By ISAAC SERRATO
Staff Writer
Ever since Six Days in Fallujah was even barely in the marketing phase in the mid-2000s, it already caused a huge media firestorm saying the game was supporting the Iraq war, with a public backlash saying the game was inappropriate. The game then went into “development hell” (where games or movies don’t get made) then the game was canceled, being shelved by Atomic Games. Until a couple of years later, the studio Highwire along with the publishing studio Victura revived the game.
Of course, when the game was announced the game was being made again, Highwire came out with a trailer but some people were upset or even furious with this game. Critics said the game was a war crime simulator, American propaganda, covering up the truth, ignoring the war crimes that took place in the Second Battle of Fallujah. The bloodiest battle ever in the Iraq War was in 2004 with more than 100 coalition soldiers being killed in brutal, close-quarter urban combat, and 613 coalition soldiers wounded, 1,200-2,000 insurgent fighters were killed, with the worst was 2,000 or more Iraqi civilians were killed in the crossfire. With war crimes being reported, with the use of white phosphorus being recorded in the battle.
Obviously, people wondered why the game was made? Was there a message, political commentary on the war, or something political? The main developer of the game Tamate, wants the “young generations to experience the horrors of brutal urban combat” along with “the horrifying experiences of what the marines went through”. Tamate came forward that Iraqi survivors helped develop the game along with reports that even the insurgents who fought against the marines were interviewed for the game. There is even a segment of the game where you play as an Iraqi father trying to get his family to escape the war-torn city. Tamate said the gameplay was supposed to be moral with an instant failure if you shoot civilians, with war crimes an instant game over. However, some people were upset that white phosphorus was left out of the game, which was a huge incident when the U.S. military used white phosphorus as an offensive weapon even though it’s not legal. Or war crimes being left out even though there were instances civilians were killed on purpose by coalition forces. Some veterans even hate the game as they see a company trying to capitalize on the horror they experience.
But some people do support the game as veterans want people to know what it was like in the battle, some Iraqis want to listen to the voices of civilians who suffered during the war. While the gaming community supports it as they see the game as a positive game/message with interesting mechanics
never done before.
The game is set to release late in 2022 with gamers anticipating or calling for the cancelation of this game, with support divided, many wonder, will the game live or die?