Home After War

Home After War is a media and video documentary from NowHere Media that doubles as travel and exploration into a place few people can visit. It is set in Fallujah, an Iraqi city that was until recently held by the Islamic State (IS). The fighting is over, but the city remains dangerous: families coming home fear houses rigged with booby traps and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). It has been on the Meta Horizon Store since August 19, 2020.

What you can do

The developer is clear that this is not a game. It is an interactive, room-scale documentary built around Ahmaied Hamad Khalaf, who returned to his house with his family once the fighting died down.

• Explore his home: walk around physically or teleport through the rooms while Ahmaied tells his story.
• See the city: 360-degree videos placed inside the space show life outside the house.
• Hear his account: Ahmaied talks about what he lost, what he hopes for, and what it means to fear a home you once loved.

The store page says the piece won the SXSW award for Best Use of Immersive Arts in 2019.

Comfort

Meta rates Home After War as comfortable for most people. Supported play modes are sitting, standing and room-scale, and it uses controllers. The developer warns that the experience contains disturbing material and could be unsuitable for anyone with photosensitive epilepsy or PTSD.

Platforms and what to know before buying

• Price: free on the Meta Horizon Store.
• Content warning: disturbing themes of war and danger at home; viewer discretion is advised.
• Headsets: Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 3S, Meta Quest Pro and Meta Quest 2, plus the original Meta Quest.
• Internet: not required.
• Ads: no in-app ads.
• Early access: no.
• Languages: English, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), French, German and Polish.
• Age rating: 18+.