‘Left Behind’ game to come

For Christians, the idea of salvation isn’t a game.

Unless, of course, they’re talking about “Left Behind: Eternal Forces,” a much-anticipated video game in which players battle the bad guys with tanks, guns and prayer.

The PC-based military strategy game, based on the best-selling “Left Behind” novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, is expected to be released sometime in the second half of this year.

“Everyone is hoping we can really have a big success here,” said Jeff Frichner, president and cofounder of Left Behind Games. “We have to prove that there’s a market for this kind of game.”

Christian video games have been around for decades – almost as long as video games themselves. But while a religious-themed game might sell thousands of copies, secular games sell millions. “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” sold 5.1 million copies.

With religious rock groups such as Switchfoot and P.O.D. snagging mainstream airplay, and with Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” making more than $370 million, Frichner thinks it’s time Christian game makers developed a crossover hit, too.

The key, Frichner said, is boosting quality while toning down preachy theology.

“Any offerings that have come out under the term ‘Christian game’ have been one-sided in their approach,” he says. “It’s not something that just anybody would want to play.”

But “Left Behind: Eternal Forces” doesn’t hide its Christian message. Gamers playing as the good guys (Command Tribulation Forces) will find that praying before battle increases their chances of success. Scripture-laden scrolls give supernatural boosts.

While Newsweek said the game’s violence was “reminiscent of ‘Grand Theft Auto,’ ” Frichner said he expects it to receive either a “T” (for teen) or “E” (for everyone) rating.