MANILA, Philippines – Father Antonio Zabala, Order of Augustinian Recollects, is a priest, and college administrator at San Sebastian College, and avid Diablo fan — not the devil of course, but the massively popular action-roleplaying game from Blizzard Entertainment.

Father Antonio has been there since the first Diablo game, which came out in 1996.

He recalls, in a promotional video for Diablo IV‘s first expansion, Vessel of Hatred, released last October 8, also mentioning the equally popular StarCraft series:

“The first PC game I played was a product from Blizzard Entertainment, StarCraft, the original, and the expansion set (Brood War).

Then when my superiors assigned me to work in the United States, I encountered another Blizzard product, Diablo. I started playing it, I was attracted to it.”

For the priest, the game Diablo offered an interactive, visual, and engaging representation of the fight against evil — an extension, in some way, of what the ordained does in real life.

“Diablo is the visual representation of the struggles of every people.”

In the game, Diablo is represented by a monstrous being, red and shaped like a reptilian humanoid, which takes a lot of preparation to eventually defeat. In that sense, Father Antonio makes the connection to the human struggle of attempting to overcome what we believe to be evil in our real lives.

“That’s what Diablo really does — make you think of things in order to defeat the evil. In the same manner in your life, you do the same.”

“Daily, making choices to combat evil 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 your life.

“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.”

The storyline is also something that Father Antonio has found relatable in his ministry.

“One character in Diablo, Nyrelle, is so full of anger and hatred because of the death of her mom. I encounter people with the same emotion. It’s up to the counseling side of my ministry to convince them to be more forgiving so that in the end, you fight evil by doing good.”

Does the priest have a favorite character? In Diablo, you can select from various characters, representing different play-styles such as the melee-focused Barbarian, the magic-wielding Sorcerer, the skillful Rogue, the shapeshifting Druid, the Necromancer with his undead army, and the brand new Spiritborn class introduced in Vessel of Hatred.

Father Antonio loves to get up close and personal in the game:

“In terms of character, I love the Barbarian. From Diablo 1 to 2, 3, and now 4, 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. And that’s how I came to like the Barbarian. Storyline, finding the lessons [in it], and there are instances that I could use them in my classes when I teach.” – Rappler.com