That is funny that the game company totally misjudged what people are willing to accept in a video game. While Halo 3 and Half Life 2 are big sellers, Left Behind got left behind because religion is sacred, and supposed to have a higher moral purpose, and not lower itself to bloodshed and violence.

Oh no, am I going to get a nastygram now? Bring it on.

PS: the books sucked too.

This goes to show (yet again) how out of touch mainstream Xianity is with reality - if you review the game badly, you get called out with a frivolous C&D. When a judge (or intelligent lawyer) eventually laughs in their face, then they will no doubt raise the cry of "persecution!!"

Just to clarify, the game didn't sell well "just" because it was controversial, it was also a really lousy game.

I'm really glad that this game has been rated here on Ex-Christian..

I was going to buy the game just to see what these assholes were trying push on us now. Now having read all the stuff on it I will get the game another way, as contributing to makers of this game is only making them stronger in their attitude toward free thought.

That last comment is funny, because I actually bought the game and have been playing it, and I've found nothing to back up the claims that many critics have made about the game. ExChristian's original post about the game is exactly the kind of "false and misleading information" that Left Behind Games is targeting.

Click here to read Jason's full dissertation on this video game.

Jason, It's just a game. And Jason, these games are all about making money and nothing else. That's why Left Behind is pissed. They want your money and bad reviews hurt profits.

Jason said : I've found nothing to back up the claims that many critics have made about the game.

Should we expect anything less from someone that maintains their religious beliefs even after the mountainous levels of evidence shows how utterly ridiculous to continue believing is? These kinds of people are the epitome of those that put their fingers in their ears and yell "la la la" to maintain their skewed reality.

Jason, you are an idiot.

And yes, the books sucked too.

In my opinion it's a stupid premis for a game in the first place. I seem to recall a simpsons episode where rob and todd flanders were playing a video game with a christian theme. It was just so silly I didn't think it could be real.

"Jason, It's just a game."

Yes, it is, but you wouldn't know that from the way you and others are treating it (i.e. as if it were propaganda to brainwash people into killing non-Christians). I treat it as just a game. You don't.

"And Jason, these games are all about making money and nothing else."

LBG is about much more than that. If they were "all about making money and nothing else," they wouldn't give a fig about promoting positive values in their games.

"That's why Left Behind is pissed. They want your money and bad reviews hurt profits."

All games receive bad reviews one place or another, but those bad reviews usually aren't primarily based on lies, lies and more lies. That's what LBG is targeting, not simply "bad reviews." This is proved by the many websites that didn't get the letter after publishing bad reviews of the game. They didn't get the letter because they didn't publish the lies.

"Should we expect anything less from someone that maintains their religious beliefs even after the mountainous levels of evidence shows how utterly ridiculous to continue believing is? These kinds of people are the epitome of those that put their fingers in their ears and yell "la la la" to maintain their skewed reality. Jason, you are an idiot. "

Oh, look. Poisoning the well. Let me know when you've got something more substantial than logical fallacies to argue with.

LIES, LIES, LIES.

Family friendly? The god-damned game is about killing people, Jason.

Self defense? That is a LIE. The game is programmed so you have to KILL PEOPLE because you will HAVE TO DEFEND YOURSELF. It's programmed so it is inevitable that you KILL PEOPLE.

Jason. You are a dupe of BIG MONEY. Do you have any idea how much money is being made by Christianity? Do you have any idea how much the "Left Behind" saints are raking in from sheep like you?

Jason. You really need to grow up.

LIES, LIES, LIES.

About the game, yes.

Family friendly? The god-damned game is about killing people, Jason.

Where? Show me exactly where in the game it urges you to kill people to win. Which level? Which objective?

Self defense? That is a LIE.

Have you played through the game? Do you know this for a FACT?

The game is programmed so you have to KILL PEOPLE because you will HAVE TO DEFEND YOURSELF. It's programmed so it is inevitable that you KILL PEOPLE.

Oh, so you're privy to the game's programming now?

Jason. You are a dupe of BIG MONEY.

"BIG MONEY!" "BIG CORPORATIONS!" "BIG RELIGION!" "BIG GOVERNMENT!" How many other boogy-men are there?

Do you have any idea how much money is being made by Christianity?

It's not the amount that concerns me. It's how it is used.

Do you have any idea how much the "Left Behind" saints are raking in from sheep like you?

Not according to critics of this game, remember? The sales have been horrible? The company isn't making any money? Any of that ring a bell?

Jason. You really need to grow up.

I grew up when I stopped believing the lies of people like you. I grew up when I stopped believing in boogy-men like "BIG MONEY" and "BIG RELIGION."

Tell me, "webmaster..." are these people lying and dupes of "BIG MONEY," too?

The Anti-Defamation League: "Conversion to Christianity in the game is not depicted as forcible in nature, and violence is not rewarded in the game."

IGN: "To keep the balance of power in your favor, you'll have to find non-violent ways to avoid getting killed. Your units will definitely fight back in a life or death situation but, for the most part, you want to either avoid your enemies or have a ready plan to convert to your side using musicians and disciples. This gets much harder as the game progresses."

ArsTechnica.com: "Many groups have made inaccurate statements about this game that need to be corrected. For one thing, it is not particularly violent. While there are violent aspects of the game, the game makes it clear that shooting is the last resort. Second, it is not hateful to other religions. It does have an agenda, and I think you need to know that going in, but there's no bashing of other faiths.” and “…the game is fun, it'll keep parents happy with its light levels of violence, and it'll be sold at video game stores, religious book stores, and everywhere else people spend money on God. This game will certainly get the message out."

GameSpy: "The other "controversial" aspect of the game is its explicit connection to evangelical Christian philosophy. Here too, the hysteria is seriously overblown. Within the game itself, the amount of proselytizing is kept to a minimum. Units bow their heads to pray in order to replenish their "spirit" resource and giving a unit orders may elicit a response like "For the Lord!" or "In His name!" Prayer scrolls with Biblical verses are also available as power-ups that can call down angels for bonuses, but anyone looking for explicit "Kill the unbelievers!"-style content to justify their fear of the game won't find it here. The biggest "message" portion of the game is actually the "Learn more" screens that become available after each mission. These display interesting text passages about the history of Christianity and CliffsNotes versions of aspects of evangelical theology while playing cuts from top-selling Christian musical acts (with a convenient "buy the album" link to the Internet)."

These are NEUTRAL sources. Actually, the ADL is a HOSTILE source, but even they admit that there's no "kill unbelievers to win" in the game.

I can provide literally dozens of examples from the game, the manual, the website, neutral sources' reviews and other places that explicitly prove that "kill the unbelievers to win" is not a part of the game.

All you can do is spew baseless accusations that you probably got from other people who haven't played the game, either. Pathetic.

"It's faith-based killing that teaches God wants people dead if they don't see Christ as you do," says the Rev. Tim Simpson, head of Christian Alliance for Progress, who has played the game. "Jesus would turn the other cheek." -- USA Today

Jason. Your worshipful devotion to this game is striking. I sure hope you are receiving a commission of some sort.

In any event, I personally have played the game, and frankly, I think it's retarded. Ultimately, the game is about killing the enemy. There is no way to play this game and not off a few people here and there.

Have fun killing people in your game, Christian.

From a PC Games review:

"Don't mock Left Behind: Eternal Forces because it's a Christian game. Mock it because it's a very bad game. The real-time strategy/adventure game from Left Behind Games based on the best-selling series of novels from Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins will even let down born-again types who expect the Rapture to beam them up to heaven any day now. Nobody has enough faith to endure a game with such a hokey story, terrible mission design, serious problems with the interface and graphics, and loads of crippling bugs...

When it comes right down to it, Left Behind isn't appropriate for anyone--religious or not. It's hard to imagine RTS gamers sticking with it for long because of its many serious flaws and bugs. It's equally hard to imagine Christians appreciating a game where you can join the forces of Satan, even if only in multiplayer."

From Game Spy:

"Lousy controls; too much micromanagement; bad AI; poor graphics and art design; lack of skirmish mode; slow multiplayer

Displayed are “text passages about the history of Christianity and CliffsNotes versions of aspects of evangelical theology while playing cuts from top-selling Christian musical acts (with a convenient "buy the album" link to the Internet”

Left Behind Games, subsidiary of Bonanza Gold, Inc. is a “for profit” organization, kid.

Here's a trailer for the game: CLICK HERE

Rev. Tim Simpson, head of Christian Alliance for Progress

Another leftist spreading lies. CAP is as far left as Media Matters and other far-left organizations.

Your worshipful devotion to this game is striking.

My devotion regarding this game is to the TRUTH, which you obviously can't admit.

I sure hope you are receiving a commission of some sort.

Nope. I'm not doing this for any monetary reward.

I personally have played the game

Oh, good. Then you can tell me exactly where in the game (which level(s) and which objective(s)) killing unbelievers to win is encouraged.

There is no way to play this game and not off a few people here and there.

I've been playing the game and I've had only one incident of unintentional killing one of the Antichrist's forces when I got distracted by other concerns and forgot to pause the game. Up to that point in that level, I had been completely avoiding killing, and had I not been distracted, I would've made it through the level without killing anyone.

Have fun killing people in your game, Christian.

I'm two-thirds through the game, and other than accidentally, I have yet to do any deliberate killing in the game and I don't imagine I ever will.

And I like how you use the word "Christian" as a kind of slur, there.

From a PC Games review:
From Game Spy:

Some people liked the game and some people didn't. So what? Most games are like that. (And LBG has taken care of all the bugs in various patch releases. Haven't seen many companies that dedicated to that sort of thing.)

Left Behind Games, subsidiary of Bonanza Gold, Inc. is a “for profit” organization, kid.

No, really? You mean Christians are making money for profit and that's wrong? Oh, the horror!

You never did answer any of my questions. I'd really, really like to know if you think the Anti-Defamation League is a dupe of "BIG MONEY."

I kind of like the idea of Eternal Forces, as it unwittingly relegates the entirety of Christianity to the paltry status of a video game.

Christianity. On the same shelf as Donkey Kong.

Only selling worse.

Brilliant.

Perhaps the add-on pack we can expect in 2008 will thrust us back a few millenia to assume the personage of Joshua as he exacts his genocide upon entire civilizations as commanded by Yahweh. Perhaps Christians might appreciate a different view of their Chief after being thrust into a first person shooter where they are given the divine instructions to "utterly destroy everything in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword." Now that would SURELY be a nice biblical video game Christians could be proud of. I mean, why should these guys stop with the rapture? Come on, let's do 2 Kings 2:23-4 where you play the 2 bears who, in the name of the Lord, maul the 42 kids.

fjell

I kind of like the idea of Eternal Forces, as it unwittingly relegates the entirety of Christianity to the paltry status of a video game.

"I don't know where you get your delusions from, laser-brain."

Quote seemed appropriate. Seriously, though, how exactly does this one game do that to "the entirety of Christianity" - I repeat with emphasis - "the ENTIRETY of Christianity?" I mean, does that atheist kid who shot up a bunch of people in Cleveland just a few days ago relegate the ENTIRETY of atheists to being a bunch of homicidal maniacs?

Care to comment on the Joshua add-on pack?

fjell

The atheist kid who shot up a bunch of people in Cleveland? The atheist kid? That kid was 14 years old! And there has not been one mention of the kid's religion or lack of religion by anyone in the Cleveland or National media except that wacky guest priest on FOX News who went into a personal tirade: CLICK HERE.

CLICK HERE to get more accurate information on the root causes of Asa Coon's (that's the kid's name) anger and violence.

Jason. You just tried to spread lies about a terribly troubled youth who had family problems, to be sure, but whose family problems had nothing to do with a lack of religion in schools.

??? When did the atheist kid come up ???

BTW Jason, from your comments, it sounds like it is a constant struggle to not kill people in the game. If you are distracted, even for a fraction of a second, you "accidentally" kill people.

"I didn't mean to kill you, I was trying to convert you, its just that the techniques are so damn similar"

Jason,

I've played your game. Not just the demo version available at the time of the game's release either (for which I did a very brief review of here), though I admit it's been awhile since I've played either version.

You're right about the game, at least with respect to the fact that it is relatively mild in terms of violence. Personally, I think even I spent a bit too much time on that aspect in the aforementioned review. Objecting to it on this basis misses the point, I think. Yet, just to be clear, there is violence. How else are you going to fight off the anti-christ's forces? Even the demo included at least one mission in which you have to defend - with guns - a particular location. That much I remember from the demo (it's been awhile).

Furthermore, there is no denying the blatant misinformation and Christian propaganda that is disseminated to players via the "clues." Nor is there (in my opinion) denying the gender stereotypes, or the fact that the background stories attached to each TF character are much more upbeat than those attached to their non-TF member counterparts, a subtle perpetuation of the myth that "Christians" are happier people.

Now, it is just a game, and that point shouldn't be overlooked. Yet it stands apart as a game predicated on a certain variety of end-times theology popular in Evangelical circles. In other words, there are those out there - believe it or not - who believe Left Behind is a more or less accurate (if fictional) portrayal of how things will be after the "Rapture." This is further based on an interpretation of the Bible.

To my mind, the game is not really all that important. Having looked at your blog, it seems you take criticism of the game far too seriously. And, I observe that you're interested in propagating misinformation, such as with your take on the appendix (which doesn't affect evolution in the least - vestigial doesn't automatically mean useless, for just a quick blurb about it) and with your remark about the "atheist" kid.

With respect to the latter, there is a very real likelihood (given the demographics of the U.S.) that his upbringing and general outlook was religious, not atheistic. If you recall, there were those who called Cho (the VT shootings) an atheist, yet it turned out he invoked Jesus as his model in his videos. Someone else may remember specifics.

The atheist kid who shot up a bunch of people in Cleveland? The atheist kid? That kid was 14 years old! And there has not been one mention of the kid's religion or lack of religion by anyone in the Cleveland or National media except that wacky guest priest on FOX News who went into a personal tirade: CLICK HERE.

You really need to read more. Is CBS national enough for you?

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/11/national/main3356426_page2.shtml

"Students said Monday's fight was over God - Coon told his classmates he didn't believe in God and instead worshipped rocker Marilyn Manson."

That was probably written by that "wacky guest priest."

You just tried to spread lies

I just proved you wrong. I said he was an atheist and I proved it.

about a terribly troubled youth who had family problems

And was an atheist.

Care to comment on the Joshua add-on pack?

Why?

When did the atheist kid come up

When one commenter decided that this one game speaks for the entirety of Christianity. I decided to draw a parallel to illustrate the absurdity and illogic of that argument.

BTW Jason, from your comments, it sounds like it is a constant struggle to not kill people in the game.

Nope. The units in the game will automatically defend themselves if attacked. (Wouldn't you?) However, the Antichrist's forces are stronger and better armed. I didn't get by unscathed in that incident. A couple of my units died as well.

If you are distracted, even for a fraction of a second,

Takes longer than "a fraction of a second." Nice straw man, though.

you "accidentally" kill people.

Oooo! Quotation marks. Well, argument's over, I guess. You whipped out the quotation marks and thoroughly defeated me.

"I didn't mean to kill you, I was trying to convert you, its just that the techniques are so damn similar"

Why am I even bothering? You've never played the game. You don't know what you're talking about. It's not quantum mechanics, but with you, it could just as well be.

Yet, just to be clear, there is violence.

I've never said there is no violence in the game. I've said that there is no "convert or kill unbelievers" in the game. There's far, far more violence directed at the Christian characters from the Antichrist's forces.

How else are you going to fight off the anti-christ's forces?

Spiritual warfare, i.e. using your recruiters and influencers to turn the hostile units neutral or good.

Even the demo included at least one mission in which you have to defend - with guns - a particular location. That much I remember from the demo (it's been awhile).

The demo has the tutorial and levels 1, 2, 12 and 23. There is no access to armed units (i.e. they're locked out) for the player in the tutorial or levels 1, 2, and 12. Level 12 is about defending a chapel, but as I said, there's no access to armed units. Level 23 is also about defending churches, but with Praisers, not soldiers. So I don't know where you got this idea about the demo having a mission in which you defend anything with guns.

Furthermore, there is no denying the blatant misinformation

What misinformation? That some people believe that there will be "End Times" events which may or may not resemble what is portrayed in "Left Behind" and that players are encouraged to seek their own answers?

and Christian propaganda that is disseminated to players via the "clues."

"Propaganda." Prejudiced code for "a Christian message." One neutral reviewer said that he liked the "clues" and didn't feel at all that they were over-bearing.

Nor is there (in my opinion) denying the gender stereotypes

You mean like female units being the only ones able to become the most powerful units in the game?

or the fact that the background stories attached to each TF character are much more upbeat than those attached to their non-TF member counterparts, a subtle perpetuation of the myth that "Christians" are happier people.

Hardly. Since most of your units are recruited from the non-TF side, their background stories aren't going to be any more or less happy than TF members. The main characters (i.e. the characters from the books) have stories that aren't always upbeat. Special characters, too (one of whom joins the TF after a life of being in the mob).

Yet it stands apart as a game predicated on a certain variety of end-times theology popular in Evangelical circles.

But at no point is the story portrayed as anything other than fictional and the theology only a possibility out of several possibilities.

there are those out there - believe it or not - who believe Left Behind is a more or less accurate (if fictional) portrayal of how things will be after the "Rapture."

Yes, there may be some people who believe that, but they are few and far between. Most people recognize "Left Behind" as fiction based upon a possible "End Times" scenario. Even the game's creators encourage people to have an open mind about the issue.

Having looked at your blog, it seems you take criticism of the game far too seriously.

The criticisms of the game that I've addressed extend far beyond the game itself, which you can see on this very blog! People equate the myth that the game is about slaughtering any and all nonbelievers with real-life evangelicals.

And, I observe that you're interested in propagating misinformation, such as with your take on the appendix (which doesn't affect evolution in the least - vestigial doesn't automatically mean useless, for just a quick blurb about it)

Quick blurb: in response to this finding, evolutionists have moved the goalposts from "the appendix is vestigial and useless, thus it proves evolution" to "the appendix is vestigial, but still useful, thus it still proves evolution."

and with your remark about the "atheist" kid.

What about my remark? Did you not understand my point?

With respect to the latter, there is a very real likelihood (given the demographics of the U.S.) that his upbringing and general outlook was religious, not atheistic.

Um, nope. He was an atheist. See the CBS News link I provided above.

If you recall, there were those who called Cho (the VT shootings) an atheist, yet it turned out he invoked Jesus as his model in his videos.

Only so far as Cho saying he was going to die like Jesus Christ:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6567143.stm

His behavior certainly wasn't Christ-like by any stretch of the prejudiced imagination. Both he and Coon were mentally ill and not any sort of representative of either Christians or atheists.

Very good Jason! I missed that quote from the dead 14-year-old's classmates.

Well, I guess that settles it. Atheists kill people at will and without provocation while Christians are filled with compassion, love and a willingness to turn the other cheek when offended.

AWESOME!

Oh, and perhaps the little Christian who punched the little atheist in the face prior to the shooting was behaving as he was taught by his religious video game, or something.

"His behavior certainly wasn't Christ-like by any stretch of the prejudiced imagination. Both he and Coon were mentally ill and not any sort of representative of either Christians or atheists."

Then why bring it up in the first place? Since you understand that the things a sick 14-year-old or a sick college student says is pretty irrelevant, why go there? And what in the world could be so important about a stupid video game that you are so filled with anger? I mean, who caresa about a video game, really?

Jason, how old are you? I'm thinking you might want to check with your parents before posting here anymore.

Please and thanks.

Very good Jason! I missed that quote from the dead 14-year-old's classmates.

You miss a lot of things that involve the truth.

Well, I guess that settles it. Atheists kill people at will and without provocation while Christians are filled with compassion, love and a willingness to turn the other cheek when offended.

Yes, that was exactly my point. Gosh, you're so brilliant to have seen that. I really wish that someday I could be as smart as you.

Oh, and perhaps the little Christian who punched the little atheist in the face prior to the shooting was behaving as he was taught by his religious video game, or something.

Or perhaps he was just defending himself like anyone else would since he apparently wasn't suspended (as far as I can tell).

Then why bring it up in the first place? Since you understand that the things a sick 14-year-old or a sick college student says is pretty irrelevant, why go there?

As you obviously missed the point completely, I'll spell it out for you. If I were talking, I'd speak very slowly, but since I'm typing, I'll just ask you to read slowly. Another commenter, fjell, stated that this game "unwittingly relegates the entirety of Christianity to the paltry status of a video game" I responded to that rather absurd statement by asking if Asa Coon's ("that atheist kid") actions spoke for all atheists. I was being absurd to illustrate absurdity. Your and fjell's tactic of portraying a few bad things (real or mythical) as accurately representative of billions of Christians is no different than if I used Coon's murderous acts as indicative of all atheists. You'd bitch and moan to no end if I did that and rightly so. It's a stupid, hateful, bigoted tactic.

And what in the world could be so important about a stupid video game

The game isn't important to me. As I've said before and you completely ignore, the truth is what's important to me. This issue extends well beyond the game when people like you extend what's in the game (or what you erroneously think is in the game) to the real world.

that you are so filled with anger?

Excuse me? Who's the angry one? Which one of us angrily ranted away here:

http://exchristian.net/2/2007/10/left-behind-strikes-back.html#3155996265246322462

You or me? I'll have to answer for you since you don't seem to be able to grasp simply concepts. It was you, of course. All of my comments have been calm and rational (which just a few pinches of sarcasm where needed).

I mean, who caresa about a video game, really?

You, obviously, otherwise you wouldn't be making blog posts about it.

Jason, how old are you?

35. How old are you?

I'm thinking you might want to check with your parents before posting here anymore.

Oh, how very mature. Is that the best you've got? If so (and it seems very much to be the case), you are woefully out of your league.

Please and thanks.

You still haven't answered my previous questions:

-Is the ADL (or IGN, ArsTechnica, or GameSpy) a "dupe of BIG MONEY?"

-Since you've played the game, in which level is there any objective that tells the player to kill unbelievers to win?

-How can "the Left Behind saints" be making any money off me or anyone else as you claimed when you also claim that the game and company are doing so poorly? Contradiction anyone?

I won't be holding my breath waiting for you to answer these questions.

"As I struggle to figure out how to survive level 20 of the game, I came across the latest "controversy" surrounding the game. It turns out that Left Behind Games has decided to address the lies that a lot of people have spread about LB:EF. LBG recently sent out a letter to various blogs politely but firmly requesting that they remove all misleading or false information they have spread about the game or face potential legal action."

'Tell ya what, pal... I'll join the fight to petition to remove whatever the hell information LBG wants removed....if Christians remove all misleading and false information from their bible(s)

We can start with Deuteronomy, which plainly condones and promotes the killing of non-believers, which is to include even our own family members. With any cooperation--and lot's of editing--Christians might end up with "The Civilized Testament".

The "Holy" bible's been revised once, it can be revised again. 'Deal?

Jason,

I apologize. I misjudged your age. It never occurred to me that a 35-year-old man would be so enamored with a kid's video game to achieve "Level 20" and create a blog devoted to that game.

I learned something today, I think.

Anyway, Jason, there are plenty of Christians who think the game is crap, as the links above testify. I thank you for responding so openly to my goading. It has made for a fascinating exchange, and revealed much about how at least one Christian responds when any of his precious idols is denigrated.

I think this conversation has run it's course, so comments are now closed.

Oh, and I'm 49 years old. Thanks for asking.

One more thing, Jason. I didn't write this blog. As it clearly says, "The following is from GamePolitics.Com."

Perhaps your issue (whatever it is) is really with them.

I asked: Care to comment on the Joshua add-on pack?

Jason wondered: Why?

Well, Jason, I was curious as to how many three-year-old girls would you have to smite as Joshua with the edge of the sword before something in you sort of bucked up and said, "Wait a minute - I am committing an unspeakably abominable act!"

fjell

Last comment (maybe):

The reason I posted this is not that I care whether this game is violent or Christian or stupid (although I do think these things about this game). The reason I posted this article was to advertise the fact that Left Behind Games is threatening legal action against people who criticize or condemn their little toy. I think this is a striking turn of events, regardless of the game manufacturer. Since it is a "Christian" game, it makes the topic relevant to this site.

Now, don't you need to figure out how to get to the next level in your private little apocalypse?

Run along.