Left Behind: Eternal Forces

Left Behind: Eternal Forces
Developer(s)	Left Behind Games
Publisher(s)	Left Behind Games
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows
Release	November 14, 2006
Genre(s)	Real-time strategy/Christian
Mode(s)	single player, online multiplayer

Left Behind: Eternal Forces is a real-time strategy game for Microsoft Windows by Left Behind Games.

The player joins a Christian organization (known as the Tribulation Force) who are fighting the forces of the Antichrist (known as the Global Community Peacekeepers, loosely modeled on the United Nations Peacekeepers). The game is based on the evangelical Christian Left Behind series of books.

The player is able to direct the actions of the main characters (Rayford Steele, Cameron "Buck" Williams, Chloe Steele, and Bruce Barnes) in their efforts to counter Antichrist Nicolae Carpathia. The game was released in the United States on November 14, 2006, and received a somewhat mixed if not negative reception from critics.

Gameplay

The game is loosely adapted from the events of the book series, taking place in New York City. It is staged after the events of the Rapture, when all faithful Christians have been taken by God from the earth, leading to sudden chaos. These events coincide with the sudden rise of Nicolae Carpathia in his restructuring of the United Nations into the Global Community (GC). A group of Christians recognize this as the events of the Rapture, identify Carpathia as being the Antichrist, and form a group to fight the Global Community, the Tribulation Force.

In the single player missions, the player is required to head up the efforts of the Tribulation Force, with the heroes of Rayford and Chloe Steele, Buck Williams, and Bruce Barnes against the GC, with the heroes of the Enigma Leader, Jim Hickman, Steve Plank, Samuel Kline and Hattie Durham. Missions typically consist of attempting to convert as many people as possible to the Tribulation Force, through the use of "Recruiter" units to raise the "Spirit Level" of civilians. The player can train these new converts, termed "Friends", for a variety of occupations to help further their goal of spreading "The truth behind the disappearances." These converted "Friends" include builders, musicians, and soldiers. Eventually, the player will have to fight the GC, who will use various forms to propaganda as well as conventional combat to reduce the Tribulation Force's numbers. Using physical combat to eliminate GC units and being exposed to the GC's various forms of influence (rock music, secularist propaganda etc.) will lower a unit's Spirit Level, which can eventually lead to the units switching sides unless they pray to increase their own spirit level. There is also a multiplayer mode available, in which players can control the GC or the Tribulation Force. Among the GC's units are rock musicians, "Secularists" and cult leaders. Many of the enemy's units, including Rock Stars, Gang Bosses, Cult Leaders and heavier front-line soldiers are described as being trained in "College". Between missions, the player is also provided with articles about Christianity as well as general articles.

In addition to extensive spiritual warfare, armed conflict involving "more than 30 units types" is an additional aspect of the game addressed within the FAQ section of the Left Behind Games site. In its description of the game the Left Behind Games Company states "The remaining population – those who were left behind – are then poised to make a decision at some point. They cannot remain neutral." and ultimately choose to fight on the side of good, represented on the game by the "Tribulation Force", or the side of evil, represented by the "Global Community Peacekeepers". Since the game takes place during the time frame of the second book, the choice isn't enforced yet and there are many neutrals roaming the streets, even at the end of the last mission of gameplay for both single and multiplayer. It has been noted that there are three characters that have Middle Eastern sounding names, each representing a side belonging to the Global Community Peacekeepers, Neutral, and units on the Tribulation Force. Of course, since each of these units can be recruited back and forth, they don't always belong to one side. Players can recruit neutral units to be on their side, but no matter the training, the unit can't kill neutral units (attempting fire on them gives a message that it is not possible). "Trib Force" physical combat units also default to a defensive posture, only defending when attacked. There is a unit type called a "Secularist" on the evil side who specializes in deception. Rock musicians in the game are also associated with the forces of evil. The game has an extensive music library including Christian Rock music.

Criticisms

Upon its release, Eternal Forces was subject to criticism from various groups who decried the game as promoting religious warfare or intolerance. Christian attorney Jack Thompson, who had previously attacked other non-Christian video games, was particularly displeased with the game. Thompson claimed that "The game is about killing people for their lack of faith in Jesus," which he claimed made it incompatible with basic Christian doctrine, and subsequently broke his connections with Left Behind publisher Tyndale House.

The Christian Alliance for Progress decried it as "antithetical to the Gospel of Jesus Christ." Campaign to Defend the Constitution was also listed among critics, citing religious intolerance in the premise of the game. A more lighthearted criticism came from Democratic Underground, who used the game as grounds to put "The Left Behinders" on its "Top 10 Conservative Idiots" list on June 5, 2006.

The game has been subject to much of the same criticism as the best selling books. Muslim groups have called on Wal-Mart to ban the game from its stores, but Wal-Mart said they would continue to carry the product. American Atheists has denounced the game as being "A violent Christian video game that promotes religious bigotry and intolerance".

Reviewers of the game made note that several occupations available for "friends" converted by the player were restricted exclusively to male units. Gamespot described this as part of a "1950s-style attitude" towards gender in the game, while PC Gamer described it as "the very definition of bigotry, or more specifically: misogyny." Upon release, version 1.03 also added 2 more classes (Influencers and Recruiters) for 7 additional female units. Interestingly enough, the most powerful unit in the game is a female only unit, the Prayer Warrior.

Left Behind Games have attempted to respond to criticisms regarding religious intolerance. It contended that, in the context of the game and the Left Behind universe in general, the Tribulation Force is only acting in self defense and thus its actions are morally justified. It further defended its game on the grounds of a lack of excessive violence and boast of Eternal Forces containing "no Bible-bashing believers, no Bible thumpers, no radical extremists killing in the name of God, no abortion clinic stalkers…" In the promotional video shown at retail stores, the company also mentions that there is no blood or gore in the game. When Units are killed, they fade away within 20 seconds.

Left Behind Games has devoted an entire Web page responding to these criticisms by using reviews of the game to answer these claims.

Some reviewers denied that the games promoted religious violence, that it had an objectionable level of violence and that violence was encouraged through "convert or kill." Even the Anti-Defamation League, while criticizing the exclusionary theology of the Left Behind series as a whole, stated that the game avoided the level of violence found in the novels and that it was "an option only used by players if necessary when their forces are attacked." They went on to say, "Conversion to Christianity in the game is not depicted as forcible in nature, and violence is not rewarded in the game."

In-game advertising

The game is packaged with in-game advertisements from Double Fusion. These advertisements are clearly visible on the walls of buildings in the game. Some of the ads displayed are for the Ad Council, most of those showing McGruff the Crime Dog from National Crime Prevention Council. Others advertisements are for EBGames, GameStop, Dell, and Jeep.

The ads in the game that are displayed are default ads located on the user's hard drive. When players are not connected to the Internet, nothing is downloaded. If they are connected, a query is performed and if an ad has been replaced, the game will download it automatically. Advertisements are updated in a "fully trackable and measurable fashion."

Operation Straight Up care packages

In 2007, the evangelical organization Operation Straight Up (OSU) prepared to distribute care packages called "Freedom Packets" to the U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq as a part of the U.S. Department of Defense's America Supports You program. The packages were slated to include copies of "Left Behind: Eternal Forces," but questionable claims of "kill or convert" violence against non-Christian characters and characters shouting "Praise the Lord!" when non-Christian characters are killed made in a blog entry on the the Nation's website prompted ABC News to contact the Department of Defense. Subsequently, OSU dropped its plans to include the game in the care packages.

Legal action

In October of 2007, Left Behind Games sent letters to various bloggers demanding removal of certain material from their blogs. The letters read in part:

Left Behind Games Inc. is demanding that you immediately remove any and all information contained on your site about the above stated game that is false and/or misleading, including any such statements or commentary and the responses thereto. This includes posted comments made by others in the context of reading the incorrect or misleading statements. If you do not comply immediately, the company will be forced to pursue additional legal action which will include claims for damages, costs of suit and attorney’s fees. This may subject you and your organization to significant legal and financial damages.

None of the letters specifically identified what information was false or misleading. However, some sites removed their entire blog and some removed specific sections after contacting LB Games.

Reaction

Critical reaction

The critical response to Left Behind: Eternal Forces varied, with a large number of reviewers giving the game low ratings. It received an average critic rating of 45% at Game Rankings' based on 19 reviews and 38 out of 100 at Metacritic based on 20 reviews, which included a "B+" rating from UGO, a 5.9/10 from IGN, and a 3.4/10 from GameSpot. In a Wired Magazine review, Clive Thompson wrote, "the great surprise of Left Behind: Eternal Forces is that it actually kind of rocks." Reviews cited technical problems with the user interface, pathfinding, A.I. and inconsistency of the game's message between single and multiplayer mode. Most of the technical issues have already been addressed in free updates that the player can get through an automatic prompt to check for updates that appears from time to time when the CD is first inserted or by pressing the "Update" button from the main menu. GameShark reviewed an updated version of the game and gave it a C+.

Commercial results

Eternal Forces was the first release of Left Behind Games, which has invested heavily in development and marketing. Results for the last quarter of 2006 showed sales of $2 million against expenses of $6 million for a net loss of $4 million. Total losses up to the end of 2006 were $31 million.

Patch, expansion pack, and planned sequel

In February, 2008 the EP11 update was made available and addresses all issues with game play and includes over 100 enhancements and features excluding the building's details. Specifically, it addresses issues with the pathfinding, auto-recruiting, and building recognition among other things.

In December 2006, Left Behind Games announced the forthcoming expansion pack for the original game with a slated release date of November 15, 2007. This version is planned to include improvements to graphics and special effects, and new missions, new units, a new faction and co-op multiplayer modes.

In November 2007, Left Behind Games released the second chapter in the series, Tribulation Forces. The game includes the latest version of Eternal Forces along with new graphical building enhancements, a new faction, 5 new missions, and 2 new maps. In May 2008, Version 1.05 was released for Tribulation Forces Users. A new multiplayer mode and multiplayer leaderboards were added in V1.04 and an auto-train ability was added in V1.05.

Gamespot news reported in an interview with CEO Troy Lyndon that Left Behind Games has signed a deal with Big Huge Games, creator of Rise of Nations and its spin-offs, in order to use the Rise of Nations engine to produce a sequel to "Eternal Forces" titled "Left Behind II: Tribulation Forces."

Million games giveaway

In February of 2008, Left Behind Games announced the giveaway of one million copies of Eternal Forces. The game can be obtained either as a physical copy through the mail or as a digital download (requiring either a shipping and handling fee or digital download convenience fee).

See also

• Christian video games

External links

• Official website
• Left Behind: Eternal Forces from IGN
• LB:EF from GameStats
• LB:EF on GameSpot
• SEC 14A proxy filing changing BONANZA GOLD, INC. to "Left Behind Games, Inc." from the SEC

Articles

• Christian game: good word, or bad idea? from the Sioux City Journal
• Left Behind Games: Make new friends when you're not too busy fighting Satan from the Los Angeles Times
• Going Into Godmode in Left Behind, review from Wired
• Religious groups urge Wal-Mart to stop sales of 'Left Behind' video game from The Boston Globe
• Christian video game draws anger from BBC News

News

• Jack Thompson, prominent Christian attorney, urges Focus on the Family to sever ties with Tyndale House over Left Behind: Eternal Forces