Gaming, Gaming Theology

Can Christians Play Dark Souls?

The Answer Might Surprise You

yes.

Unless you’re prone to rage quits. Then definitely don’t.

 

 

While the game’s imagery is undoubtedly nightmarish, the game has a lot to teach gamers about perseverance, critical thinking, and stat management. While I can’t necessarily recommend the first Dark Souls game (because a boss is half spider/half topless woman), the other games in the series are void of that. Plus, Dark Souls 2 and 3, in my opinion, play better than the first.

Romans 14 should come to mind however. We say this on the podcast all the time: if you’re uncomfortable in your spirit playing a game, stop playing that game. Just because a game is popular does not mean you must play it and enjoy it. It’s okay to not like/play a popular game. Whether that’s Super Mario 64 or Dark Souls, no game is worth enduring a troubled spirit to please others.

Whatever you do: do not roll Deprived as your first class.

8 thoughts on “Can Christians Play Dark Souls?”

  1. Hmmm, I myself don’t play Dark Souls for the heavy occult and demonic influence that the game focuses on. Just my opinion (hey it’s the internet!), but I think Christians shouldn’t play it at all because dark games like these do carry weight in terms of influencing us.

    It reminds me of Matthew 6:22-23

    22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

    But totally, if you someone feels they shouldn’t, they should not. Thanks for writing this, it’s good that Christians tackle these kinds of questions and topics. God bless, love what you guys do 🙂

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    1. Hey, Samuru! Thanks for taking the time to comment. Wanted to seek some clarification on something you mentioned. What do you mean when you say a game can “influence” us?

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Cool no problem. Yeah I should have elaborated on that one. Everything we do, entertainment wise, influences us in a good or bad way. Whether its our friends, music, games, movies, whatever form.

        How does it influence? For example, listening to music with lots of cussing will either lend you to also cussing or think its OK. If you watch a lot of occult or violent games, it will lead you to think its OK or want o explore those genres deeper. As a Christian, exposing ourselves to too much of that isn’t spiritually healthy. Now if you are a non believer and don’t follow Gods word, well do your thing (not saying you, just stating the differences)

        Not saying anything negative to those that do play Dark Souls or other games. I haven’t played it myself and I know its an amazing game, but some games for me personally go too far in what I mentioned.

        Not sure if that answers the influence question, I have written a few posts on the topic and its a little hard to express how I feel about the topic just typing a comment but thats the short of it 🙂

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    2. Although an individuals conscience is deeply important to how they should enjoy or not enjoy aspects of the age we live in, I’ll posit an opposite stance here:

      When I’ve played through Dark Souls, engaged its lore, spoken with brothers of mine in Christ, I’ve not only marveled at the talent presented in the creation of the game (specifically the first, and I think a fair amount of 2 which has a personal favorite quality of mine), there’s so much that would regularly point us to Christ.

      As the game is so much about fighting death, fighting evil, and finding hope in something that isn’t exploitative of one’s fellow man, nor a distortion of God himself (such as the occultism in the story you’re likely talking about, for which is actually attributed to evil in the story) there’s so much about the game that lends itself to two things:

      – The overt post-modernism that plagues the last decade or two due to the booming information age reminding everyone how horrible this age is with violence, sex, disaster, war, famine, climate change, etc. and how no matter what man tries to do to live, let-alone live eternally, it is impossible (This is exhibited by the narratives attributes regarding going ‘Hollow’, the act of one pursuing a hope only to find it never fulfilled, and then turning into a semi-zombie where in they never have hope again)

      – The immense hope of persevering despite the absolutely dreadful atmosphere alongside repeated misery (so many stories end with characters losing their hope, or other characters never giving up despite learning that, frankly, they may never find their hopes succeeded) which sounds so much like what the world tries to do apart from God.

      – Just the general and practical difficulty of the games causing one to grow in patience, as well as focus, which I think a lot of people in general might want some more of (see: any boss fight, especially Fume Knight from Dark Souls 2’s DLC lol. I was stuck on that dude for 9 game hours ahaha!)

      All this to say, I would never encourage a Christian brother or sister to play the game if they couldn’t in good conscience, but I don’t think I could say a Christian shouldn’t play it. Especially if they wanted to exhibit 1st Corinthians 9 (be all things to all people so that the Gospel may be heard in all ways) and a close friend had played it, what a missed opportunity to talk some absolutely rich biblical truths about God’s eternal salvation and perfect work as opposed to the work of man in attempting to live forever.

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      1. I like your reply! Very well thought out. I won’t argue it, as I agree with you. I think we are both right, as it can be seen in different ways. I don’t like to mess with games that are heavy into occultism, death, etc. but again, that’s me. At the same time, I have played other games that don’t go so DEEP into it as Dark Souls, and have found some biblical truths and perspectives that I can certainly discuss with others (which is why I even write in my blog!).

        So yeah, I get you, and if you ever wanted to write about Dark Souls, please let me know, I wouldn’t mind a guest post on the game 🙂 God bless.

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