Few games have been as mired in controversy asSix Days in Fallujahhas. The game, which is set during the Iraq War, puts players in the boots of US Marines during the Second Battle of Fallujah, retelling stories from those that were there in an attempt to convey what modern urban combat is like for soldiers.
However, much like the actual events,Six Days in Fallujahhas been highly controversial. This is largely due to its depiction of what transpired during the Second Battle of Fallujah, with many claiming that it revises the United States' role in the battle to paint it in a much better light. However, according to Peter Tamte, the head ofSix Days in Fallujahpublisher Victura, the game isn’t trying to make a political statement.
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In an interview with Polygon, Tamte stressed thatSix Days in Fallujahwouldn’t focus on the politics of the situation, instead trying to portray the struggles of US Marines and civilians in the field. According to Tamte, the game is “about the experiences of that individual that is now there because of political decisions.” He went on to say thatSix Days in Fallujahdoesn’t want to show how choices “made by policymakers affect the choices that [a Marine] needs to make on the battlefield.”
In fact, according to Tamte, the publisher is “not trying to make a political commentary about whether or not the war itself was a good or a bad idea.” Since the game was announced, the title’s developer, Highwire Games, has had to refute allegations thatSix Days in Fallujahis a US Military recruitment tool. The original team behind the 2009 version ofSix Days in Fallujah, Atomic Games, which Tamte was the president of, had ties to the CIA and FBI, as its parent company Destineer created training simulators for them.
It’s unlikely that Tamte, Victura, orHighwire Gameswill be able to shake the controversial nature ofSix Days in Fallujah.Public perception of the Iraq War has shifted dramatically since the game was originally supposed to come out in 2009, with many questioning the means and legality of the United States' operation in the company. Victura and Highwire Games maintain that the goal forSix Days in Fallujahis authenticity, but the reality is that an authentic depiction will likely be equally poorly received.
In the interview with Polygon, Tamte did notably state that he had concerns with depictingwhite phosphorousin the game, a weapon used by US forces in Iraq illegally. Tamte stated that the weapon was not part of the war stories the studio was told, and that he didn’t want “sensational types of things” to distract from the experience. The game will dedicate some of its run time to depicting civilian struggles during the battle.
