Philippine VR Game Explores Martial Law History
A virtual reality game developed by Ateneo de Manila University is being used to introduce younger Filipinos to the country’s martial law period through an interactive historical experience.
The game, titled “Heritage Hero: Secrets of the ‘Golden Era,’” was created by the university’s Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality Laboratory. It places players inside a virtual mansion inspired by the Philippines during the rule of former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
Players move through different rooms while solving puzzles linked to political, economic and social conditions during martial law. The game features a confiscated printing press, a virtual kitchen where Nutribun bread can be prepared, and references to corruption controversies connected to the period.
Unlike classic games, the project does not follow a fixed storyline and does not include a moderator to guide participants. The developers said this approach was intended to reflect how many people at the time remained unaware of several events and developments during martial law.
The game was first presented to Ateneo students during last year’s commemoration of martial law on 21 September. Martial law in the Philippines was formally declared on 23 September 1972, although the declaration was dated 21 September.
The project can be requested through the Ateneo Martial Law Museum and Library website.
Eric Cesar Vidal, the laboratory’s technical head, said research had shown that students often understood historical subjects more effectively when lessons were delivered in immersive virtual contexts. He said the game was designed to help younger audiences interact more directly with the realities of the martial law years.
The developers aimed to present historical events through objects, locations and situations found during gameplay rather than through direct narration. Incidents linked to political violence and public unrest are referenced as players move forward through the virtual environment.
According to the development team, several parts of the game were created to address claims describing the martial law period as a “golden era” for the Philippines. Historical details were included to provide further context about government programmes and projects during that time.
One section focuses on the Nutribun feeding programme. The game explains that the programme was originally introduced by the United States Agency for International Development before later being adopted by the Marcos administration.
The project also highlights lesser-known details connected to the martial law period. However, it does not directly portray torture, disappearances, or other reported human rights violations linked to the era.
Vidal said the developers faced difficulties, including the challenge of creating such material in a virtual reality format aimed at younger adults. The team decided not to include graphic scenes that could affect players’ comfort during gameplay.
Instead, the game focuses more on financial conditions and everyday experiences during martial law. Political developments are still included through references to specific historical incidents.
Among the events featured is the killing of tribal leader Macli-ing Dulag in 1980 after he opposed the proposed Chico River hydroelectric dam project. The project was later abandoned due to resistance from local communities.
The game also refers to the construction of the Manila Film Centre for the 1982 Manila International Film Festival. During the rushed construction, part of the structure collapsed, trapping construction workers in wet concrete.
The developers said the project was intended to help players examine different aspects of the martial law period rather than focus on a single interpretation of events.
Alvaro Pato, lead developer of the game, said the Ateneo Martial Law Museum and Library assisted the team by supplying historical photographs, videos and reference materials. The developers also studied household designs and architecture common in affluent Filipino homes during the 1980s to improve the accuracy of the virtual environment.
The team recreated a period printing press for the game based on historical models supplied during research. Developers also purchased a flashlight radio popular during the martial law years and created a digital version for use in the virtual environment.
Players can operate the radio inside the game, depicting the experience of frequent power cuts reported during that period.
Vidal said virtual reality projects could help schools present subjects that receive limited attention in classrooms, including Philippine history. He noted that educational virtual reality games are more commonly focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics than historical topics.
The laboratory has previously produced other history-related virtual reality projects, including an earlier Heritage Hero game centred on the Villa Escudero Museum in Quezon province.
Another project developed by the team simulates the daily experiences of a person living with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder as part of an educational programme for students.
Vidal said research regarding educational virtual reality games continued to expand, although the wider commercial industry for such projects remained at an early stage of development.
