Atomic Games, Konami announce new game based on Fallujah battle
Wargames specialist Atomic Games and Konami are teaming up with a group of Fallujah veterans for a realistic video game retelling of the November 2004 battle called Six Days in Fallujah. Atomic is touting the game as something more than your average real-life-based shooter, saying that Six Days – which they’ve come to refer to as a “game-amentary” – has far deeper roots in reality.
Wargames specialist Atomic Games and Konami are teaming up with a group of Fallujah veterans for a realistic video game retelling of the November 2004 battle called Six Days in Fallujah.
Atomic is touting the game as something more than your average real-life-based shooter, saying that Six Days – which they’ve come to refer to as a “game-amentary” – has far deeper roots in reality. Here’s Atomic Games President Peter Tamte in an interview with the L.A. Times:
For us, the challenge was how do you present the horrors of war in a game that is also entertaining, but also gives people insight into a historical situation in a way that only a video game can provide? Our goal is to give people that insight, of what it’s like to be a Marine during that event, what it’s like to be a civilian in the city and what it’s like to be an insurgent.
The Times also notes that more than a dozen Marines are featured in documentary-style video interviews that are interspersed with the game’s action. The Marines also play themselves in the game, which reportedly features locations accurately recreated thanks to some classified satellite photographs that Atomic managed to procure.
No matter how hyper-realistic the game sounds, Anthony Crouts, vice-president of marketing for Konami, is quick to point out that Six Days in Fallujah is a game, not social commentary. Here’s what he told the Wall Street Journal:
We’re not trying to make social commentary. We’re not pro-war. We’re not trying to make people feel uncomfortable. We just want to bring a compelling entertainment experience. At the end of the day, it’s just a game.
As for gameplay, the game features an over-the-shoulder view and includes destructible environments. Players also get various options on how to handle a given situation. In one example, a player confronted by a weaponless enemy can choose to mark the enemy as hostile an act accordingly. Six Days in Fallujah is slated for release on the Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, and PC.
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Via L.A. Times