Civil War game prompts Spanish outcry

Shadows of War: The Spanish Civil War, an RTS game which allows players to take either side of the 1930s conflict, has apparently caused something of an uproar in Spain.

The title, released on November 20 - the anniversary of dictator General Franco's death - has been received poorly by the mainstream media in the country, with families claiming that the "idea trivialises killings," reports The Guardian.

The conflict, which led to Franco's 36 years in charge, is widely thought to have seen 500,000 killed.

Paco Perez, project director at developer Legend Games, defended the game by saying: "As well as being entertaining, it could serve to remind people that they need to be conscious of past events to make sure they are not repeated."

However, the daughter of a man known as Franco's first victim, Commander Virgilio Leret Ruiz, who is named in the game, disagrees.

"It is not a historical event buried in the past, but is very fresh in the memory of Spaniards. There is no justification for trivialising the killings and the suffering and pain of the victims when we still haven't reconciled ourselves with the past."