BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT's Diablo franchise is deeply rooted with Catholicism given that it explores a universe where angels and demons clash, while mankind struggles to keep at peace especially with dark entities roaming around.
And while there are heroes who would traverse the demonic plague in the Diablo universe, they will soon realize that evil is more powerful as even the most good-hearted of individuals will soon be corrupted and possessed by the dark side.
Given the general narrative in the Diablo universe, Father Antonio Zabala, OAR, a Filipino Priest and College Administrator of San Sebastian College had this to say.
"Evil is real in this world."
This was his opening statement in a video feature regarding Diablo IV, seen on the game's official social media pages.
It turns out that Fr. Zabala is an avid gamer, who started playing the OG RTS classic, then shifted to Diablo.
"The first PC game I played was a product from Blizzard Entertainment, StarCraft, the original and the expansion set. Then when my superiors assigned me to work in the United States I encountered another Blizzard product, Diablo. When I started playing it, I was attracted to it."
Why Diablo resonates well with Fr. Zabala?
As he went on in the interview, Fr. Zabala explained why he was intrigued with Diablo. Seeing the game's correlation with the mankind's struggles against their inner demons, he became heavily invested with the game.
"Diablo is the visual representation of the struggles of everyday people, daily making choices to combat evil, [it] makes me realize that's how we face life...to be aware that there is a real 'Diablo' and the game itself gives a moral lesson."
"Once you realize this lesson, you learn how to apply it in life."
As a priest, Fr. Zabala would feel inspired by Diablo's setting and this would eventually push him to help those who are in need of his guidance.
"Diablo resonates in my being a religious priest. I help people in their struggles in the same manner Diablo characters help people in the game all in the name of doing good."
"One character in Diablo, Neyrelle, is full of anger and hatred because of the death of her mom. I encounter people with the same emotion."
And because of his overall experience, Fr. Zabala would encourage his ministry to be more mindful with their actions.
"It's up to the counselling side of my ministry to convince them to be more forgiving, so that in the end you fight evil by doing good. Diablo resonates with us because we evangelize people to fight the evils in their lives," he said.
Classes that he enjoys playing
The game Diablo features a plethora of classes that players can experiment on. From Rogues who are capable of shooting their foes from distance, to Barbarians who would brute force their way.
Maybe summoning magic spells that way Wizards do could be a fun experience, or summoning skeletons as a Necromancer might be the ideal method for players to enjoy their playthrough.
Recently the game introduced a new class, The Spiritborn, allowing players to summon the powers of the Spirit Guardians, mystical animals consisting of a Gorilla, Eagle, Centipede, and Jaguar.
Fr. Zabala wished to know more about the inspiration of such character.
"The Spiritborn class really struck me because they are chosen. As priests that brings to life the Spiritborn characters, it's striking really, if only I could meet that person. How the person came about with the storyline? There's really a striking parallelism between the game and what's going on in real life."
But in general, there is one class that Fr. Zabala enjoys playing the most.
"In terms of character, I love the Barbarian. From Diablo One to Two, Three, and now Four I always choose the Barbarian. Why? Because fighting evil means there is no mercy. Evil engulfs you, evil wins over you and takes you in. You go in there, fight them and win the battle," revealed the College Administrator.
Given his overall experience, it seems Diablo has truly shaped his life. Fr. Zabala even incorporates the game into his classes.
Perhaps his introductory phrase in class is: "Stay awhile and listen."
"That's what Diablo really does, it makes you think of things in order to defeat the evil, in the same manner in your life, you do the same," Fr. Zabala reflected.
"Storyline, finding the lessons [in it], and there are instances that I could use them in my classes when I teach."
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