First there was light… and now there’s the world’s first ever Jesus Christ computer game
A Warsaw-based games developer has caused a splash after creating a video game that will allow players to take on the role of Jesus Christ.
Set to be jointly published by PlayWay and SimulaM, the game titled I Am Jesus Christ will soon be available for download on the Steam platform and will be playable on Windows 10 operating systems.
With a launch date set for just before Christmas, the accompanying preview blurbs on PlayWay’s website have already attracted much interest with teaser questions such as “are you prepared to fight with Satan in the desert, cure the sick and help the needy?” being asked.
According to the promotional material, players will “walk in the footsteps of Jesus in an incredible retelling of the story of Christ from birth to resurrection.”
In their role as the Messiah, users will “perform amazing miracles, interact with a cast of biblical figures and travel around the Holy Land from Jerusalem to Galilee.”
Featuring 10 hours of gameplay, key features will include the chance to live the life of Christ first-hand.
Several years in the making, the game is the brainchild of Maksym Vysochanskiy, the CEO of games developer SimulaM.
Speaking previously, Vysochanskiy has said that the idea first came to him over 20 years ago: “I was so inspired by computer-animated movies like Shrek and Toy Story that I thought, wouldn’t it be great to make such a film about Christ.”
As time passed, however, Vysochanskiy’s idea morphed to become a video game. When games publisher PlayWay expressed an interest, the project became a reality.
With a launch date set for just before Christmas, the accompanying preview blurbs on PlayWay’s website have already attracted much interest with teaser questions such as “are you prepared to fight with Satan in the desert, cure the sick and help the needy?” being asked.
Those ready to rise to the challenge can expect to perform “over 30 iconic miracles” that will range from feeding 5,000 to healing lepers via calming the sea and giving sight to the blind.
“Recharge the Holy Spirit’s power through prayer as brand new concepts work in conjunction with timeless tales,” the preview blurb continues.
Players can also explore key locations linked to Jesus’s story, and the opportunity to interact with over 60 characters, including the disciples.
Based on the New Testament, the game seeks to spread the Gospel in a manner that aims to be unique and engaging.
Featuring 10 hours of gameplay, key features, say the developer, will include the chance to live the life of Christ first-hand, explore key locations linked to his story, and the opportunity to interact with over 60 characters, including the disciples.
Moreover, users will also be able to recreate key events such as The Last Supper.
The game is the brainchild of Maksym Vysochanskiy, the CEO of games developer SimulaM who was inspired by computer-animated movies like Shrek and Toy Story.
Already, some demo versions have made their way to the press, with Vice’s Matteo Lupetti writing: “The game begins with the search for John the Baptist. As Jesus, I had to ask my fellow villagers where he was and then make my way to him without starving.”
Doing so, wrote Lupetti, meant collecting snacks of fruit picked from the bushes.
Not without its bizarre interludes, the game has faced criticism for its curious diversions. “In the next level, I, Jesus, had to fast in the desert while surrounded by angels training me to fight,” added Lupetti, before raising the valid point that this could be construed as something of a dramatic departure from the concept of “turning the other cheek”.
The game seeks to spread the Gospel in a manner that aims to be unique and engaging.
Further charging players with the job of destroying evil crystals laid around Palestine by Satan, as well as providing plenty of puzzles to crack, the game promises to be nothing if not a fascinating interpretation of the life of Jesus.
Buoyed by the apparent enthusiasm received from some quarters, neither will this be the last Biblically-inspired game from the cannon of PlayWay and SimulaM.
As things stand, other games set to be developed include Noah’s Ark (SimulaM) and Moses: from Egypt to the Promised Land (PlayWay).
