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The main weaponry is an assortment of various spiritual swords given to the player by muscle-bound guide angels. The Swords of the Spirit (eight different variations with increasing amounts of power) blast various types of spiritual energy at the bad guys. The enemy is made up of demon-possessed Roman soldiers (who are surprisingly mild-mannered) and a slew of nasties from the dark side. Demons, minor devils, minotaurs, hellhounds, fallen angels, leviathan, and the "Big D" himself all make appearances. ("We have taken some creative license with the game's premise," the instruction manual duly notes.)

The swords actually "save" the Roman guards, who end up kneeling in penitence (to the "Hallelujah" chorus, no less) instead of sprawled in blood when you vanquish them. The nasties basically fall over dead and then evaporate. They get harder and harder to dispatch as the levels increase, but it is not always force or battle that wins the day. The use of subtlety and restraint again demonstrates that this is more than another mere blast-the-baddies Doom clone.

Though Bagley says the general-market enthusiasm caught him off-guard, the real surprise has been from parents. "I've been getting 25 to 30 e-mails each day from parents thanking me for creating this game and encouraging me."

Bagley has no designs to lead the only company creating Christian games, or to be vitriolic in providing an alternative to violent games. "The bottom line is that we need more life-based games," he says. "The only way to deal with all the garbage games is not to go protest or boycott but to create an alternative. Hopefully the quality is enough that the consumer finds it to be worthwhile."

Bagley envisions N'Lightning as the company that can get the ball rolling, but he certainly hopes others join the effort. "God providentially provided this game for us," he says. "We're working on a new game right now that will be twice as powerful as far as the ministry aspect, and still it's not a preachy game—it's just a fun, high-quality game."

John J. Thompson is the author of Raised by Wolves: The Story of Christian Rock & Roll (ECW Press, 2000) and runs TrueTunes.com.

Copyright © 2001 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Download a free demo of Catechumen or pick up tips and hints from the designers.

Read Catechumen reviews from CNet's Gamecenter.com, Justadventure.com, and Seriousgamers.com.

USA Today also profiled the game in "Catechumen: First person shooter on road to Damascus."

Catechumen can be purchased at Amazon.com and other software retailers.

Christianity Today's Wired World provides several technology stories including:

Ten Books, Twenty Two Ounces | Will the incredible lightness of reading make the e-book the format of choice? (Feb. 12, 2001)

Is God.com Dead? | Investors lost faith in iBelieve.com, Lightsource.com was extinguished, and Crosswalk is being run over. What happened to the for-profit Christian Web site boom? (Feb. 9, 2001)

'We All Believe In Something' | And Beliefnet believes the answer to serving both God and mammon lies in being as interfaith as possible. (Feb. 9, 2001)

Internet Pornography Use Common in many Libraries, Report Says | Librarian-researcher claims American Library Association thwarted study.(March 21, 2000)

Mormons, Evangelicals Tangle Over Web Site | Continuing copyright lawsuit against an evangelical ministry that counters Mormon teaching and history (Feb. 9, 2000)

Moral Combat | More Christians campaign against media violence.(Feb. 3, 2000)

And Now, a Web Site to Help You Reflect on Your Sins | UK Christian radio station's 'reflective' site already a hit.(Feb. 2, 2000)

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February 19 2001, Vol. 45, No. 3