After the events of the Second Battle of Fallujah, which was part of the Iraq War in 2004, Highwire Games releasesd their game, which is based off the events of the one month long, Six Days In Fallujah as part of Steam’s early access on Thursday June 22nd, 18 years after the events and 15 years in ‘development hell’.  The game can be compared to Sierra Entertainment’s SWAT game series, which are tacticle police simulators, and VOID Interactive’s Ready or Not, a tactical first person shooter that puts the player in the shoes of a police SWAT unit, either with A.I or CO-OP.  The ladder takes inspiration from Sierra Entertainment’s games.

The wait is over!

Experience modern war as it’s really fought.

Today, the battle begins.https://t.co/wTNhYXkJSd#SixDaysLaunch pic.twitter.com/8vsLiuQzq4

— Six Days in Fallujah (@SixDaysGame) June 22, 2023

The game puts you in the shoes of U.S Marines from 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine through six days of intense urban gunfights. It forces the player to utilize battlefield tactics, from suppression to flanking manuvers.  You can be attacked from anywhere with the game’s 360 dynamic battlefield, from snipers to small arms fire. The phrase, ‘Slow and Methodical’ is heavily emphasised as Six Days in Fallujah punishes players who rush in, due to the damage system.  According to a GreenManGaming article, they say Six Days in Fallujah,

“…was developed in consultation with more than 100 Marines and Soldiers who served in the Second Battle of Fallujah in 2004. This is in addition to the dozens of Iraqi soldiers and civilians from the same time,”

Six Days In Fallujah current publisher, Victura, is the publishers first game, after reviving the project after Atomic Games canceled it. Accoding to the company’s Wikipedia page, the project at the time was backed by Komani, who pulled away from the project in 2009 after the severe controversy surrounding the game and setting.  Atomic Games was committed to finishing thier project, but due to layoffs, the project was canceled, and Atomic Games released Breach in 2011.  Since then, the company dissolved, but their website remains up, and all the way at the bottom is Six Days in Fallujah.  

Fastfoward to 2021, Six Days In Fallujah reappeared, and the story stayed the same.  According to PCGamer, the game “made a surprise reappearance with a new publisher founded by Tamte (Founder and CEO of Victura) and a new developer, Highwire Games…Players lead a fireteam through real-life encounters enabled by unique technology that simulates the uncertainty and tactics of urban combat.”  

“Six Days in Fallujah is a highly realistic first-person tactical shooter based on true stories of Marines, Soldiers, and Iraqi civilians during one of the world’s toughest modern battles,” says the publisher

Some of the controversies in 2009 that surrounded Six Days in Fallujah remain today.  Even on the games FAQ website, Highwire doesn’t hide the fact that the game will, “explores many tough topics, including the events that led to the battles for Fallujah, what happened during these battles, and their aftermath. We do this during gameplay and through documentary segments that include interviews with many Marines, Soldiers, and Iraqi civilians who were most affected by these battles.”

Currently, Six Days In Fallujah is in early access on Steam and is set for a full release in 2024 on consoles and PC.