Almost a month after removing the political remarks of the controversial military shooter Six days in Fallujah has fallen back and now says the events in the game are “inseparable from politics.” The game, which takes place during the Second Battle of Fallujah in the Iraq war, was scrutinized because it apparently portrayed a US focus on a campaign in which an estimated 800 Iraqi civilians were killed, according to the Red Cross.
‘We understand the events recreated in Six days in Fallujah is inseparable from politics, ” publisher Victura said in a statement on Twitter. “We believe the stories of this generation’s sacrifice are deserved by the marines, soldiers and civilians who were there,” Victura’s statement continued. “We trust that you will find the game – like the events that recreate it – complex.”
The statement follows comments from Victura founder and CEO Peter Tamte on how one of the goals of Six days in Fallujah is to help players empathize with the decisions made by U.S. troops during the war and not “make a political comment.” Tamte, in an interview with Polygon, said:
“For us as a team, it is really about helping players understand the complexity of urban fighting. It is about the experiences of that individual who is now there due to political decisions. And we do want to show how choices made by policymakers influence those choices [a Marine] must make on the battlefield. Just like that [Marine] we can not guess the choices of the policymakers, we are not trying to make a political comment on whether the war itself was a good or a bad idea. ‘
The game uses a mix of military ploy and documentary segments to tell the story, based on information from ’26 Iraqi civilians and dozens of servicemen [who] shared the most difficult moments of their lives, ”according to Victura. Most of the game will focus on playing as soldiers, but there are also ‘high-intensity stealth missions’ where you play as an unarmed Iraqi citizen.
And although the missions are “informed by” the interviews with Iraqi citizens, ‘very few people are curious about what it is like to be an Iraqi citizen, ‘Tamte said in an interview with February GamesIndustry.biz. “Nobody’s going to play that game,” he added.
“Ultimately, the reason people are going to play this game is because they want a more realistic fighting experience,” he continued. “It’s especially the experience we have to deliver.”
The game was first announced in April 2009, but its concept has been widely criticized. Konami, the original publisher of the game, released it later that month. The game was re-announced in February and is now being developed by Highwire Games, whose co-founders include Halo veterans Jaime Griesemer and Marty O’Donnell, formerly of Bungie. Tamta from Victura also worked at Bungie, which led the marketing of the first Halo, according to his LinkedIn.
Six days in Fallujah coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X / S and Windows, according to a release ‘late in 2021’, according to a frequently asked question.