The game’s setting is perhaps its most defining and controversial element. In 1993, during the United Nations’ Operation Restore Hope in Somalia, a desperate battle broke out in the streets of Mogadishu. U.S. forces, including Army Rangers and Delta Force operators, became pinned down after their Black Hawk helicopters were shot down by militia fighters. The resulting firefight, lasting through the night, resulted in the deaths of 18 American soldiers and hundreds of Somalis. The event was popularized by the 2001 film Black Hawk Down , which directed a global spotlight onto the conflict.

Xajal (Somali for “Dread”).

This story is solid because it:

Terrorist Takedown: Conflict in Mogadishu is a gritty, low-budget classic. It’s fast, furious, and unapologetically fun. If you missed it the first time around, it’s worth checking out to see where the mid-2000s military shooter era found its footing.

Retrospective: Terrorist Takedown: Conflict in Mogadishu and the Era of PC Bargain Bin Shooters