Can Catholics play games like Heroes of the Storm?

[Arwing]

From what I’ve seen the game doesn’t feature any content that’s too objectionable.

Of course, it will also depend on the player. For some people even “mild suggestive themes” may be an avenue to sin.

 

[BornInMarch]

Do you play CKII too? It’s a fun game!

I don’t think the church made a specific statement on this particular game. It does a good job showing the ugly and painful realities of life in the middle ages, and it shows the negative consequences of things we would consider to be sins (for example, committing adultery in this game can destroy your character’s marriage and open said character up to the risk of STDs). Additionally the “Monks and Mystics” DLC seems to encourage Catholic Morality (in the game your character can join societies - the Benedictine or Dominican Monastic Orders lead to characters gaining good traits, while the Satanic Cult leads to characters gaining evil personality traits).

Having said that, some parts of the games aren’t all that accurate. One example is the portrayal of the Great Schism: in the game an Eastern Orthodox Byzantine Emperor can Mend the Schism by controlling lands (causing 90% of catholic rulers and provinces to convert), but it is impossible for a Catholic Byzantine Emperor to do so. This implicitly (whether intentional or not) suggests that the Catholic Church is the wrong side in the schism and that the Orthodox Church is the only legitimate one.

 

[edjlopez23]

My priest told me that it’s probably at least semi-porn because of the “mild suggestive themes.”

 

[Laura_N]

Diablo II was the game that got me into gaming, and Diablo III was pretty good too. In Diablo II all the names are different cultural names for the devil. Yes, Diablo IIi uses actual demon names, but it’s a fantasy game, in a fantasy world. Blizzard is notoriously pretty lazy with their naming, it’s not like playing the game is going to summon an actual demon. Those games very much have a good versus evil theme, and the players are clearly on the good side.

The morality of any video game, like any form of media depends greatly on how they affect the individual. I can play games like Diablo and not want to start summoning demons so I can shoot ice lasers at them. Just like I can play games like Skyrim and not want to start shouting people to death while leading an assasin cult. But there’s some people that are affected more by that stuff. If you feel like it’s having a negative impact on you don’t play it, if you feel like it’s neutral than go for it. I have not played HotS, but yeah, can’t see any reason why it would be bad. I mean it’s Blizzard, their mildly suggestive themes consist of the occasional innuendo that not even a 12 year old would even giggle at.

 

[2towers]

There was a time in my life when I desperately needed escape, but then if I had spent as much time in adoration as I did in playing games, I would be a Saint now. [That is probably an exaggeration, I think it would take even more than that to make me a Saint, unfortunately.]

 

[Francis]

Same here,i wasted lot of time playing games for hours at times ,without eating or sleeping,instead of using either spiritually or productively,until one find day my family called up my spiritual adviser and had me reprimanded.that i stopped it altogether.Better late than never!

 

[lilypadrees]

It’s a MOBA game that contains fantasy violence, mild language, and mild suggestive themes. Would it be sinful?

Catholics are people too. We can play any games we want. Should we play games that promote violence and things that are suggestive and not so so nice language? That is between the individual Catholic and God.

 

[2towers]

It’s true that some of us on the forums tend to error on the cautious side sometimes, but in instances where it has taken over our lives, that is not such a good thing. As far as the rest goes, as you said, it is mainly an individual choice.

 

[edjlopez23]

I probably have some scrupuolisity and tend to ask questions like these. It’s like I need affirmations of what’s a sin and what’s not.

 

[twf]

The Catholic Church has no position on individual video games. This is a matter of prudential judgment.