While fans eagerly await the release of Grand Theft Auto 6, one Polish game studio has unveiled a rather unorthodox alternative.
The video game, titled ‘I Am Jesus Christ’ allows players to ‘walk in the footsteps of Jesus’ in an immersive first-person retelling of the gospel.
Marketed as the first ever ‘Christ simulator’, the bizarre game follows the story of the Messiah from his baptism in the River Jordan to his Easter resurrection.
Along the way, players can roam first-century Galilee, perform miracles, fight with the Devil and, eventually, get crucified.
According to the game’s creators, players will have the chance to live out key moments from the story of the New Testament.
The trailer shows Jesus cleansing the temple, resisting temptation in the desert, and careening through Jerusalem in what appears to be a high-speed donkey chase.
On Steam, a popular game publishing platform, user reviews are summarised as ‘very positive’, but many Christian gamers are not impressed.
One furious commenter wrote on Reddit: ‘A few things come to mind, namely summed up in the word “blasphemous.”‘
The video game, titled ‘I Am Jesus Christ’ allows players to ‘walk in the footsteps of Jesus’ in an immersive first-person retelling of the gospel
Players will be able to live through key moments in the Bible, including the Last Supper, the crucifixion, and the resurrection
Strangely enough, I am Jesus Christ isn’t the first time that the life of Christ has been reimagined as a video game.
Most notably, the 2008 game ‘The You Testament’ cast the life of Jesus as a point-and-click adventure, which has been widely derided as the ‘worst game ever made’.
However, this latest offering from the game studio SimulaMaker gives the formula a unique twist by setting the story in an ‘open world’ setting.
Using the same basic mechanics as Grand Theft Auto and Skyrim, players will be free to explore Roman Judaea at their own pace.
The developers boast that the game features 30 different miracles, including the feeding of the 5,000, healing lepers, and restoring sight to the blind.
The game’s Steam page reads: ‘Experience key events from the life of Jesus and witness moments whose meaning still resonates today.
‘See these scenes unfold from a personal perspective and engage with the story in a way that feels immediate and immersive.’
An early demo version of the game was released in 2022 and was roundly criticised for its awful graphics, clunky dialogue, and poor performance.
In an unusual twist, the game claims to be ‘open world’. This means players will be free to explore first-century Judea as they please
But over the last four years, the developers appear to have smoothed over some of the rough edges.
On Steam, there were even a few pleasantly surprised gamers singing the bible simulators’ praises.
One reviewer wrote: ‘Not sure what I was expecting but exceeds my expectations.’
‘This game is awesome. I am so happy people made a game about Jesus’s story and that the Gospel can be put into a game. Thank you very much,’ added another.
Some reviews did point out that the game still suffers from poor voice acting and ‘monotonous’ gameplay.
The developers also admitted that they had used AI to generate the voices of the disciples and other characters.
They wrote: ‘In our case, this was a practical solution that allowed us to complete the game at the level of quality we were aiming for.’
However, some complaints weren’t aimed at the quality of the gameplay, but rather at the subject matter itself.
While the game has received some favourable reviews, many have slammed the game’s content as ‘blasphemous’
One infuriated Christian gamer wrote: ‘I hope the Lord returns soon, so His name will stop being blasphemed.
‘I am SUPER uncomfortable with the idea of role-playing as Jesus. Yes I know it’s just a game, but I just couldn’t do it,’ added another.
‘It would be sinful for me (and I would argue, anyone) to play this.’
While one simply slammed the game as ‘blasphemous’.
