"Humanity since its earliest days has remained fascinated storytelling, is this universal trait the result of chance? Or is a deeper reason, we constantly ask "what if?", and look beyond what we can see for something greater?"
Before we begin, I feel its important we establish the meaning of the words “Fantastical” and “Sublime”, as a firm understanding of their meaning, is critical to understanding and engaging with the rest of the article.
While these words share common traits and attributes, they are also very separate ideas which should not be confused nor conflated.
Archaeologists have found evidence of cave paintings and other forms of primitive artwork dating back to humanity’s earliest days
Tales passed from generation to generation, spoken in hushed whispers around campfires, told through Greek epics, Shakespearian plays, and modern-day storytelling in movies, books, and yes, of course, even video games, humanity has always been fascinated with the concept of storytelling.
There is not a single known group or culture which do not engage in story telling in some fashion, proving that a love of story telling is not a learned trait passed from, person to person, but an inbred desire that is central to our identity as humans.
We cannot deny the desire to hear and tell stories is apart of us, which leads to the question, where did this desire come from? and why haven’t we grown out of it as a species?
While its not popular to say, humanity was destined for greater things, we were to be demi gods, created in the literal image of the creator, but for humanity to be free, they needed free will, and free will and freedom never comes cheap.
I personally believe in the Gap Theory, which can be best summarised as modern humanity being a separate a distinct version of mankind, separate from those who came before, who were not created in the image of God, rather were the result of societal evolution.
And there are several biblical references, and archaeological findings’ that lend credence to this theory.
In the very first verse of genesis (the first book of the Bible) we read that, God created the Heavens and the Earth
Only for the very next verse, a mere handful of words later to show that the world exists in a essentially post apocalyptic state, which is without form and void, its dark, its covered in water, and it appears the heavens (universe) have also vanished.
While some try to dismiss this as “a contradiction”, And in many other circumstances I would agree with them, the fact these verses are right next to each other, invalidates that theory.
No one trying to con someone would literally backtrack on themselves a handful of seconds later, it would be akin to someone trying to lie about having an affair by texting “babe I would never cheat on you” and “babe I cheated on you” a few seconds apart, and hoping that their partner would not discover the infidelity.
This realisation leads to an even greater question, What Happened To Earth? and Why Was It In Such A Bad State?
Now I have made it clear in previous articles that I do not believe the entire Bible to be inerrant, and that Jesus is the Word of God, not the Bible, however, there is still a lot of truth to be found, especially when it aligns with the words Jesus spoke.
To truly understand the Bible, it must be viewed with Jesus as the cipher, it is he and his words which must be used to discern which parts of the Bible are divinely inspired, and which are the work of man.
With that in mind, we can begin to follow breadcrumbs to an answer, as to what happened to Proto-Earth.
From this version we can discern that Lucifer, when he fell (and became Satan) he fell from heaven and struck earth, like lightning, which then leads us to our second clue.
For someone to fall, they had to fall from somewhere which leads us to this version in Isaiah.
How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!
You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High".
But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.
- Isaiah 14:12-15In this verse we see that Lucifer dwelt somewhere that had clouds, and wished to elevate his throne above them, he wished to become as God, greatly evaluating his station.
Already the picture is starting to form, Lucifer had some dealing with proto earth, perhaps even a throne and role there, watching over proto man and the creatures of proto earth, but the question remains what happened to Proto Earth?
While I am not a believer in the book of Revelations in its entirety, as it does not fully align with the words of Jesus Christ, the following verse aligns with what Jesus spoke of in Luke and gives us our final clue.
Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world, he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
- Revelation 12:7-9Lucifer, the great deceiver was soundly defeated, and was thrown from the Heaven back to whence he came, Proto Earth, the impact of this evil (that of Lucifer and his followers) destroyed all life on proto earth, and it remained desolate for an unknown gap of time, perhaps billions of years, until God sent his spirit to move upon the dark still waters of the earth, leading to the restoration of earth and the creation of a new race of man, who would have free will, and be made not like the animals, but in the image of God himself.
Some people belief that proto humans, sided with Lucifer in his fall due to their diminished sense of free will, and it is these beings who are later referred to as Evil spirts in scripture, a separate class of spiritual entity to fallen angels which are commonly referred to as fallen angels or demons.
When Jesus walked the earth, he only said and did those things which the Father (God) commanded him to do, and that included telling over 30 parables, as he knew that those outside of his kingdom, could not even see his kingdom, let alone understand it, and by sharing the message of his kingdom in story form, those listening would not only understand the message, but take it to heart.
By sharing these stories, he showed us the nature of God, so we would understand who he really is, and not rely on manmade traditions to know him.
And with that in mind, we have our answer, we love stories, because God loves stories, and God loves stories because they were the way that an infinite God helped us to understand the truth of his kingdom, even before were able to see it.
When it comes to the consumption of fantasy content, there is a problem that exists on both sides of the political and religious divide, taking it all far too seriously.
On one side you have the opinion that nothing matters, nothing could be potentially harmful, and that the entire concept of the supernatural is nonsense.
On the other side you have the belief that every form of fantasy is somehow a direct affront to their beliefs, and that enjoying a myth or story for what it is (a story) is somehow an afront to God.
Anyone who has followed this site for any length of time knows what I believe, I am a follower of Jesus Christ, and he and his words are forefront in my life, however I see no harm or danger in playing Dungeons and Dragons, God of War, Hogwarts Legacy etc.
Absolutely, there are certain topics and subjects that I wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole, and just most fantasy is entirely harmless and even a good thing doesn’t mean there is no danger in engaging with certain fictional concepts, and their real-world counterparts.
Horror icon Christopher Lee, who starred in over 60 horror films, had this to say about becoming absorbed in dark materials.
Something that few people want to acknowledge on either side of the fantasy debate is that the evil we face in this world is far more serious and horrific than a caped Transylvanian count, zombie horde, or evil wizard; this truth is so ugly that it is locked away in the basement of humanities consciousness, as confronting it somehow makes it more real, like the serial killer calling from within your house, this truth is something that should chill the blood of anyone with half an ounce of sense.
That the devil is real, evil is real, and the horrific creatures and monsters seen in movies, books and games are bust a weak imitation of the true horror that preys on mankind; even as I write this, I do so with the knowledge that the lives of billions of people, including hundreds of millions of “self-confessed” Christians are firmly in the grasp of true evil.
While Christians are complaining about mythological Greek gods, and boy wizards, their friends, families, and yes, many, even themselves, are on a one-way ticket to eternal damnation; saying you are a Christian doesn’t make you one, claiming to be a good person, or even just trying to be one isn’t enough.
Without a Saviour, life is one big boss fight with a predetermined ending, which should terrify you.
Anyone who has played a video game that has a final boss encounter “too early” in the game knows it will not go well and that their character will get their butt handed to them on a platter and may even leave the fight weaker than how they started it, with the player being forced to relearn powers and abilities from the previous game due to the beating they took facing off against the games “big bad boss”.
That is how real life works, with one major difference: unlike video games, where you can eventually become powerful enough to defeat the enemy who brought you low, in real life, it is a constant cycle of being brought low by the shadow that stalks mankind.
Nothing you can do in your might can stop it, and only by admitting that you cannot do it alone and that you need a saviour can you overcome evil at its core.
I must preface this by saying that having curiosity about how it feels to play as the “baddies” doesn’t make you a bad person.
However, if you constantly want to play evil characters or games which glorify darkness, then I am sorry to say it, but you are spiritually unwell.
Now, I am sure some people reading this won’t like to hear it, but people don’t like to hear that they have six weeks to live either; sometimes, a truthful diagnosis is an unhappy one; thankfully, this spiritual illness does not need to be eternally fatal (although it can be in the worst of ways).
Like every problem we face and every struggle that is too big for us to handle, the answer is Jesus Christ.
While you may not think you have a problem, I ask you to consider why you enjoy playing games glorifying evil or playing as characters representing evil and why you find such acts enjoyable.
Even horror movies traditionally encourage the viewer to root for heroes or victims. Moviegoers cringe, wince, and occasionally close their eyes in dread, but they want the good guy to come out on top, to escape, live, and be free.
To want to see evil win is not a small thing; it is the sign of a dark and twisted heart, a heart that only God, through Jesus Christ, can heal.
The only way to escape the horror of our fallen existence is Jesus Christ, and it was for that reason that God the Father was willing to send his Son to die on our behalf.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through Him.
Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. - John 3:16-18
You may dismiss this and are free to ignore it, but I hope you never forget this simple truth: no matter who you are or where you come from, you need Jesus.
Sooner or later, you will need a saviour, and I sincerely hope you come to see that before it is too late to do anything about it.
While most of us are lucky enough to never run into someone like Leather Face, our world is full of sick and dangerous people. Honestly, I would never put my eternal destiny in the hands of a drunken driver, serial killer or just plain bad luck when the way out (Jesus Christ) was right there in front of me.
I am not telling you what to play or not to play; what may not be a temptation to me could be a huge stumbling block to you.
If something makes you uneasy or stirs a deeper curiosity about dark materials, then it’s best to avoid it at all costs.
There are elements of the horror/dark fantasy genre that are best left untouched, things that will lead you down a path that you shouldn’t follow.
However, there are also amazing opportunities to discover and rediscover the eternal truth that good triumphs over evil, which, for me, is a constant reminder of Jesus Christ’s victory over darkness.
I love fantasy fiction, movies, tv shows, books, games, even role play (which I have been a huge fan of for over 20 years!).
If a new fantasy game comes out, I will almost always either buy or wish list it, as It is a setting I appreciate for its depth and the ability for it to convey greater truth.
Writers such as JRR Tolkien, and CS Lewis are famous for having used fantasy worlds to discover greater truth, and as the fathers of the modern fantasy genre, I can see the lasting effect of that love of greater truth across most modern fantasy fiction.
While games or movies involving ancient mythology or dark fantasy elements are controversial for many religious people; however, I feel that viewing such content as fiction is pretty much harmless – if you keep in mind that myth is fiction and truth is reality.
You may ask, what is truth? That is an excellent question that could be summed up simply as “Jesus Christ,” but that can sound too much like “Christianese.”
So instead, let’s consider how gods in mythology interact with the world in some games, and how that compares to the way Jesus Christ engaged with people during his ministry.
In many mythology-based games, like most games inspired by ancient myths, deities can both help and hinder the player – offering favour that increases strength or production, or unleashing wrath that brings ruin to cities.
This is pretty accurate to how ancient myth portrays the pantheon: fickle, volatile, and often cruel.
It made me ponder just how fortunate we are that these eccentric deities are confined to myth – and how the real God is not fickle or cruel, despite the way many of his self-proclaimed followers portray him.
This is a false and dangerous portrayal that is created due to a near complete misunderstanding of who God is and how he interacts with humanity.
Only Jesus Christ spoke and acted perfectly as the Father (God) instructed. He even said as much:
With this in mind, let’s look at how Jesus interacted with humanity – knowing He did exactly what God wanted:
It’s easy to see that even the kindest mythological deity is a shallow imitation of the love of God and of Jesus Christ, who, by His death and resurrection, made a way for fallen humanity to be reconciled to a holy God.
Many atheists mockingly reduce the story of redemption to Jesus saving people from His or His Father’s wrath – but that is not academically honest. It was humankind who, by welcoming sin into the world, surrendered their destiny and that of all their descendants to Lucifer, a fallen angel with delusions of grandeur.
In contrast, the Father foresaw humanity’s fall and made a way for redemption.
When God created mankind, it was in the full knowledge that He would have to sacrifice His Son – because He could not allow sin into His presence. Quite literally, if He tried, His glory would consume them – just as a roaring fire cannot allow snowflakes to gather near it, no matter how much it longs for their presence and well-being.
There is nothing wrong with playing games set in fantastical or mythological settings, as while they are not the truth, they often serve as a reminder of the truth, and while I strongly recommend against choosing evil at every turn, the ability to choose to do the right thing, even in a video game is another great reminder of humanity’s divine origin and free will.
Just like choosing to commit evil acts in a game can have very real consequences in many games, such as losing access to certain quest lines and even companions, choosing to live your life, without acknowledging Christ as your lord and saviour is a dangerous game, and one that you will ultimately lose in the most, no matter how hard you try or which of the multiple of other paths you embark on to find salvation.
While many roads lead to Rome, the only way to God and Eternal Life is Thought Jesus Christ, and as one gamer to another I implore you to make that choice today, as unlike many games, real life does not have allow save scumming, and permadeath is on by default.
"While Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth is a decent game, it is a lacklustre Civilization title and ultimately an unworthy successor to Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri."
"While Napoleon: Total War may not be the best Total War game, it is an excellent game in its own right, and I would love to see the developers return to it in some fashion."
"Only a dishonest person could deny humanity's universal obsession with the supernatural is one of our most prominent and universal characteristics."
