably to our appeal derived from the common thread of challenging them about the question of faith. This is akin to immunizing the vulernable with an invective of hatred and fear, in a way that they will not be accustomed to but instead ultimately yearn for an alternative and the way of spiritual faith as dictated by the game design at my discretion.