Press X to Forgive
SPOILER WARNING: This reflection contains spoilers for the conclusion of Life is Strange: True Colors.
This work is an edited version of a piece submitted to the Cambridge Theological Federation on 01 April 2022 as part of the requirements of the MA Theology, Ministry & Mission course, posted here after the piece was marked.
Videogames are an iteration of human gaming. In 1938, Johan Huizinga posited that in immersive play, a person “… is another being”.[1] Craig Detweiler observes that this principle is an important aspect of the popularity of videogames; in playing games, a player enters a form of ‘sacred’ or ‘higher’ space, and the experiences of playing the game as a character bleed over into real-life emotions and vice versa; a player may be emotionally affected by the outcome of the game, and a player’s emotions may contribute to how they play the game and interact with the story. Although offering a virtual space, gaming is not detached from reality.[2] The genre of choice-driven roleplay games utilises choices made by the player as a core gameplay mechanic. Choices impact the story: Player A’s choices, being different to Player B’s, means that A can play a substantially different game to B.[3] Given the necessity of choice to the mechanics of the game, and that gaming is immersive, the question of a Christian’s interaction with these games arises. A study by Daniel White Hodge indicated that playing games is a way for Christians to encounter God and to explore their faith.[4]
Life is Strange: True Colors (LIS:TC) is a game in this genre. The character, Alex, has empathic abilities and the player must use these abilities to discover the circumstances surrounding her brother Gabe’s sudden death.[5] After learning that the ultimate cause is Jed, a man who has become a father-figure and who has cared for her since Gabe’s death, she confronts Jed. Jed tries to kill her, though she survives the attempted murder and confronts Jed again in front of the other main characters, explaining his actions and setting out her feelings. After six minutes of exposition, the player is presented with a choice:[6]
ALEX: I know who you are. I’ve seen the worst parts of you.
CHOICE: X But I forgive you.
B And I condemn you.
The choice arrives at the conclusion of the game; approximately 20 hours of gameplay precedes this event. The player is free to make the choice, which impacts how the story –and the game – concludes, based on the player’s thoughts and feelings, having been immersed in the game and, as Huizinga and Detweiler posit, ‘being’ Alex. Games in this genre are not intended to be played by players randomly selecting options, or by completely dissociating the player from the avatar; it is expected that the player’s own morality and understanding of Alex impacts how the game is played. A Christian playing this game can use their faith as an informer. They can treat the choice as an exercise of their own ability or willingness to forgive in a comparable circumstance; alternatively, they could make the choice in accordance with the Christian assumption that willingness to forgive is a moral absolute, regardless of their own ability or willingness, and examine how they feel in response.
Forgiveness is defined by Judith Butler (summarised by Jeffrie Murphy) as “the forswearing of resentment – the resolute overcoming of the anger and hatred naturally directed toward a person who has done one an unjustified and non-excused moral injury”.[7] The decision to exercise forgiveness may include considering remorse, future risk, and a form of justice, but forgiveness is ultimately setting aside one’s anger against an injurer. It is personal and interpersonal. It requires the injured person to change without any precondition that the injurer changes. Throughout the scene, Alex’s exposition focuses on her emotions and feelings about Gabe, Jed, and Jed’s actions. She reflects on how Haven has changed her[8], and understands how Jed’s actions over the years have changed him.[9] The decision to forgive or condemn Jed is based on Alex’s own feelings, and her understandings of Jed’s self-hatred,[10] not on any possible future actions or consequences.
Christian forgiveness is a moral absolute: Jesus’ teaching in the Gospels makes explicitly clear his expectations that his followers forgive so many times they lose count; [11] that forgiveness is begotten by God’s forgiveness of oneself;[12] and that divine forgiveness is contingent upon interpersonal forgiveness. As evidenced in Luke 17:1-4, Jesus does not expect that rebuke does not occur, but does expect that rebuke is followed by forgiveness. The Lord’s Prayer includes the line “forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us”, which implies that God’s forgiveness is linked to the degree to which interpersonal forgiveness is practiced. In asking the question, “as a Christian player, should I forgive Jed?” the answer found in Scripture is simply “yes”.
Noting this simple response, the player may then note that the pericopae of passages and this expectation of automatic forgiveness, seemingly without preconditions or postconditions, has led to further injury and hurt. At the point of the choice, the player does not know the implication of their choice on Jed’s future, or whether there will be any consequences for his actions. Jed is not repentant, believing what he did “was best for Haven”. [13] Forgiveness without repentance could be a form of cheap grace, enabling a person to avoid the consequences of their wrongdoing. This cheap grace consideration may play an important factor in the player’s decision making, especially when noting that this kind of forgiveness can allow an injurer to believe that no consequences should follow their actions. [14] Likewise, it may seem to diminish the emotional weight of the decision and can imply that the decision should be taken simply and lightly. Alex reminds Jed that he is responsible for killing her father, her brother, and attempting to kill her. Jed’s actions have resulted in two deaths and compounding effects of those deaths on Alex.
The player may search for a nuance with which to help aid this decision. Margaret Holmgren set out a five-stage process of forgiveness which seeks to add nuance to the blanket “yes”. Holmgren is seeking to establish a process by which forgiveness can be true, sincere, and does not cause further harm to the injured or to others. The five stages are recovery of self-worth, recognition that the injury was unwarranted (that is, not the injured person’s fault), acknowledge their true feelings, establish a level of protection, and seek (if they wish) restitution.[15] Holmgren’s process is devised from virtue ethics and morality frameworks, and not explicitly Christian frameworks, which must be borne in mind when applying the process.
Firstly, has Alex recovered her self-worth? Alex’s determination not to allow Jed to escape without his actions being revealed implies so.[16] Secondly, does Alex recognise that the injury was unwarranted? She does, in that Alex identifies that Jed’s actions were motivated by self-preservation.[17] Thirdly, does Alex acknowledge her own true feelings? This can only be assumed through implication. Fourthly, has Alex established a level of protection? The scene takes place with the other main characters gathered around but does not preclude their disbelief. Finally, does Alex seek a level of restitution? She does not. The nuanced model fails two of the five criteria, and as such forgiveness should not ensue. However, this mechanised approach to assessing the worth of forgiveness must be held in consort with the Christian imperative to forgive, and the player will need to reflect on whether they are able to exercise that forgiveness.
Seven in ten players to date have opted to forgive Jed. Moral motivations for each player cannot be assumed, but this reflection has set out the process by which a Christian player may engage with this decision. In theologically reflecting on this decision, incorporating Christian understanding of forgiveness, its sources, and its challenges, this reflection has sought to present how a Christian player could interact with this game and games like it. It has noted that immersion plays an important role in the appeal of games, and that games in this genre require something of the player themselves to be brought into the gameworld, along with the avatar. The seeming simplicity of Jesus’ command to forgive freely and without pre- or postcondition is made more complicated by the gravity of Jed’s actions and the impact they have had on Alex. The decision requires some additional reflection and searching for a nuance with which to aid the decision, like Holmgren’s process, may assist the Christian in reaching the final decision: whether to press X to forgive.
FOOTNOTES
[1] Huizinga (1998) Homo Ludens p. 13.
[2] Detweiler (2010) Halos and Avatars pp. 8-9.
[3] Examples include Fable III, which explores keeping or breaking promises of compassion made to overthrow a tyrannical king; and The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners, in which the player explores morality in a post-apocalyptic world including who deserves to live and die.
[4] “By engaging in narrative, players are able to experience God in an entire new dimension and are allowed to find God on their own terms … narratives can become a form of hermeneutic to interpret and analyse Scripture within community.” Hodge (2010) Roleplay p. 165.
[5] A full plot summary is available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_Is_Strange:_True_Colors#Plot.
[6] A full transcript of this scene appended to this reflection.
[7] Murphy (1998) Forgiveness and Resentment, p. 15.
[8] Appendix. lnn. 16-9.
[9] Appendix. lnn. 35-9.
[10] Appendix. lnn. 23-6; 35-9.
[11] Mt. 18:22.
[12] Mt. 18:23-35; Lk. 11:1-4, 17:1-4.
[13] Appendix. lnn. 5-6.
[14] This understanding of forgiveness removing consequences was evidenced as a factor within the culture of the Church of England, which led to the failure to properly safeguard children from abusers, by the IICSA inquiry into the Anglican Church (2020). [B.6.3 paras 22-4, https://www.iicsa.org.uk/reports-recommendations/publications/investigation/anglican-church/part-b-church-england/b6-culture-church-england/b63-recent-initiatives-improve-culture-church-england]
[15] Holmgren (2012) Forgiveness and Retribution pp. 58-64.
[16] Appendix. ln. 8.
[17] Appendix. ln. 6.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Detweiler, Craig. ‘Introduction: Halos and Avatars’ in Halos and Avatars: Playing Videogames with God, ed. by Craig Detweiler (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2010)
Hodge, Daniel White. ‘Roleplaying: Toward a Theology for Players’ in Halos and Avatars: Playing Videogames with God, ed. by Craig Detweiler (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2010)
Holmgren, Margaret. Forgiveness and Retribution: Responding to Wrongdoing. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012)
Huizinga, Johan. Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play-Element in Culture. (London: Routledge, 1998)
Murphy, Jeffrie. ‘Forgiveness and Resentment’ in Forgiveness and Mercy, ed. by J. Murphey and J. Hampton (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998)
The Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. All rights reserved.
GAMOGRAPHY
Deck Nine / Square Enix. Life is Strange: True Colors. (2021)
Lionhead Studios / Microsoft Game Studios. Fable III. (2010)
Skybound Interactive. The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners. (2020)
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Source: https://life-is-strange.fandom.com/wiki/Chapter_5:_Side_B_-_Script
* indicates that the dialogue is the result of a specific choice taken by the reflection’s author.
1 Alex: Stop.
2 A wave of colors explode from Alex, leaving the room in darkness except immediately
3 around the people in the room. Alex walks toward Jed. The force appears to pull Jed closer
4 to Alex.
5 Alex: I know why you tried to kill me. It's not what you tell yourself, that you thought it was
6 best for Haven. This was never about Haven at all, was it? This was about you. I know it's
7 easier, not having to think about the men you buried. You want to look away and pretend the
8 people you hurt aren't people. But I won't let you. My father worked for you. His name was
9 John.
10 * Alex: He made a lot of mistakes. He wasn't a good father. I think he came here trying to be
11 better.
12 Alex: But you killed him. And then Gabe. My big brother.
13 * Alex: You know, when we were kids, we goofed around to escape, to pretend everything
14 was better for a little while. When I got to Haven, the first thing we did was dance around like
15 total dorks, and it wasn't an escape from anything. He was happy for the first time in his life.
16 Alex: But he died, because of you. And then there's me. For so many years, I just wanted to
17 survive. To get through. Haven changed me. I started to think about the future.
18 * Alex: I want to help people. Because it's something I'm good at. Knowing I'm good at
19 something feels fucking great.
20 Alex: And you tried to murder me. You would have ended my life just so you wouldn't have
21 to face the truth.
22 Jed stands there, looking around fearfully.
23 Alex: You've forgotten it, haven't you? You've plastered over it with another story.
24 * Alex: You tell yourself you're a hero. A strong leader. Sometimes that means making hard
25 choices. Decisions that could lead to people dying. Few men could handle that. Haven's
26 lucky to have you.
27 Alex: But that's the lie. If we scrape it away, what do we see?
28 Alex: Eleven years ago, you led a group of men to their deaths, and you couldn't even say
29 those words out loud because you're a coward. You couldn't imagine saying it to your wife.
30 Saying it in front of your son. Every day, you were brave enough to go underground and look
31 death in the eye, but you couldn't muster the courage to admit a mistake.
32 Jed turns his head and looks away from Alex.
33 Alex: I can feel you trying to pull away. Don't.
34 He turns back to look at Alex.
35 Alex: The truth hurts. Sometimes it's so awful you think you're going to break. But when you
36 come out the other side and you're whole and free and still alive -- then you'll finally know
37 how strong you really are. I see the truth about you. You hate yourself. You hate what you
38 did in the past. You hate what you've done to keep it secret. And the more you deny that
39 hatred, the worse it grows. I know who you are. I've seen the worst parts of you.
40 * Alex: But I forgive you.
41 Jed begins crying. His crying sounds like a huge burden has been lifted from off him. He falls
42 to the floor and continues crying as the scene ends.
