Left Behind: Eternal Forces
A Christian RTS game based on the Left Behind novels.
Left Behind: Eternal Forces is a Christian real-time strategy game developed and published by Inspired Media Entertainment (formerly Left Behind Games) for Microsoft Windows, released on November 7, 2006. Based on the evangelical Christian Left Behind series of novels, the game places players in a post-Rapture New York City, controlling the Tribulation Force against the Global Community Peacekeepers led by the Antichrist. It gained significant attention for its religious themes, controversial gameplay mechanics, and the public disputes it sparked.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Left Behind: Eternal Forces
- Developer
- Inspired Media Entertainment
- Composer
- Chance Thomas
- Released
- NA · November 7, 2006
- Genre
- Real-time strategy, Christian
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game's single-player campaign tasks the player with leading the Tribulation Force—including characters Rayford Steele, Cameron 'Buck' Williams, Chloe Steele, and Bruce Barnes—to convert neutral and Global Community-allied civilians while using lethal force only when necessary. Killing reduces a unit's 'spirit level,' and if it drops too low, the unit turns neutral or defects to the Global Community Peacekeepers, potentially causing a loss. The multiplayer mode allows up to eight players to compete online as either the Tribulation Force or the Global Community Peacekeepers.
Development cost between $3 million and $5 million. An expansion pack was announced in December 2006 for a November 15, 2007 release, but instead a sequel, Left Behind: Tribulation Forces, was produced using a modified version of the same engine as the original game and released in April 2008. Further sequels followed: Left Behind 3: Rise of the Antichrist on October 25, 2010, and Left Behind 4: World at War in November 2011.
The game received 'unfavorable' reviews on Metacritic. Critics praised its originality but panned its plot, gameplay, graphics, sound, and technical issues. Many accused it of promoting sexism, bigotry, and religious warfare, noting male-only unit classes and alleged racial stereotypes. Reviewers including IGN, Ars Technica, and GameSpy criticized the 'convert or kill' mechanic, while Wired praised the gameplay despite its religious theme. Inspired Media Entertainment addressed technical issues in patches, and version 1.03 added two more classes for seven additional female units.
Reader's Guide
Left Behind: Eternal Forces is significant as a high-profile example of a Christian-themed video game that sparked widespread controversy and media attention. Its release drew criticism from watchdog groups, progressive Christian organizations, and the Anti-Defamation League, who accused it of promoting religious intolerance and bigotry. Disbarred attorney Jack Thompson broke ties with the publisher over the game. The controversy led to a media frenzy, with coverage on major networks and in print. Left Behind Games later claimed a smear campaign by the Tides Center resulted in a $200 million loss in shareholder value. The game also became entangled in a U.S. military care package program, Operation Straight Up, which dropped plans to include it after criticism. In October 2007, the company sent legal threats to bloggers demanding removal of 'misleading' reviews. Despite mixed reviews and commercial challenges, the game established a franchise with multiple sequels and remains a notable case study in the intersection of religion, video games, and public discourse.
Did You Know?
- The game cost between $3 million and $5 million to produce.
- In the multiplayer mode, up to eight players can compete as either the Tribulation Force or the Global Community Peacekeepers.
- Left Behind Games sent legal threats to bloggers in October 2007 demanding removal of 'misleading' reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Left Behind: Eternal Forces?
It is a real-time strategy game set in a post-Rapture New York City, built around the evangelical Left Behind novel series. Inspired Media Entertainment (then known as Left Behind Games) developed and published it for Windows in November 2006.
What factions do you play as in Left Behind: Eternal Forces?
You command the Tribulation Force, a band of believers, in battles against the Global Community Peacekeepers who operate under the Antichrist's authority. Gameplay centers on base-building, unit recruitment, and tactical combat across New York City.
How does the Left Behind: Eternal Forces campaign conclude?
The story arc drives players through a series of escalating engagements as the Tribulation Force pushes back against the Antichrist's Peacekeepers. The final missions pit the believers' forces in a last stand to break the Global Community's grip on the city.
Why did Left Behind: Eternal Forces spark so much public controversy?
Critics and commentators clashed over whether its faith-driven narrative and combat mechanics reduced complex theology to a simple shoot-and-build loop. The dispute was amplified by the game's $3-to-$5 million budget and its $2 million first-quarter sales, which forced the industry to reckon with the commercial viability of explicitly Christian titles.
Who developed and published Left Behind: Eternal Forces?
Inspired Media Entertainment handled both development and publishing under its earlier name, Left Behind Games. The title launched exclusively on Microsoft Windows on November 7, 2006.
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