Summary
It may beggar belief, considering how prevalent faith and religion is in the world, but somehow religious belief is a topic not often tackled head on in video games. Perhaps this is due to the inevitable controversy that has followed some games that have tried, or maybe it’s because certain other attempts have undeniably made strong efforts to generate this controversy (looking at you,Dante’s Inferno), but it is a subject the medium of video games can be timid about critiquing.
Horroris often the genre in gaming that takes up the challenge, using either real-world or fictionalized counterparts of religions to dig deep into some of the effects, positive and negative, that religions and faith have had on culture. Naturally, with the genre being horror, there is a tendency towards examining more of the negative impacts on both a societal and personal scale. This is especially admirable, as undoubtedly, many of the people who have worked on these games either are or have at some point had religion in their lives.
Genre
Third-Person Horror, Adventure
The Chant is set during a spiritual retreat on a secluded island. Seeking peace of mind while the suicide of her sister continues to haunt her, Jessica Briars comes to the retreat on the advice of a friend. It quickly becomes apparent that spiritual welfare is at the bottom of the list of what’s on offer, and retreat is no longer an option.
The Chantis focused on the power that certain members of such secluded communities can have over the populace they lead, and the sad truth that many places boasting inner happiness for a price are secretly seeking to prey on unfortunate souls. For poor Jessica, this is true in a very literal sense.
Appearing in a rare starring role, give it up for the Devil himself! While Satan is a more tangible fear for some people than others, what can be understood universally is the notion of what follows his appearance.Diablomakes itself into a grisly and terrifying representation of the apocalypse,playing upon established imagerysuch as “The Last Judgment” by Hieronymus Bosch.
In a brilliant piece of intentional incongruity, it is under the local church of the small village of Tristram which the player must descend, going deeper and deeper with every venture. With each new depth, they’ll uncover monsters more powerful and horrifying than before, all in search of the titular demon himself.
Survival Horror
Nun Massacrehas a simple set up, even when compared to other titles by developer Puppet Combo, who is a master of the simple yet terrifying. The player takes control of a mother looking to retrieve her daughter from a boarding school, wherein the titular Nunstalks the hallswith the singular aim of stabbing and stopping the player’s heart.
Nun Massacrerevels in preying not only upon scenisciphobia (fear of nuns) but also the fear that many parents will share with regard to trusting the well-being of their children to strangers.
One ofDead Space’sgreatest concepts is its basis on the terrifying scope, and rapidity, of power acquired by the none-so-subtly named religion, Unitology, a new wave cult fast becoming the prime religion of humanity.
Exploring the derelict USGIshimuraand facing down the monstrous antagonists,the necromorphs, is a tense adventure sure to make the player jump. However, much of the real dread in the game comes from discovering the backstory of how the situation came to be; how Unitology has sewn corruption throughout theIshimura’scommand structure, and how blind faith has brought about the suffering of hundreds.
The Binding of Isaaccan be quite hard to play. Not only because it is difficult and unforgiving of poor choices, but because the subject matter, despite its cartoonish appearance, isverydark. The player takes control of Isaac, a small child for whom Hell has come home.
This game is an outstanding example of theroguelike genre, and is commonly cited as one of the genre’s best. It is loosely based on the Bible story it is named after, where a parent is ordered by God to sacrifice their child, and is an excellent parable in itself about the possible dangers that blind faith can pose to those most in need of protection.
Using stunningly-recreatedretro graphicsakin to the late-70s and early-80s,Faithis not slowed down by its adherence to recreating old methods in the slightest. In fact, often it is the synthesized voices and rotoscoped cutscenes that create an uncanny horror that couldn’t be replicated in the modern era.
Inspired by the Satanic Panic that blew up in the 80s,Faithtakes a stern look at what was effectively a modern period of witch hunting that ruined many innocent lives, and the devastation faith can have when turned into a weapon.
Heavily inspired by the iconography of Roman Catholicism, the world and characters ofBlasphemousare both wonderful and sickening to behold. The old adage that suffering is the point of living is taken very literally inBlasphemous. Thisbelief takes form and, for most people or things that can be described as alive within the world, their existence is pure suffering.
The result is anawful visionof this adage made real, as expected (and in many cases, welcomed) pain is everywhere. Abuses are inherent in everything and the point…is hard to see. Try explaining the point to the man who must walk on his knees while his arms are twisted like the tubes of a trombone.
Narrative Adventure, Horror
Sagebrushis ashort experience where not much happens, and it is all the better for it. The game is a mostly-silent and unnerving return to the site of Black Sage Ranch, where a doomsday cult has recently committed mass suicide. A cult the player character used to be a part of. In a very short time,Sagebrushmanages to create the feeling of an extraordinarily personal journey of revisiting what was once home and could easily also have been a grave.
It is in no way a violent game, nor is there any direct threat to the player, and yet through sheer atmosphere and a growing knowledge of events and how they culminated, it achieves a kind of horror that stays with the player long after it is finished.
