| Under Ash | |
|---|---|
| Publisher(s) | Afkar Media |
| Designer(s) | Radwan Kasmyia |
| Engine | 3D GameStudio |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release | 2001 |
| Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Under Ash (Arabic: تحت الرماد) is a first-person shooter sometimes explained to be a response to how Arabs are pictured in video games in general and America's Army in particular. Like America's Army, it is considered to be video game propaganda; however, it differs from America's Army in that it is not available free.
The player takes the role of Ahmed, a Palestinian opposed to Israeli occupation (Zionists). Through the course of the game, Ahmed progresses from throwing rocks at Israeli soldiers to destroying Israeli military positions. The game has been criticized for being too hard and is designed so that it is easy to be killed.[1] If the player shoots a civilian, the game ends automatically. In the end, it is not possible to achieve victory.[1] The game contains recreations of the Dome of The Rock mosque, the West Bank, and Al Ramlah Prison an Israel Prison Service facility.
The game was published by Afkar Media, a Syrian publishing company, and the first pressing of ten thousand copies sold out in a week.
Its relevance to the fighting in the Middle East made it a controversial video game. The developers say it was made with a similar motive to Delta Force and America's Army.
Under Ash was followed up with Under Siege.
References
- 1 2 "BBC: Syria launches Arab war game". 31 May 2002. Archived from the original on 2006-07-16. Retrieved 2006-07-19.
External links
- UnderAsh.net (in Arabic with some English)
- Under Ash at Curlie
- The Developers website
- University on Video game propaganda
- Interview with Radwan Kasmiya
- Digital Intifada, article about Afkar Media's games
- Digital Arabs: Representation in Video Games