[Game Paused]

Reclaimer is hitting the pause button this week to recoup and prepare for great things to come. It is recommended that you go back and revisit some previous posts to comment and discuss whatever new insights you may have had. Don’t be shy, share what you really think.

What are these great things to come you ask? Well, March is going to be a very exciting month. Reclaimer 105 is officially declaring March to be:

MASS EFFECT MARCH!!

The final chapter of the trilogy releases March 6th and starting that week you can expect posts about Mass Effect 1 and 2. We’ll look at the overarching narrative along with the various races, characters, and subplots. We’ll end Mass Effect March by taking a week to examine how everything wraps up in Mass Effect 3. So charge your biotics and refuel our Mako so you can make it back in a couple weeks to dive into this epic space opera.

[Dead Space 2] Distorted Reality

Isaac’s fractured mind changes the way the player experiences the game. This post will look at Isaac’s altered perception and what we can learn from his experience.

Isaac’s girlfriend Nicole has appeared to him repeatedly throughout both games. It is not until the end of the first game that we learn that she has actually been dead the whole time. The Marker has had an effect on Isaac that distorts the way he views reality. In Dead Space 2, the Marker’s disorienting effects are further compounded by Isaac’s amnesia and severe mental instability. This story component injects a whole new level of fear into the game as the player is subject at any point to a terrifying flashing image of something that isn’t really there.

The Marker has had a similar effect on other characters in the story. Dr. Kyne in the first game regularly talked with his dead wife, whom we never actually see. Stross, a fellow mental patient in Dead Space 2, is bombarded by voices and images that convince him to do gruesome things.

"Hey pal, did you drop this??"

The Marker creates a distorted reality that is overlaid on top of what is actually there. The purpose of doing this is to convince those under its control to perform actions according to its will. The Marker, again, represents sin and its effects. Our fallen nature distorts how we see our world. It is so engrained in our bodies and minds that our thoughts and perceptions are irreparably altered. This occurs on two different levels- the individual level and the societal level.

The Individual Distortion

Sin has the ability to convince us to do terrible things. We start to see our world from a self-centered point of view from which all our decisions are then made. The core of sin is the belief that we know what’s best for us. We then deny God’s complete knowledge of what we really need. Humans have an uncanny way of creating justification for sin that alters or completely denies the facts of a given situation. Isaac knows on some level that Nicole is dead, yet he continues to engage her and listen to what she says. Sin filters our world so that we see only what we want to see. Whatever we already believe is confirmed to be true because we see through a distorted lens.

Dude, I don't think that's sunshine coming out of her face...

The Societal Distortion

This plays itself out on a massive level as well. Humanity’s history has had some pretty dark times. There are things in our past over which we as a collective share a sense of regret and disgust. There are countless examples, but two in particular come to mind.

Americans are guilty of profound racism that began with the slave trade. An entire subgroup of our population was viewed as less than human and treated as such. This sinful pattern continued through the civil rights era of the 60′s, but racism sadly still exists today. The cycle of prejudice and hatred in America, as well as many other places, shows how sin distorts the way we see people. Sin casts a huge net of collective blindness over us and it’s only with time and the grace of God that we’re able to gain a more humane perspective.

This makes one think of the obvious second major example- the Holocaust. There are more stories than we’re comfortable hearing about people who had some knowledge about what was happening to Jews in Europe during this time. Those who knew either ignored it, rationalized it, or were powerless to help. Even America failed to act when it mattered. There was a boat full of Jewish refugees who had fled the persecution in Germany in an attempt to find shelter. When they arrived at American shores, they were turned away and given no aid. How could we be so cruel to a group of innocent people who clearly needed help?

Real Reality

This kind of atrocious behavior is what happens when sin distorts our reality. There are countless examples of this in our history and too much is still going on today (racism, prejudice, sex trafficking, slavery, abuse, etc.). Often times the only reason we identify these past events as terrible is because we are looking back on them. We are blinded by sin and we only realize the horror of our actions after its too late.

Isaac follows Nicole all the way to the Marker, somehow thinking that she has been helping him. Only then does reality rear her ugly head as she then attempts to kill him. This is our experience with sin, which misleads us down a path of destruction being disguised as salvation. The Bible acknowledges this layer of false reality that reigns in our world, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

But God also inhabits the true reality beyond our physical sight. We are told that “the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” Everything physical that is infested with sin will pass away and we will see reality for what it really is. God clears up the distortions in our perception and allows us to see him more clearly. There’s a great Old Testament story that illustrates this. The nation of Israel was surrounded on all sides by their enemies. A servant starts freaking out about this, but the prophet Elisha is right there and he sees God’s reality. He asks God to open the eyes of the servant and what does he see? “Behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around.” That story illustrates how God shows up in a clutch, much like another famous battle scene…

"Not alone.."

Questions:

Where do you see our society having a blindspot or distorted reality?

Was there a time when you knew you were being hindered by something not visible?

When in your life have you been led astray by a distortion of the truth?

Thanks for reading along about Dead Space. Share your thoughts and reactions in the comments!

[Dead Space 2] Rebirth

We’re returning to our examination of Unitology and their relationship with the Marker. Both entities seem to emphasize oneness and rebirth. Today’s post will discuss how that relates to us and our culture.

In the final battle of Dead Space 2, you fight Nicole as a representation of the Marker. As she attacks you, there are a few key phrases that she repeats that point towards the ultimate goal of the Marker. These phrases are also connected with key tenets of Unitology. If you played the last battle poorly and had to start over multiple times, like myself, then you probably heard these phrases repeatedly. But repetition began to become deeper meaning the more I heard them. These two phrases have to do with oneness and rebirth.

“We will all be made one.”

The Marker’s goal, as revealed during the final battle, is for Isaac’s mind to meld with the Marker so as to increase it’s power and influence. This oneness with Isaac’s mind is what will help them reach their goal of being reborn (whatever that means). She needs Isaac for this because he is one of the makers whose mind was involved in creating this Marker.

During the battle Nicole repeats “We will all be made one” and “Make us whole.” The Marker promises this oneness and that is indeed a doctrinal focus of Unitology. The Unitologists believe that by following their rituals, worshiping the Marker, and ultimately dying (typically by ritual suicide) they will achieve a sublime oneness with each other and with the Marker.

As we saw with the first Dead Space, Unitology behaves an awful lot like a cult. In the game you get to explore one of their cathedrals and see all the secret rooms and things that were going on behind the scenes. One room shows the “indoctrination” chamber where an audio log reveals that they were doing inhumane experiments on converts. They were doing this to see how they could use the Marker’s power on humans to instigate “convergence”, their word for the oneness achieved through the Marker.

"Umm....I think it might be time to find a different church...."

This desire for oneness with each other and oneness with a higher entity is a common concept in our culture. Some Eastern mystic religions believe in achieving a higher consciousness. Those who worship “Mother Earth” tend to believe that we’re all one big connected entity. This idea is expressed quite clearly in the movie Avatar where the natives can literally plug into their “living” planet. Another example is the movie The Fountain where the ending seems to point to a person’s existence melting back into the universe or nature, or whatever. In both examples, there is this idea of tapping into a collective consciousness or returning to the “consciousness” of nature.

In the first Dead Space you find out that the later stages of a Necromorph infection leads to the cumulative bio-mass of the infected people molding together into a gooey genetic soup that coats the walls (quite a disgusting prospect).  In Dead Space 2 we have Nicole, as the enemy, calling for Isaac to join this “oneness.” Elements like these convey the message that blending into one big jumbled being is not a desirable fate. The Necromorphs are depicted similarly to something like, say, the Borg. They both show how it is a bad thing to be deprived of individuality and mushed into a larger collective. In both the positive and negative depictions of this concept, there is a clear desire for some kind of transformation, often expressed as a rebirth.

"Hey isn't that the guy that sold me my cell phone? I guess he got a new gig as....the wall."

“We must all be reborn.”

In order for the above process of oneness to take place, a “rebirth” must occur for all believing Unitologists. Throughout the game you can see where people have ritualistically killed themselves so that they can take part in “convergence” with the Marker. Is this really the kind of rebirth that we want? No, not really, and Dead Space seems to agree. The game’s narrative has Isaac declining Nicole’s request to join in her “wholeness” by way of destroying the Marker.

There’s a major problem with the Marker’s idea of wholeness, as well as any similar ideas held by some of our culture’s belief systems. They all seem to point that would have us transform from an individual, conscious state of being to a collective state of being in which there is either a shared consciousness or no real consciousness at all. Isn’t this a huge step backwards? Even evolution would state that we went from cosmic dust to a primordial ooze, then eventually to where we have now become living, reasoning creatures. Why would we then want to go back to the inanimate state of nature from which we supposedly evolved?

The Marker is an inanimate object, yet Unitologists believe that it will bring a new life. How can such an object bring life when it is itself not living? The Bible tells a parable in which a man cuts down a tree and uses part of the wood for a fire to make tools, warmth and food. Then, with the other part he fashions a god, which he then worships. How ludicrous is that? How can something inanimate, fashioned by man, have any power to bring salvation or rebirth? This guy and the Unitologists both falsely attribute life and power to something that is just an object.

"Hey that lifeless piece of rock can be my god! See how it's all glowy and pretty?"

Even if the means of rebirth are wrong, the game and our culture still acknowledge that rebirth is indeed necessary for us all. There’s a longing in us that recognizes the need to be made new. Jesus calls us to a rebirth that is much different from what our culture or Unitology describes. When speaking to a man named Nicodemus about rebirth, Nicodemus became (understandably) confused, thinking that he would have to literally reenter the womb in order to come out a new person (that is as ridiculous of a concept of rebirth as that of Unitology).

But no, Jesus meant something else. Jesus’ version of rebirth is a spiritual one that is symbolized through an act called baptism. Remember earlier when Isaac is mentioned as the Marker’s “maker” and how he is necessary to achieve wholeness? Well likewise, we must turn to our maker to receive wholeness in ourselves. The act of baptism allows us to figuratively die (not literally commit a ritual suicide), and submit to God who then makes us new people. As in, you will be a new person. Not a shapeless bit of consciousness mixed in with a greater whole. Some other beliefs (like Unitology) would suggest to you that the ultimate existence is to be reborn as an indistinguishable ingredient in a larger being. However, Jesus’ offer of rebirth redeems us as individuals instead of taking away our personhood.

Questions:

Who or what makes you whole (or feel whole)?

Does the thought of abandoning your identity to something greater sound appealing?

Next time we’ll finish Dead Space 2 by talking about distorted reality.

[Dead Space 2] Good Fear

The previous post pointed out three fears that Dead Space exposes the player to. In this post we’ll see the answers to these fears and what good fear looks like.

The Answer to Fear

The astonishing good news of the gospel is that Jesus dealt with all of these fears through the single act of dying in our place.

When we were powerless to our sin, Jesus died for us to take on our sin. Being nailed to the cross was him at his most powerless as he was subject to the torture and pain we should have received, but he endured it in our place. After suffering on the cross, he returned to right hand of God, who also happens to have all of the power.

Being crucified on a cross was considered the most shameful way to die. Jesus was stripped naked and hung up where all could see him struggling and bleeding. On the cross he was exposed and vulnerable in the worst of ways. But because he is God, he triumphed over that shame. By experiencing shame for us, we do not have to be put to shame. This means that we do not have to struggle with the fear of having our secret thoughts exposed.

Jesus’ resurrection from death gave him the power over death. Now we have the hope of eternal life by trusting in the one who claimed victory over death.

Good Fear

We can all acknowledge that fear can be good for us because it prevents us from doing things that would otherwise be dangerous. But what about fearing God? The Old Testament talks about the fear of God multiple times, but mostly in that context it’s meant to describe a healthy respect of God. However, there are also stories and examples of people literally being terrified of God when they encounter him. Some take issue with a God who instills fear in his creation. The response to that concern is this question- If your god isn’t big enough to fear, is he really worth following? The power of God that we fear is the very same power that saves us. If your god does not induce fear, then your god is not powerful enough to save you.

The writer of Ecclesiastes says, “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” That fear is not for your punishment, but for your salvation. The God that we fear is as equally wise and loving as he is powerful. This is why “Fear not” is one of the most common commandments by God in the Bible. We silly humans are prone to fear the things listed above and so much more. But God is on our side and so he encourages us to trust in him rather than give in to our fears. He tells us, “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.” Because he is a God who loves us perfectly and has the power to protect us, his love gives us no reason to fear, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.”

There may soon come a time when you sit down in a dark room to play through a horror story. You may start hearing noises in the next room and perhaps check behind you for a hidden Necromorph, zombie or something similarly terrifying. Let that fear you feel serve to remind you that there is a God who both justifies your fear and loves you enough to take that fear away.

And speaking of love, happy Valentine’s Day. Go find someone you care about and give them a big hug.

We’ll continue the discussion about Dead Space next time by discussing bad gods, rebirth, and taking another look at Unitology.

[Dead Space 2] Fear

We’ll delve deeper into the Dead Space universe this week and look at fear, rebirth, and distorted reality. This first post will look at the theme of fear that extends across both Dead Space games.

What are you afraid of? What keeps you up at night? What troubles your thoughts throughout the day? We all struggle with fear on some level at some point in our lives. It could even be said that some of us set the trajectory of our lives in a certain direction based on our fears. The Dead Space games are able to tap into this because fear is something that we can all relate to. The very reason we enjoy playing these horror games is because they acknowledge the fears that we all carry. Many forms of entertainment have this horror genre that seeks to play upon our fears of both the physical and psychological. The Dead Space games have us experiencing three main fears. We’ll look at these three fears here, and in the next post we’ll seek out the answer to those fears and also discuss good fear.

Fear 1- Powerlessness

As the horror genre has carried over into actions games, it has spawned a slew of “survival horror” games. These include games like Bioshock, Resident Evil, and Silent Hill. The goal of these games it to dole out steamy bowls of fear through not only the content of the setting and story, but also through the gameplay itself. This is done by limiting the player’s resources and abilities, causing them to think more strategically and use ammo more conservatively. This causes increased fear and tension as the player is constantly in danger of running out of supplies, at which point they are completely vulnerable to an imminent death.

Another example is a gameplay component that Dead Space has mastered- the quick time event. At any point you could suddenly be attacked by who knows what and you’re only option is to frantically mash a button to prevent a gory death. This produces constant fear that control can be completely wrested from the player in an instant.

"Which button do I press to NOT die??"

Losing control of everything is a part of our everyday lives. This is why we have safety measures on our cars, insurance on our houses, and countless other services and gadgets to ensure that we maintain control over our lives.

At the broader level is the story of Dead Space’s background forces. The first game reveals that the government was behind the placement of the first Marker on Aegis 7. Dead Space 2 shows us that the ship from the first game, the Ishimura, did indeed survive that catastrophe. But not only has the government brought back the ship to be studied, but they have used Isaac’s mind to build another Marker. What’s their goal in all this? To learn more about the Marker so that they can use it to increase their power. They want to weaponize this mysterious alien menace. Does this sound familiar? Because it’s the meta-narrative of every Alien movie. Has this kind of plan ever ended well? The prevalence of this theme illustrates that those in power are willing to do whatever is necessary (no matter how ill-advised) in order to maintain or increase their power. They operate under a fear of losing control, which leads to some very bad decision-making.

Fear 2- Shame

The relationship between Isaac and his dead girlfriend Nicole is what provides these games with emotional depth. At the end of Dead Space, Isaac learns that she killed herself out of desperation to avoid a worse death at the hands of the Necromorphs. Isaac is tormented with guilt over not being able to save her in time. Nicole appears much more in the second game as she regularly terrorizes and antagonizes him. She is not real, but is actually a manifestation of the Marker’s presence in Isaac’s mind. There was one encounter in particular that provides insight into Isaac’s character. She tells him, “No one would ever know the guilt you feel, never know the dark thoughts you keep.” Isaac is afraid of having to come to terms with his internal feelings of shame and failure related to Nicole’s death.

This plays into our fears because we all have secrets that we keep. There are things that we think about or have done that we keep to ourselves. They serve as reminders of how terrible we really are. On the outside we put up a good front and act like nothing is wrong because we could not bear the possibility of others seeing the shameful things inside of us.

Fear 3- Death

These games have plenty of examples of death to haunt our fears. The gameplay deals not only death but with painful, gory, excruciating death. We have enough trouble mentally and emotionally dealing with the mystery of death and what comes after, but playing these games just makes it worse by watching Isaac experience a great deal of pain and suffering before finally kicking the bucket.

Isaac's battles have left him as only half the man he used to be.

When you fail, the game provides many opportunities to experience death scenes like the one pictured above. The difficulty level and abundance of enemies in the game means that this is a common occurrence and death is always following close behind Isaac. Likewise, we are constantly reminded of our impending death. This is why there’s always been a compulsion towards dieting, beauty enhancement, and medical advances, to name a few. These are all our attempts to soothe our fears about our inevitable death. Even the Necromorphs in Dead Space are an example of how someone’s attempt to cheat death backfired horribly.

So what do we do about all this fear? Come back next time to find out.