Representation of Christianity in 'Farcry 5'

  • Jusuf Ariz Wahyuono Department of Communication Science, Faculty of Social and Political Science, Universitas Gadjah Mada
Keywords: Religious representation, religious symbol, religion, popular game, game studies

Abstract

Farcry 5 is a popular game in Indonesia and a 2018 first-person shooter game developed and published by Ubisoft. This game uses many symbols in the Christianity religion. Reading this game is crucial knowing that Indonesia has one of the largest concentrations of Christianity in the Muslim world. Using semiotic text-based analysis, we observed how this game represents religion using the structure of religious teachings in the Christianity tradition through symbols in the depiction of characters and narrative plots. The study focuses on Joseph Seed’s character and its environment. Joseph Seed is described as a Father, has a Bible, is part of a militia group, and a figure who has the qualities of a prophet. In the Storyline, Joseph Seed was shown as the one who receives the revelation, has Prophecy, and makes sacrifices. As Indonesia is a multicultural country, understanding religious representation in media is important. There are also fewer studies and concerns in popular media, especially in video games, despite its widely accessible content across Indonesia. This game received commercial success and became the fastest-selling title in the franchise, grossing over $310 million in its first week of sales.

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Author Biography

Jusuf Ariz Wahyuono, Department of Communication Science, Faculty of Social and Political Science, Universitas Gadjah Mada

a lecturer at the Communication Science Department, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). He received his master's degree from Communication Science Department, UGM. His research interest is in the field of game studies, cultural studies, and the political economy of communication. Jusuf is also working as secretary editor for Jurnal Media dan Komunikasi Indonesia (JMKI). Email: [email protected]

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Published
2020-07-03
How to Cite
Wahyuono, J. A. (2020). Representation of Christianity in ’Farcry 5’. I-Pop: International Journal of Indonesian Popular Culture and Communication, 1(2), 121-129. https://doi.org/10.36782/i-pop.v1i2.58