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An upcoming video game will place players in the shoes of Blessed Carlo Acutis for a free-roaming walk through Catholic history. Titled Acutis Game™, the game will offer a full virtual reality experience that will give players complete control of their own adventure.
Produced by Faith Games Inc, Acutis Game™ is named for Blessed Carlo Acutis, the 15-year-old computer programer who harnessed the internet to further the mission of the Catholic Church. Blessed Carlo Acutis was beatified in 2020 by Pope Francis, just days before the 14th anniversary of his passing due to leukemia.
The first glimpse of the gameplay was released in a preview video on YouTube, which showed impressive footage of the models for Acutis and various Catholic saints with whom he can interact. The graphics alone have us excited, with detailed sceneries supported by brilliant lighting that far exceed the expectations set by previous religious video game titles.
From the preview, it seems that players will have a chance to explore a bit of Blessed Carlo’s life and surroundings before the main character is able to travel through Catholic history to meet some of the saints who have spurred great devotion in the faithful. These include St. Pio of Pietrelcina, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, and more.
There are even two different forms of JPII, with footage showing Blessed Carlo Acutis standing with Pope John Paul II on St. Peter’s balcony, as well as skiing with a cheerful looking Karol Wojtyla on a snowy slope. While the preview did not dive into just how the players may interact with each of these Catholic saints, the footage did show Blessed Carlo meeting each one.
Further shots of prayers emblazoned on books suggest that the game will feature elements of religious education. It even looks like Blessed Carlo will be able to visit Christ during key moments of his Passion, giving the young beato and players the chance to explore the ancient setting.
A report from Yahoo has comments from Karl P. Kilb III, co-founder of Faith Games, Inc., who explained why Blessed Carlo Acutis was chosen as the main character of the game:
“During his life, Blessed Carlo enjoyed video games and saw the internet and new technologies as a means of documenting and spreading faith. We want to help further his mission with exciting virtual reality experiences, video games, and other multimedia content designed to educate, evangelize, and enhance faith.”
Eddie Cullen, co-founder of Faith Games, Inc., echoed Kilb’s enthusiasm, noting that the goals of the project were to create an immersive environment in which players can interact with the saints. He said:
“Technology can be used to solve problems and enhance education, and we see ourselves at the intersection of technology, faith, and social impact. People of all ages can learn and develop a deeper connection to their faith by immersing themselves in interactive experiences.”
Acutis Game™ is described as an open-world, sandbox experience, meaning the player can choose where to go, what to do, and how to play on their own. While the game has not yet been released, it is available for preorder on its official website. Visit the Acutis Game™ website to learn more about this exciting upcoming video game.
And today we celebrate...