Six Days in Fallujah has been resurrected after cancellation and is releasing later this year on PC and consoles, promising to respect US and Iraqi soldier and civilian stories, but many remain rightfully skeptical. The controversial game was canceled once by a different developer and publisher in 2009, never seeing the light of day as many feel the unpopular and deadly Iraq War isn't something anyone should experience as entertainment. The Second Battle of Fallujah was one of many battles during the Iraq War that was scrutinized by the media and global human rights watchdogs for how it was carried out.
The city of Fallujah was a hotspot for fighting during the Iraq War and ultimately led to what is considered one of the bloodiest battles in that period, and its high Iraqi civilian casualty rate make its legacy of one US war crimes. Six Days in Fallujah takes place during a week in November 2004 where US-led Coalition forces entered the city, which had been largely fortified and prepared for urban combat by Al Qaeda insurgents. The battle drew international ire for tactics employed by the US Marine Corps, which included the weaponized use of white phosphorus. The fighting led to as many as 800 estimated civilian deaths, and long-lasting effects on the local population reportedly include, but are not limited to, increased rates of cancer, infant mortality, and birth defects due to enriched uranium exposure from the munitions used.
These true horrors of war are what led to the game originally being canceled, right at the height of the popularity of games like the original Halo veterans, such as legendary composer Marty O'Donnell and game designer Jaime Griesemer. According to the companies, the rebooted Six Days of Fallujah is being made with the cooperation of over 100 people involved in the battle, including combatants and civilians.
Six Days in Fallujah reportedly aims to tell the truth of what happened with first-hand s and interviews present in the game itself. “Sometimes the only way to understand what’s true is to experience reality for yourself,” said former USMC Sergeant Eddie Garcia, who was wounded in the battle.
Questions have already been raised regarding Six Days of Fallujah's legitimacy. US Armed Forces recruitment is currently at a low, making this game ripe for propaganda material in a way that games like Call of Duty or Battlefield don't fully commit to. Some fear this may also be an attempt from the United States government to write history by glorifying or excusing reported war crimes committed during the Iraq War. The founder of Victura also concerningly founded Destineer, a company that made training sims for the CIA and FBI while also making an effort to develop narrative-based titles that could help deliver similar experiences.
The US Army has also been incredibly bullish in its efforts to use gaming as a recruitment tool, redoubling its efforts in recent years. The Army was heavily criticized in 2020 for its Twitch channel, which used fake giveaways in a shameful bid to recruit impressionable teenagers. The channel stopped streaming that summer but has since returned.
Source: SixDaysGame
Six Days in Fallujah will release on consoles and PC in 2021.
