Religion and video games
[3] [4] [5] Games involve moral decision,[6] rely on invented religions,[7] and allow users to create and experience virtual religious spaces.
[13] Canadian developer BioWare (Mass Effect, Dragon Age) has in its offices several encyclopedias on religion, as well as the Book of the Dead.
[15] In the real-time strategy game Age of Mythology the player has to choose a "major god", which gives certain gameplay benefits.
For instance, while Assassin's Creed is fictional, it is set during the Third Crusade in the Holy Land; the player takes on the role of the Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad and is involved in the conflict between Catholic Christians, Orthodox Christians, Sunni Muslims and Shi'ite Muslims.
[22] In the action role-playing game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim a civil war is about to erupt between the Empire and the Stormcloaks.
The Empire suffered a defeat against the powerful Aldmeri Dominion, an alliance of Elves who have made the worship of Talos illegal.
[32][33] Developer Gearbox Software honored a late fan of Borderlands, cancer victim Michael John Mamaril, by adding a NPC named after him in the sequel.
[36] When players of the online game Final Fantasy XIV heard that fellow gamer "Codex Vahla" was in the hospital on life support, they held a digital wake.
[38][39] During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Roblox platform has been used to stage virtual religious processions in lieu of in-person ceremonies due to quarantine restrictions, such as a server by devotees of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila where models based on the icon of the Black Nazarene and other icons were made.
It was after the franchise switched to Sony's PlayStation with Final Fantasy VII that the religious references were left largely intact.
[42] Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed series show a disclaimer: "Inspired by historical events and characters.
This work of fiction was designed, developed and produced by a multicultural team of various religious faiths and beliefs.
[43] Assassin's Creed Valhalla has been considered by many as anti-Christian due to its inclusion of burning churches and monasteries.
One developer on Irrational Games staff expressed strong concern to the lead developer, Ken Levine, that the game's presentation of baptism was highly controversial, leading Levine to consider baptism in relation to forgiveness rather than merely as a religious tenet.
[46] The scene was otherwise well received by critics as less a commentary on Christianity but on as a representation of themes such as free will, evil, rebirth and redemption that were central to the game.
[53] Although the specific reason was not revealed in public, it is possible that it is because the game contains two-headed mutated cows called Brahmin, or that Brahmin is also the name of an ancient, powerful hereditary caste of Hindu priests and religious scholars in India, or its similarity to the spelling of brahman, a type of cow that originated in India.
"Lord Hanuman was not meant to be reduced to just a 'character' in a video game to solidify [a] company/product's base in the growing economy of India."
In response, developer Hi-Rez Studios COO Todd Harris said that Smite would still be featuring Hindu deities, possibly adding more.
[58] The Japanese role-playing game Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse was criticized by Rajan Zed for portraying the Hindu god Krishna.
[59][60] In the original release version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, an Islamic prayer chant was included in the music of the Fire Temple.
The developers at Nintendo were initially unaware of the chant's significance as it was taken from a commercially available sound library, but removed it in later versions to prevent offending any Muslim players.
"[70] The fighting game Injustice: Gods Among Us was temporarily banned in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.
[71] It is speculated that Injustice was banned because of the inclusion of the word 'Gods' in the title, the cleavage exposed in the outfits of some female characters, and overall bloodiness.
A study released by the University of Missouri stated that video games often emphasize the violent aspects of religion.
[77] Playing video games was seen as a form of escapism[78] and the medium was not regarded as a valid object of scientific research.
