The Iraq shooter Six Days in Fallujah already has an eventful history behind it: like us processed in the plus report the then publisher Konami withdrew in 2009 after much criticism from the American public. In February 2021, the head behind Six Days of Fallujah announced that the shooter should now appear – under the new publisher Victura and revised by the studio Highwire Games.
The criticism flared up again: Many see the Iraq shooter, which in addition to the game also wants to be a documentary, the danger that the events of one of the bloodiest battles in recent history, including war crimes, could be one-sided from the point of view of American soldiers – and thus ultimately falsified become.
In an interview with PCGamesN Now the head behind Six Days in Fallujah, Victura boss Peter Tamte, commented in detail on the allegations. And he admits that mistakes were made.
Other sides should also have their say
In a statement on Twitter, publisher Victura stated that, on the one hand, they recognize that the events in the game are “inextricably linked to politics.” Nevertheless, one tries to hide one’s own political commentary and instead to focus on the reports of those involved.
Link to Twitter content
Numerous people involved in the Battle of Fallujah are supposed to present their point of view in the game. In addition to “dozen” US soldiers, “26 Iraqi civilians” are supposed to recount their experiences “in their own words”. In addition to the shooter scenes, Six Days in Fallujah relies on cutscenes in which people describe their experiences and views in the style of documentaries.
“The stories in Six Days in Fallujah are told through feature and documentary footage, in which military personnel and civilians with different experiences and opinions about the Iraq war have their say. […] The Iraqis we spoke to for the game are lovely, warm people whose lives have been turned upside down by two decades of war. I hope the players will see our willingness to address difficult issues and present Iraqi perspectives in the game. “
Around the first announcement of the game, the criticism was loud that the game could put the battle in a transfigured, pro-American light and hide the perspective of other participants and the atrocities of war. The latter point should also be addressed in the revised version of the game.
War crimes should be mentioned
Around the real battle of Fallujah, reports of war crimes committed by US soldiers came to light. Among other things, there was a video in which a soldier shot a civilian. Male civilians are also said to have been refused to withdraw from the embattled city.
More controversial is the use of white phosphorus weapons, which were used by US forces during the battle and which resulted in civilian deaths and injuries. Phosphorus bombs produce smoke that burns in the air, causing serious injury and poisoning. The USA had the corresponding supplementary agreement to Geneva Agreement, which forbids the use of such weapons as “indiscriminate attacks”, did not sign. However, many countries see the use of white phosphorus as problematic.
In Six Days of Fallujah, the use of weapons is not to be shown, but discussed. For example, players do not experience the effects of the weapon as they do in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, but instead the game should reproduce the topic at least in the context of the cutscenes in a documentary style.
Self-criticism of the marketing
In the new trailer for Six Days in Fallujah, the impression can arise that the game tells a one-sided story of US soldiers and leaves out many important aspects. The Iraqi civilian population does not appear to be involved in the plot:
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Six Days in Fallujah: Trailer surprisingly announces the return of the controversial military shooter
“We could have done a better job there. The first three votes in our announcement trailer are all Iraqis. And, importantly, they describe how the decision by US politicians to disband the Iraqi army created the conditions for the Growth of al-Qaeda in Iraq. And that is a perspective many Iraqis share with us. “
Judging by previous material, however, the context in which the second Iraq war began is still missing. At the time, the US government claimed that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, but they were never found. Critics fear that leaving out such information could prevent the game’s content from being properly categorized, especially for younger players.
more on the subject
Report: Was Six Days in Fallujah so heikel macht
In the Plus Report we go into detail on the controversy surrounding Six Days in Fallujah.
