Fire Emblem Fates
One of the best game series I played is the Fire Emblem series. Not only does it is a turn-based strategy game (just think of it as a glorified version of chess), it also has the mechanic of permadeath (permanent death), in which if your teammate dies, they are permanently out of the storyline.
This forces the player to think strategically about placement and equipment of his team, lest they fall victim to the enemy. This would result in a downward spiral of having even less team members to bring to the next chapter.
In this post I want to focus on Fire Emblem Fates, in which the the player has to choose to side with Hoshido (fantasy medieval Japan) or Nohr (fantasty medieval Europe).
Birthright or Conquest?
The player character (whose default name is Corrin) was born to Hoshido royal family. Corrin was then kidnapped by the Nohr king and raised by Nohr royalty. Early in the game, Corrin has to choose between following his birth or his adopted family.
What did I choose?
After thinking about it, I realised there are similar implications in Christianity. Although born in Hoshido, the Nohr royal family chose to treat Corrin like Nohr royalty.
Similarly, being a Christian and hence part of God's family is an adoption, rather than a birthright (Hebrews 12: 22-24).
This practice extends to government policy of Nohr. For instance, the retainers of Nohr come from different backgrounds. Some of them like Peri are nobles, while others like Arthur are commoners. Hoshido retainers on the other hand follow the traditions of their ancestors by inheriting their jobs. The most telling is Kaze and Saizo who inhertied their jobs (protecting the royal family) from their fathers.
Reflections
In a time where culture clashes, we can thank God that he made Himself cross-boundary.
