New Game: El Shaddai

Strife412

Strife412

Member
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBfaah25LNo

Anybody seen this? What are your thoughts? I'm more than a bit... wary...

In another trailer, they talk about "the council." ehhhh...

I'm happy to see games come out that have something to do with God, but perverting the Word to make a game... I may have a problem with it...

What do you guys think? Can't say I've studied Enoch's book myself, so I'm not sure how much liberty they're taking with this, but I'm sure it's quite a bit.
 
I'm still re-reading this article to see if I'm understanding the game right, but I'm not really sure I can approve of this game.

Gamestop's E3 Article

couple of quick game descriptions that I don't understand/like:

"El Shaddai is a third-person action game with a biblical theme. In the game, you'll play as Enoch, a heavenly angel tasked with saving the world from the wrath of God himself by descending to Earth and rustling up the souls of fallen angels who have descended from heaven to wreak havoc on mankind."

"The scene makes various quick camera cuts that show the fallen ones hacking Enoch's earthly armor to bits, shattering Enoch's earthly sword, and finally making a cut against his breastplate that will surely decapitate him. Suddenly, the scene freezes and Lucifer's voice cuts in behind that last image, muttering something about how he can't allow this to happen."

Not sure about having Lucifer "helping" you in a game.
 
Ouch. Yeah, wasn't sure who that was. Now that he's been labeled "Lucifer" I don't think I'll be buying this game. Do these companies even stop and think of hiring a religious consultant before they begin development?

I have a feeling this is going to be more of a bomb than Dante's Inferno. lol
 
I was ready to post a /facepalm, but 20 seconds into the trailer, I realized that the game was being developed by a Japanese studio. That was my, "Oh, okay, I understand, nevermind" moment.

Let me explain:

There's been a lot of outcry among Christians who read about games like Shin Megami Tensei and watch anime like Neon Genesis Evangelion, where Christian imagery is used outside the context of Christianity. A Western audience will sometimes assume ill will or malice in using these images in ways that could be considered offensive to Christians.

There are two important points to remember when reviewing Japanese-developed games:

Less than 1% of Japanese are Christians. Chances are very good that no one at Atlus or Gainax are Christians or have friends who are Christians. Americans have a better chance of having a Hindu friend to ask if representing Vishnu as a metrosexual would offend potential customers in India than a Japanese game developer having a Christian friend to ask if the Book of Enoch is even considered canon.

Japanese media creators, for the most part, don't seem to believe in any major religion. Sure, you may find strands of Taoism in Final Fantasy VII, but it's always the power of love and friendship that saves the day. One of the reasons why stories in Japanese RPGs tend to fail to resonate with a Western audience is because JRPG stories tend to operate on the assumption that humanity is either not corrupt or corrupt and able to save itself. If there is a prevailing "religion" in Japanese media, it's not Buddhism, Taoism, or Shinto--it's humanism. Sure, they may use religious imagery, but more likely because it "looks cool" (as in the case of Neon Genesis Evangelion) than because it holds any spiritual significance to the author. In the end, nearly every Japanese video game and anime story will fall back on the, "Man is the measure of all things" maxim.

So whenever you see a Japanese-developed game or anime that features a cross, nuns, priests, or any combination of the above, don't immediately get offended. Remember those story elements were very likely not included to make a statement against Christianity, but rather because they look cool. Need an example? Look no further than the character of Wolfwood in the Trigun anime and manga series.
 
Elader Arkon said:
They were SO close to getting it right with him I almost cried.
Click to expand...
"Getting it right" as in being faithful to the manga or "getting it right" in terms of representing Christian truth?

Because if it's the second, then Angel Beats takes the prize for getting the closest to Christian truth while still missing the mark.
 
Who cares about the story, that game needs more explosions.

/DoW2
 
I was thinking of this yesterday and it dawned on me: This game shouldn't offend Christians--because it's not based on Scripture. The whole "long, blond-haired angel and metrosexual black-haired businessman devil" thing doesn't exactly smack of originality and the Book of Enoch is not considered canon by any church but the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

So members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church may get upset, but all other practicing Christians, IMO, have no legitimate basis for taking serious offense.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top