Anyone for a game of GTA: Sodom and Gomorrah? | Adam Boult

A new video game lets users take on the role of Abraham. With 66 books in the Bible to choose from, what's next?Is the book of Genesis a suitable subject for a computer game? German software firm FIAA certainly thinks so, having this week launched an online role-playing game in which users take on the role of Abraham.In the grandly titled Bible Online: Chapter 1 ? The Heroes, which went into beta testing on Monday, users must carefully manage virtual resources while building up the prophet's tribe in the town of Ur, face off against enemies, and ultimately lead the townsfolk on to Canaan. While the plot sounds expansive, gameplay-wise it turns out to be pretty much a desert-based Farmville, with the occasional bit of turn-based conflict and a lot of biblical name-dropping that's likely to go over the heads of most players.FIAA president Dr Alan Kim described The Bible Online as being "developed for players of all ages to easily get closer to the Bible". However, few of the posters on the game's discussion forum seem that moved by the prospect; the conversation is more about play strategy, and it seems the audience chiefly consists of MMORPG enthusiasts who regard the source material as little more than a slightly unconventional gloss.So why bother basing a game on a biblical story? FIAA isn't the first developer to try to wring some interactive fun out of the good book. There have been a fair few Christian video games since gaming's inception ? none of them have set the world on fire sales-wise, and many are far less concerned about biblical accuracy than the makers of The Bible Online.US gaming firm The Wisdom Tree, for example, released a raft of Bible-inspired titles in the 90s, among them Exodus, an idiosyncratic platformer in which Moses wanders around shooting a W (representing the word of God) at anything that gets in his way; Bible Buffet, a baffling mix of Bible trivia questions and battles with homicidal food-stuffs; and Spiritual Warfare, in which a young Christian must rid his town of demons and force his unbelieving neighbours to repent by throwing fruit at them. Many of these can now be played online and while they're certainly worth a look for their rather eccentric novelty factor, they're no great shakes in terms of educational or gaming quality.More sophisticated, and more berserk, Christian gaming can be found in the controversial Left Behind titles, based on the series of novels of the same name which draw heavily from the Book of Revelation. Set in a post-Rapture New York, the game involves leading a Christian militia group waging war against a world government led by the Antichrist.Seeing as FIAA is mining Bible stories for material, and given that the players don't seem that concerned about it sticking to the original text, perhaps gamers would be better served if The Bible Online took some tips from Left Behind and The Wisdom Tree's titles. Never mind that worthy educational veneer ? just use the Bible as a jumping-off point. You've already decided to monkey around with the word of God in the name of entertainment, so why not go the whole hog and have some real fun with it?How about a David versus Goliath beat-em-up? GTA: Sodom and Gomorrah? A Christ on a Bike racing game? With 66 books of the Bible to choose from, the possibilities are practically limitless.ChristianityGamesReligionUnited StatesAdam Boultguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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