We have all heard the story of Jesus before, whether it be through movies, the Bible, or simply hearing it told over the years, but Jesus Simulator takes a different approach to how the story is experienced. Developed and published by VRCFORGE Studios, this narrative-driven game retells the story of Jesus Christ through events inspired by the Gospels.

You are placed in the middle of sermons, miracles, and personal encounters that explore the themes of love, faith, mercy, forgiveness, and sacrifice. Rather than a traditional game, Jesus Simulator feels more like an interactive retelling, aiming to foster reflection and curiosity as much as entertainment.

The story follows a structured retelling of the Gospel, presenting the life of Jesus Christ through a series of narrated events, conversations, and important moments rather than your standard gameplay.

The game follows well-known biblical moments such as teachings, miracles and interactions with followers, while occasionally shifting perspective to other figures to give a wider view of the story. The writing kept things straightforward and respectful of the source material, which felt confusing in the way it was presented, making it easy to follow.

I found the controls very simple, sticking to the standard setup with W, A, S, and D for movement and SHIFT to sprint, which felt more like a slow-paced jog.

The controls were fine but didn’t offer anything new or engaging, but like the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. There was one aspect of this game I really enjoyed: the inclusion of mini-games that helped break up the more boring moments in the storyline.

The mini-games were super simple and impossible to fail, so it didn’t matter too much what you were doing. They were a nice little touch to the game, and, as I mentioned, they broke up the gameplay a bit with mini-games like hitting the spacebar or linking up connections; everything was fun.

The graphics in Jesus Simulator were honestly nothing to write home about. There was a real lack of fluid movement in the characters, with everything feeling stiff and awkward, which made the overall experience feel clunky. The textures looked like they’d been dragged out of Paint, lacking any real detail or polish.

Nothing visually stood out in this game. On top of everything else, the landscape didn’t feel accurate to the setting in the slightest, which broke any sense of realism the game might have been aiming for.

The complete lack of animal or human activity, and even basic weather, made the world feel lifeless and empty. It ultimately turned what should have been an engaging environment into a pretty dull, forgettable experience.

The sound design was just as disappointing as the visuals. There was a single looping backing track that, while initially enjoyable, quickly became grating after extended play to the point where it seriously tested your patience.

The voice work was clearly AI-generated, stripping away any real emotion or depth the game was trying to convey. There was also no background environmental audio cues, no ambient noise, and no subtle cues, leaving the world feeling lifeless and boring.

Jesus Simulator is an interesting concept, turning one of the most well-known stories in history into an interactive experience, and I’ll give it some credit for trying something different. The narrative approach is respectful and easy to follow, and the inclusion of the mini-games helps break up the story.

However, the game struggles to deliver on what could have been potential. Between the lifeless world design, stiff animations, poor graphical quality and lack of immersion, it becomes difficult to stay engaged.

Written by: Hayden Nelson