The Surprising Controversy Behind the ‘I Am Jesus Christ’ Video Game

Who is going to be the most controversial new video game character in 2020? We’re putting our money on Jesus!

Publisher PlayWay has released a trailer for a video game called I Am Jesus Christ. The trailer alternates between third-person shots of Jesus walking in the desert and being crucified and first-person shots of things like healing the infirm.

The trailer instantly caused a ton of controversy in both the video game community and the Christian community. Wondering what it’s all about? We’ve got the lowdown on the I Am Jesus Christ game and all the controversy behind it.

What is ‘I Am Jesus Christ’ about?

The developer says this is a game based on the New Testament. While the focus on Jesus makes that obvious, you shouldn’t be holding your breath for any Old Testament DLC anytime soon.

You can pre-order the game on Steam right now, although there is currently no set release date. You can also read a list of game features there. Those features include things like “open world,” “healing people,” and “walking on water.” Oh, and everyone’s favorite feature: “realistic fight with Satan.”

While it’s great to tell us more about the upcoming game, these features caused more controversy than the trailer (more on this in a minute).

What type of game is ‘I Am Jesus Christ’?

As noted, the trailer doesn’t show us that much. It’s mostly first-person shots of Jesus working miracles. To gamers, that leaves an obvious question: what kind of game is it going to be? Are the developers hoping to redefine FPS as “first-person sacrament?”

The fuller game description calls this a “realistic simulator.” Our only other hints about gameplay include developing “special skills” and doing various acts to increase your “Holy Spirit” (which seems to be a power meter of sorts).

It’s possible that a fuller description would have reassured people. But everything we know so far has managed to rile just about everyone up. Here are a few reasons why.