Walk a mile in the papal shoes.
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A new game is in development that will give everyone a chance to live the life of a pope. “Pope Simulator,” in development by the Polish software firm Ultimate Games S.A., will give players a virtual papal experience from meeting and greeting the faithful in weekly audience to negotiating ceasefires in armed conflict.
The trailer for the game, which is not expected to be released until at least 2021, opens with white smoke issuing forth from the Sistine Chapel chimney, as the journey begins with the player being chosen as the new pope. Players must then design a unique coat of arms, which will help distribute your stats among three attributes: Persuasion, Knowledge, and Sacrifice.
The preview shows off wonderful high-res graphics, with a breathtaking shot of the player standing on the balcony over St. Peter’s Square. The game appears to be played completely in the first person, in order to really give the player the impression that they are walking around as the pope.
The objective of “Pope Simulator” will be to see if the player can achieve world peace through papal influence and religious inspiration. Each decision you make as the pontiff will stay with you, creating different challenges based on the choices of each play-through. In an interview with Daily Mail, CEO Mateusz Zawadzki described the play style and objectives:
‘Make decisions that will weigh on the fate of humanity, convert and support the crowds. Plan the church’s strategic actions through faithful envoys. Manage your travels around the globe. Fight for peace.’
As pope, players will find that the demands of the office take its toll on their stamina. In order to replenish themselves, they must visit the chapel and meditate in prayer.
Zawadzki went on to note that the play style of this game will be much different from other titles that give players a chance to run their own kingdom or country. There is no fast paced combat that one might find in an action, hack/slash title, but rather this is a game about relationships and social management. He said:
‘The pope has no military or economic power behind him, but he has other means of influencing the world, which was evident in the 1980s, for example, when the communist system in Poland collapsed … Our idea assumes the possibility to use, among others, the so-called soft power, and consequently influence the fate of the world and interfere in international politics. All this, of course, in accordance with the vision adopted by the player.’
“Pope Simulator” is still in early development and has yet to announce a release date, but when it does it will be available to download on PC, through Steam. The company says they will work on bringing “Pope Simulator” to other platforms like PS4, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch after the initial release. Add it to your wish list now to keep up to date with its development.
