Things are rather chilly over here in the UK. As I’m writing up my thoughts on Six Days in Fallujah, I am keeping as cozy as I can with the heater and some blankets. What a great time to get stuck into military shooters!
I’ve never been much of a fan of shooters. I have as much interest in online shooters as I do avocado on toast, and care about them even less. Give me some military tactics or great organic gameplay however, and I’ll bite. Between some great 2024 shooters such as Selaco and titles such as Arma 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, this is a genre I have been increasingly into.
That brings me to Six Days in Fallujah, a hardcore military shooter that is built with realism and support from war-time veterans. While I received my review copy of the game a couple months ago, I decided to hold off until the big November update before diving in. There was also a problem regarding laptop specs. I tried it out on my old laptop, but the poor GTX 1060 was not really up to the task and while playable, it wasn’t the most enjoyable experience.
Fortunately, I picked up a new laptop last month and the RTX 3060 is more than enough for the job. The November update added the ability to command AI teammates while playing solo and a host of improvements to the game, so if you were on the fence before, this should help make your mind up.
Six Days is slow and tactical, and everything about the mechanics plays up to that. This is urban warfare against the deadly insurgency, and they hold the playing field. If you go in guns blazing without any regard for surroundings, you’ll end up like me and get shot up in moments. I may have tried that approach a few times. Doors and corners are always dangerous, and as a massive fan of The Expanse, it is important to listen to Detective Miller. One thing I’ve appreciated is how the environment affects the gameplay, and it forces you to make use of your limited resources. Even with the aid of night vision tech, the frequent dust storms make navigation a nightmare, and it only adds to the immersion. Given the game is based on real-life events, it was vital the developers approached the immersion, and bringing in veterans from the campaign was the logical move.
While Six Days in Fallujah is heavily focused upon co-op gameplay, there is enough content to warrant a decent solo experience now. The recent update added two missions of the new story campaign exploring the impact of the major battle, and a new tutorial to teach players how to use the AI teammate modes. The scenario ‘skirmish’ mode is quite impressive, and it comes with a ton of different modifiers. You can also customize the map with its many parameters. Want an open map with little cover? You can do that. Want to deal with Detective Miller’s philosophy on life? Add buildings with plenty of cramped spaces. There’s a lot of variety here, and while the solo potential isn’t quite up there yet, there is more than enough to whet appetites.
It is best to consider this early impressions review rather than anything more in-depth, as I wish I had more time. I plan on writing a longer review for Six Days once I have more time with the game, as it deserves the extra attention. Six Days in Fallujah has its drawbacks and still needs more content to go with the deep mechanics, but for a hardcore military shooter, it is hard to find a better attempt than this. Keep an eye on it!
