New North Korean shooter game is all about 'hunting Yankees'

North Korea has developed a 3D shooting game, which allows players to take aim at Americans.

The game, called Hunting Yankees, looks a bit like popular first-person shooter games such as Counter Strike or Call of Duty. It borrows the same concept of players going around and shooting enemies, but the difference is instead of targeting terrorists or civilian bombers like in other well-known titles, the unnamed developers of the game have specifically chosen American soldiers to be gunned down.

The new game with a clearly bellicose title was promoted by Arirang Meari, a North Korean media outlet. Stressing on the popularity of the game "among youth students and workers", it said, "The 3-D amusement entertainment programme 'Hunting Yankee' is a fighting game of shooting and knocking down Yankees with a sniper gun... behind enemy lines".

The agency did not say anything about the platform for this game, but added that it carries a plethora of "special actions in a virtual world reminded of a cliff-hanger battle scene". A couple of promotional photos for the game also revealed what looked like an American soldier being targeted and killed.

As tensions continue to escalate between the US and North Korea, Hunting Yankees could be seen as another example of antipathy from the isolated state towards Americans. Previously, Pyongyang released a series of propaganda posters and stamps, with one showing a series of missile attacks on the US mainland, which is engulfed in flames.

The country has also released several war games in a bid to garner support for its missiles and nuclear weapons programme. In August, North Korean Advanced Technology Research Institute released a slew of games, with weapons like "depth bombs, nuclear depth bombs, anti-submarine rockets, cannons, and mines".