Here's an announcement we didn't expect to ever land in our email inbox. Six Days in Fallujah, the formerly cancelled tactical shooter that was the subject of controversy all the way back in 2009, has been resurrected by Highwire Games for a release at the end of this year. Development is headed up by a team of veteran industry members that includes the lead designer of Destiny and Halo: Combat Evolved Jaime Griesemer as well as composer Marty O'Donnell. Get a first look at what Six Days in Fallujah looks like a whole 12 years later in the announcement trailer above.
This unexpected revival is an "all-new game" told from the first-person perspective, aiming to recreate the "true stories of Marines, soldiers, and Iraqi civilians who fought Al Qaeda during the toughest urban battle since 1968." You will take control of a squad faced with real-life combat encounters, which have been put together following more than 100 interviews with those who were present during the second battle of Fallujah. A press release reads: "The game gives these stories voice through gameplay and first-person accounts captured in original documentary interview footage. Six Days in Fallujah aims to be the most authentic military shooter to date and to tell these military and civilian stories with the integrity they deserve."
Upon its cancellation back in 2009, Six Days in Fallujah was criticised for attempting to release in far too close proximity to the actual real-life events it was based on. In response, former Marine Sergeant Eddie Garcia, who was wounded during the battle for Fallujah, said: "Sometimes the only way to understand what’s true is to experience reality for yourself. War is filled with uncertainty and tough choices that can’t be understood by watching someone on a TV or movie screen make these choices for you. Video games can help all of us understand real-world events in ways other media can’t."
Victura CEO Peter Tamte adds: "It’s hard to understand what combat is actually like through fake people doing fake things in fake places. This generation showed sacrifice and courage in Iraq as remarkable as any in history. And now they’re offering the rest of us a new way to understand one of the most important events of our century. It’s time to challenge outdated stereotypes about what video games can be."
More information and footage of Six Days in Fallujah will be shared soon. Is this a title you ever expected to make a comeback? Share your thoughts on what you've seen in the comments below.
Comments 30
Well, neither Destiny or Halo are selling points for me, but I'm always in favour of an FPS in a current war setting. If it's decent, I'm in.
Sounds like it might have a decent single-player campaign with some decent stories. Or at least it should, given the stated aim of telling it through the eyes of those who were there. Who knows, perhaps there might even be a tactical element to any multi-player, making a welcome change and setting it apart from the usual "run around like a headless chicken" approach of practically every other military FPS.
Hmmmm. Sounds good. I might just have to get this
Surprised to see it make a comeback. Does feel like there's been a gap in the market for a tactical, high-stakes shooter like this for a while.
Despite being first-person, it could fill that SOCOM void.
@get2sammyb you mean to tell me that ghost recon is no longer a tactical shooter.
J/K
I do miss the days of hard as nails tactical shooters like rainbow six and so on.
Marty O'Donnell's involvement makes me interested.
We really do live in the weirdest timeline
@get2sammyb In terms of technical gameplay perhaps, but I really hope this educational angle isn't just an empty bit of PR puffery. Ever since Medal of Honor stopped trying to teach us about the Second World War between its missions, there's been an alarming desensitisation and flippancy in shooters.
In that kind of atmosphere (which was reaching its peak in 2009) it was probably right to cancel this game. Here's hoping they've struck a better balance since, because that's what'll make this game special. Otherwise, hard pass.
I remember it being cancelled but had completely forgotten it since then!
I am very interested in this, it has a decent team behind it and being (hopefully) true to life it could be excellent.
@get2sammyb Will it be a true PS5 game though or a PS4 one with b/c?
Finally! We need more games with shooting, peng peng.
Spec Ops the line redux
Oh lord, this is not what I expected to come back. I really worry that we’re now at the point of Iraq revisionism given the talk of ‘heroes’ and ‘courage’.
I always wondered if the game would be resurrected once more time had passed. Glad to see it come out.
I do however hope that whilst the gameplay remains tactical, they allow us to soak up a bit of damage on the easier difficulties and not fall under the c**k-up cascade scale.
Can’t tell if its 1st or 3rd person; hope its 3rd person.
Didn't Kojima have it's hand in the original one?
The media completely hijacked the original games release in classic media fashion, dumping on video games and saying they aren’t mature enough and it was too soon.
The latter may have been true but it’s a story that was being handled with care and input from people who actually fought on the frontline.
Glad to see this make a return as it’s a story that is not really touched in major media forms unlike other battles/wars.
Never thought we would hear from this again, other than in videos about controversial video games. Interesting
Wow, had to read the title again to make sure it was what I was thinking of. Should be interesting.
Sounds cool. Tactical shooters allways have my interest
It's too early for April fools
The issue to me is that the family members of those who were killed are still very much around. I think this type of thing needs to be addressed carefully and with respect to those affected. If this game can highlight the horrors of war, then great. If it's just another game that worships the military then I think that's gross.
I suppose with the war not being such a major talking point for the media and controversy now, they can release this and not risk some extremist group possibly attacking them as a result. In 2009 with troops still over seas in Iraq etc, not so easily.
regardless of the politics of the iraq war, i have my doubts that any game will recreate an authentic experience of those on the frontlines - i can't say that's something i'd really like to get a genuine feel for firsthand, and there is always gonna be that videogame disconnect no matter how respectful the intentions.
@Mostik i figured it would be PC only,,so either is fine with me.
I wish it was more like full spectrum warrior gameplay, but I'll still give it a chance, if it's on console.
@leucocyte exactly. It's definitely just PR, but I'm still interested in seeing what it has to offer.
Its dumb to complain against this, how is this any better or worse then real life media bias regarding any event? Doesn't matter if you play it or it's spoon fed another way, it's still riddled with bias no matter what
That statement by the studio put me in mind of an old Frankie Boyle joke.
@nessisonett You probably won't reply, but I'll ask anyway. What are you referencing, exactly, when you say "Iraq revisionism?"
NINJA APPROVED
@BloodNinja In the sense that we’ve had inquiries detailing the countless war crimes and downright criminal reasons for going into Iraq in the first place. History’s constantly rewritten and we’ve seen plenty wars that have been scrubbed from the record over the years or the circumstances completely misconstrued and reported as fact, like the Boer War. Therefore making a game that details the heroism of soldiers during a war that pretty much everybody is familiar with the controversy is teetering dangerously close to sweeping everything under the patriotic carpet. Hence, ‘revising’ people’s conceptions of the Iraq War.
@nessisonett I see. Are you concerned that people will take the events portrayed in this game as true?
NINJA APPROVED
@BloodNinja I think so, while obviously I doubt that anybody involved in this game would have been some sorta war criminal, the problem is that it would change people’s perceptions of similar situations. By turning what’s a very complicated situation into Iraqi Eradicator 2021, it just won’t do any good. Games don’t do nuance well and right now we need more documentaries and serious drama actually exploring the Iraq War to educate people on the ins-and-outs before we get into popcorn media. Everybody knows at least a bit about World War 2 therefore it makes sense that we have games reducing it to run-and-gun nonsense. The Iraq War just isn’t at that stage yet.
@nessisonett I guess that would have to be gauged on an individual basis. Very, very hard to figure out where the world is collectively, on a conscious level regarding Iraqi conflict, without falling to assumption. I see what you mean, there are times where violence in games/media crosses certain lines. I guess from a personal standpoint, that's why I never even touch games that portray very realistic conflict. Playing something like CoD feels disrespectful to the people who actually died during similar conflicts.
Documentaries are interesting, because they seem to offer a sense of the burden (when done well) that some of these people had to go through. If I remember right, there's one simply called "The War" that deals with WWII and it's illuminating and gives a real portrayal of the conflict without turning it into popcorn media, as you say.
NINJA APPROVED (weirdly)
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