What do a classic World War 2 FPS and turn-based strategy 4X game have in common?
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Jose Rizal is our national hero, an icon of Philippine culture, and one of the most famous Filipinos who ever lived. He’s a man of many talents whose impact on history is undeniable, and if you thought that made him eligible to be a video game character, well, you’re not alone. Jose Rizal probably didn’t expect he would be digitized during his world travels, yet here we are with our national hero being playable in a couple of video games, and we aren’t just talking about those educational games you play in school.
This isn’t a Darth Vader in Soul Calibur IV type of crossover (though Rizal is the name inspiration for the Tekken 7 character Josie Rizal), but it’s still noteworthy how Jose Rizal makes for a surprisingly versatile video game character.
CIV LEADER JOSE RIZAL
Fans of the Civilization franchise know that the series has a knack for featuring notable historical figures as playable leaders. The newest entry in the franchise, Civilization VII, continues that trend as it features our very own Jose Rizal as a playable character. The Civilization series is a turn-based strategy 4X franchise about growing and developing territories and guiding them through history and against other civilizations.
At the start of every playthrough, you get to choose a leader with their own bonus, attributes, and abilities to guide you on your conquest. In Civ VII, aside from figures such as Benjamin Franklin, Confucius, and Harriet Tubman, you can choose Jose Rizal to lead your people.
“Long regarded as a hero of the Philippines, Jose Rizal was a passionate defender of the dignity and autonomy of Filipinos. He first gained his reputation as a political activist in Europe, criticizing the Spanish rule of his homeland, and though he advocated for peaceful reform and equal rights, Rizal was eventually tried and executed by the Spanish. Yet his revolutionary spirit could not be contained, and has inspired Filipinos ever since,” reads the game’s description of the national hero.
Accurate to Rizal the historical figure, Rizal the video game character holds Cultural and Diplomatic attributes. That also shapes his main ability, appropriately called Pambansang Bayani, which grants additional Culture and Gold per Age when gaining rewards from a Narrative Event as well as increased Celebration duration and Happiness towards Celebrations. His “Kapwa” agenda, meanwhile, affects his relationships with other leaders as he prefers leaders with a more diplomatic touch.
If you want to check out our national hero, the game releases this February 11 and will be available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series XIS, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games store.
IS A PEN MIGHTIER THAN A SWORD GUN?
If you’re looking for something a little bit more action-heavy, then you might want to dust off your old PS1 to play the first Medal of Honor game. Yes, you can actually play as Jose Rizal in the first-person shooter. ICYDK, in the game, if you enter the code “ikeandken” in the typewriter of the multiplayer menu, you can unlock Jose Rizal as a playable character in that mode. Is this one of the most random things Jose Rizal could ever find himself in? Yes. But we aren’t mad at it either and it technically was the first Filipino representation in the Medal of Honor franchise before Medal of Honor: Warfighter.
Aside from watching Jose Rizal, dressed in formal attire FYI, walk around maps wielding a pistols and machine guns, he also would reportedly say “O Inang Bayan!” whenever he’s killed, and his body would fall slowly as if he was just executed in Bagumbayan for a touch of historical accuracy. Whoever thought of this easter egg definitely knew what they were doing as it was more than just a quick cheat code.
If the country’s national hero was still alive, we have a feeling he would probably be ok with Civilization VII and even be a fan of the franchise. Medal of Honor? Not so much. But there just comes those times when you need to drop the pen and pick up a rifle to put a couple of Nazis in the grave.
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