Am I overhyping this game? Probably. Will I continue to build said overhype? You can count on it.
Let’s start with the main point of this article, the delay. It was originally set for launch somewhere in 2021, but there’s been nothing else on it since; yesterday, however, the spark was reignited with an announcement for delay of the game which can now be expected in Q4 2022. I kind of have a feeling that this delay might in itself be a bit off and it will end up shifting to early-mid 2023.
This game isn’t actually out of the blue. It was initially announced in 2009 with Konami as the publisher. However, based on the games aim and setting it was swamped with controversy and Konami decided against continuing on with this risky release and buried it in the depths in 2016. Fast forward to February 2021 where Highwire Games took over development and things were once more on the roll.
Six Days in Fallujah – Announcement Trailer 4K
What is Six Days In Fallujah?
Six Days In Fallujah is a first-person tactical military shooter that is based on the true-life events of the Second Battle for Fallujah.
“Sometimes the only way to understand what’s true is to experience a 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.”
-Former Marine Sergeant Eddie Garcia (wounded during the Battle for Fallujah and proposed the original idea for Six Days in Fallujah in 2005)
Everyone thinks that video games are purely a pastime, or to some even a complete waste of time, but many forget that as with anything it can be utilized in multiple ways to deliver messages. This is what Highwire and Victura are doing, using a video game to give voice to so many untold sides of the story, to shed light on something that was portrayed by media as one-sided and pointlessly ruthless. The video game, which also includes documentary footage, will allow you to play out these experiences first-hand.
Gameplay
As is mentioned, the majority of the gameplay is quite accurately based on the detailed experiences of the individuals that were actually present during these times. Scenarios that you will play out; from alleyways that you walk through into an ambush to choosing whether to off a child or not that witnessed one of their parents getting shot; are all based on real-life experiences that these people lived through amidst Operation Al-Fajr.
Six Days in Fallujah – Official Gameplay Reveal Trailer
It is specifically noted on the official site that the documentary footage will discuss many difficult topics, including the use of white phosphorous (used as a smokescreen in the daytime and an incendiary to light up areas at night, which is illegal to use against civilians, therefore is not being permitted for use in the actual game itself).
“The documentary segments discuss many tough topics, including the events and political decisions that led to the Fallujah battles as well as their aftermath. While we do not allow players to use white phosphorous as a weapon during gameplay, its use is described during the documentary segments.”
One unfair advantage that we usually have when playing an FPS is that we can memorise the maps and roughly know what’s waiting around the next corner. Six Days in Fallujah plans to change that. Going on the word of the Marines they pulled in, they aim to make the layout just as unfamiliar as what the squads had to deal with while scouring the lands, never knowing what was coming next.
“Marines told us they never knew what was waiting behind the next door. But, in video games, we play the same maps over and over again. Just knowing the layout of a building in advance makes playing a combat encounter in a video game very different than actual combat.”
Jaime Griesmer, creative director.
“Memorizing maps is fake. It’s that simple. Clearing an unfamiliar building or neighbourhood is terrifying. You have no idea what’s about to happen, and this is one of the reasons we experienced such high casualties.”
Sgt. Adam Banotai, squad leader of Marines.
To achieve this sort of mechanic, Highwire and Victura spent three years developing a technology known as Procedural Architecture which allows every room, every AI, and sound to be procedurally generated instead of remaining static as do most maps. This doesn’t make the experiences any less real than what they actually were; the tasks, encounters, everything still remain true to the events, but the maps are always a new scene.
“With Procedural Architecture, even the game designer doesn’t know what’s about to happen in Six Days in Fallujah and the best way to overcome this uncertainty is by deploying real military tactics, just like you would if you were really there.”
Peter Tamte, Victura CEO.
Another aspect that the game is going to change up for a much more realistic take is the lighting. Most games have pre-rendered lighting which serves well enough most of the time. However, this can still somewhat be memorised and worked with; the Marines, soldiers, and civilians, however, did not have this luxury. So Highwire and Victura came up with SITREP Global Dynamic Lighting. This will mean that even the cloud movement will affect lighting and visibility.
“When you’re going through these houses, it’s dark – there’s no electricity. And they know you’re coming. They’re hiding in the dark, waiting on you.”
SSgt. Paul Starner.
Global Dynamic Lighting and Procedural Architecture fit perfectly hand-in-hand with one another to create one of the most realistic war-time game worlds that you will experience yet.
The Team
Six Days in Fallujah is an extremely ambitious task taken on by Highwire Games and Victura, along with a few key members from the team that created the original Halo and Destiny games. Along with the recent announcement of the delay, Highwire and Victura have said that the development team will also be doubling in size to help take on this massive project.
Included in the team are over a hundred Marines, Soldiers, and Iraq civilians all of which were present during the events of the Second Battle for Fallujah. They were brought in to share their personal experiences, photographs, and videos with the development team in order to shed light on the reality of what it’s actually like from all sides, not only what the media portrays. By bringing life back to these past events in a new light through a video game, Highwire and Victura are aiming to allow players to get a more real feel and experience for war instead of just rushing in, guns blazing and mowing down everything in sight for the thrill of it, but to allow you to make conscious choices and play out real scenarios that these veterans detailed out in development while giving the gaming spin on things.
This NEW Tactical FPS is releasing in 2022! – Six Days In Fallujah
It is important to note and emphasise that the Iraqi civilians that were a part of these events have also given their stories to be incorporated just as much as the marines and soldiers, so this is not subjective to one side. The point of Six Days in Fallujah is to tell everyone’s story.
The title aims to be the most authentic military shooter released to date and not only to deliver as realistic of an experience as possible but to honour each and every civilian and veteran.
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S & Series X, and PC.