Games Offer Biting Satire on Role of Religion in Politics, War

Games Offer Biting Satire on Role of Religion in Politics, War

January 24, 2008
Here at GamePolitics we're sensitive to the various religious persuasions (or not) of our readers. I mention that right up front because the pair of mini-games discussed in this article will surely be offensive to some.

However, both are also at the nexus of video game tech and politics, so we'd be remiss not to cover them.

GoLeft.tv's Moral Kombat (screen shot at left) pokes fun at the influence of religion in Republican presidential politics. By the way, the Moral Kombat mini-game should not be confused with Spencer Halpin's documentary film of the same name. (Via: Nullifidian).

Meanwhile, Art Threat reports on Molleindustria's Faith Fighter:
The political video game prodigies at Molleindustria have tackled religion in their latest game, Faith Fighter. The game aims "to push gamers to reflect on how the religions and sacred representations are often instrumentally used to fuel or justify conflicts between nations and people."

Comments

@E.ZK

I knew that..
Awaits proclamations from the Vatican and other world wide religous organizations that video games are now the work of the Devil.
^ Waits with you
I can't wait to get home. :)

That being said, it's expressive, if not actually instructive, from the sounds of it.

I do notice the disclaimer and the ability to censor based on one single religious belief. Either the implication is that some organization will be so offended that the creator's life would be in danger, or the creator believes that only that one particular religion's followers will be extremely offended.

Pah! It's expression, and in the end, what's wrong with that?

Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
That Moral Kombat trailer was pretty well done but the Faith Fighter game - how does that "push gamers to reflect on how religions and sacred representations are often instrumentally used to fuel or justify conflicts?" All I see is a too simple fighting game with some nicely done animations.

Creating a "political" game is more then pigeon holing religious or political figures into a generic fighting game. Are people honestly so devoid of new ideas that they can't look past "fighting game" when it comes time to design a game that's making a statement?
@ Tom

Well, it's a good start, at least. Moar plz.
Xenu is super cheap, but awesome.
BTW, do they include the Flying Spagetti (sp?) Monster?

Nightwng2000
NW2K software
Well that was easy haha. Beat the game using Mohammed. Oh and nightwng FSM can be seen flying around in the Jesus level haha.
haha! i cannot wait to beat up some conservative
@ Tom

I completely agree. The games "purpose" is nothing more than an excuse for the developers to use inflammatory (read: publicity-gaining) characters.

Honestly, I would rather see a RTS set in Israel with realistic characteristics (ie Western technology and production capacity vs. Near East control of resources). You could then evoke religious feelings for a performance boost. That would strike at the heart of the issue.

The existence of God has never been the problem, the conflict occurs among the men trying to reach Him. Having Jesus fight Xenu misses the point.
@Dracis and Roozle

*passes the popcorn* Hopefully it will be a better show then they normally have.
Molleindustria seem to have another game putting the boot into religion too, not the best possible taste (you have to protect paedophile priests). It goes beyond the relatively harmless street fighter-esque games and sails well on into disturbing. Still, the scandal being referenced was similarly disturbing and I'd not argue against their right to criticise, I just doubt the game provokes any serious political thought.

Gift.
@Halo 3 Gamer

Wrong Article..

 EZK: He was spamming the threads, so he is gone now.
I agree that creating a fighting game kinda saps such a project of whatever relevance it may have intended to have. It's kinda hard to express any particular meaning if all there is to do in the game is beat on the other guy until his meter runs out.

But then again, I never liked fighting games anyway.
@ gift

That's a rather good point made.
My religious differences with the right aside (I am agnostic), I would vote for a republican over a democrat any time. All democrats do is use cheap attacks against their enemies. Republicans actually think it out.
@ AdioBam

I'm not a US citizen, so I can't say for sure, but that sounds like a whopping generalisation and over-simplification from where I'm sitting.
I find it very responsible that they put a warning and even a censored, Mohammed-less version of the game. But I didn't really play it much, oy. It's on newgrounds.com
So uhh... what exactly is the reflection of using one religious figure to fight another? I mean the games aren't really offensive but I have no idea where the reflection came from.

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