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In the UK, The Binding of Isaac received a score of 16+ although it was deemed “blasphemous”. [Courtesy]
Religious themes hardly ever appear in video games, but when they do, the eyebrows are always raised. The introduction of religion into the mix makes it a controversial topic.
While the video game industry is generally willing to court controversy when the potential payoff is worth it, the concepts of spirituality and faith have mostly been shunned by developers and publishers.
Many video games create immersive worlds with their unique cosmology, metaphysics, deities, religious traditions, and mythical stories. Others incorporate religious symbols and rituals from existing religions, but most editors avoid the conflict that accompanies religion.
The themes of escape and hedonism that accompany any form of entertainment media often seem to clash with religious themes of spiritual growth, social awareness, generosity, righteousness, or worldliness.
Even as games continue to take root in popular culture and become a global phenomenon, many religious authorities are urging people to resist them.
There have been a few scenarios where the games have crossed the border and then faced the wrath of the faithful.
Recently, Call of Duty: Vanguard, which was released just over a month ago was receiving after a section of Muslims noticed pages of the Quran lying on the floor during a game scene. In Islam, the Quran is seen as sacred and cannot be placed on the ground or on a dirty surface.
it is not the first time Call of Duty drew negative reviews from Muslims for its insensitive content. In 2012, the developers of Call of Duty had to remove a multiplayer map that showed Islamic religious text.
Opinions on video games differ by religion and denomination. As such, the developers and publishers take care not to offend people’s religious beliefs.
Religious references in the Japanese role-playing video game series Final fantasy were originally censored for the games to be released in the United States. This was after the franchise moved to Sony’s PlayStation with Final fantasy vii (1997) that religious references have remained largely intact.
UK, The bond of Isaac was rated 16+ despite being deemed “blasphemous”.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla was also viewed by many as anti-Christian due to its inclusion of burning churches and monasteries. It also requires players to steal and attack churches in order to progress through the main story.
On October 22, 2008, Microsoft announced that Fallout 3 would not be released in India on the Xbox 360 platform, religious and cultural sentiments were cited as the reason.
While the specific reason has not been revealed in public, it is possible that it was because the game contains two-headed mutated cows called Brahmin, or that Brahmin is also the name of an ancient and powerful hereditary caste of Hindu priests and religious scholars in India. , or its similarity to the spelling of Brahman, a type of cow native to India. Brahman, a breed of zebu, is revered by Hindus.
Wooing controversy with Hindu culture was another action game titled Hanuman: Warrior boy, who has been criticized for representing the Hindu deity Hanuman.
Little big planet (2008) had a last minute delay involving a licensed song in the game’s soundtrack.
A member of the PlayStation community reported that the lyrics of one of the game’s licensed songs included passages from the Quran and therefore may be offensive to Muslims. The game was patched twice, the day before its release for players who had received the game earlier, ahead of its scheduled release date.
The fighting game, Injustice: Gods Among Us was temporarily banned in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. Originally the game title was renamed Injustice: The Mighty Among Us for promotional purposes in these areas.
It is assumed that Injustice was banned due to the inclusion of the word “Gods” in the title, the cleavage on display in the outfits of some female characters, and the bloody overall. Eventually, the ban in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait was lifted.
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin (2002) sparked controversy due to a level featuring the murder of Sikhs in a depiction of their holiest site, the Harmandir Sahib, where hundreds of Sikhs were slaughtered in 1984.
A modified version of Silent assassin was eventually released with related material removed from the game.
– Additional information from internet sources
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