christiangamer

My Level 9 Warrior Elissa Comes to Save Redcliffe

This is an article I wrote up for my church newsletter; believe it or not haha!  So here I am explaining the beginning of Dragon Age to quite a few non-gamers…

There is a major early story spoiler in this article (well, if you’re a video gamer)

The game is Dragon Age: Origins and its set in a world that could be compared to Tolkien’s Middle Earth, though it’s much more dark and tragic.  Much like any good fantasy story; you get your elves, dwarves, evil bad guys, swords, dragons (hence the title), heroes and kings.  At a certain place in the story you meet some important characters: one will become your mentor, another is a renowned and revered hero, and another one just so happens to be your country’s king.  It seemed as though the game was setting me up for a typical and predictable, but nonetheless epic, fantasy against the mindless horde of bad guys coming my way and I was really getting into it!

I was wrong about it being typical or predictable.  There is an epic battle at the beginning of the game.  In this battle your king and mentor are both killed, the battle lost, and the famous hero is revealed as a traitor.  It was a major twist; and a jarring one at that.  I was actually so engrossed in the story that it kind of got to me; it made me angry!

I’ve never felt quite so hopeless and sad about the story of a video game before.  It made me think about Peter and the other disciples in the hours and days following the cross.  What a shock it must have been (even though Jesus tried to warn them).  Imagine having the man you had come to know as your mentor and King – the one your people have been waiting on for centuries; betrayed, arrested, beaten, and crucified.  It must have felt as though time stopped and all was lost.  Thank God we know the end of that story!  Because of the resurrection we have hope in Jesus and Heaven!  Our Mentor and King has somehow survived death and tragedy!  I don’t know the end of Dragon Age (and don’t be spoiling it for me!), but our true story is way more compelling than any man-made story.  It’s funny how you can find little reminders and insights to truth in the places you’d least expect if you’re looking for them…