The history, culture, and customs of the Middle East are often an enigma in the West. This is despite the fact that the United States has a long history of involvement and conflict in the area. Where our education system is failing to impart this knowledge, 1979 Revolution: Black Friday hopes to bridge some of those gaps.

This is a lofty goal for any form of media. The game succeeds as a means by which to impart historical and cultural knowledge upon the player. As such, I enjoyed this while also learning something. However, 1979 Revolution‘s potential isn’t fully realized due to some mechanical and stylistic issues which ends up limiting the experience it attempts to provide.

Developer: Ink Stories

Publisher: Digerati

2+ hours played // Review Copy Provided // $11.99

1979 Revolution follows Reza Shirazi. Scenes shift between navigating a torturous interrogation and Reza’s memories. These memories take place during 1978 in Tehran, Iran. Where, upon returning home from studying abroad, Reza meets up with a childhood friend who tells him of the civil unrest in Iran.

It is revealed that citizens from all walks of life are upset at the failings of the country’s ruling elite. Being a photographer, Reza begins to document the events unfolding around him. As a result, he becomes deeply involved in the revolution. This involvement includes having to discern people’s motives, make difficult decisions, and contemplate the very act of revolution itself.



Reza is awe-struck at the revolution unfolding in front of him

The difficult decisions presented to Reza are the game’s strongest feature. Your decisions in 1979 Revolution have serious consequences. I was shocked when, upon making a rash decision at the beginning of the game, I was met with a game over screen indicating Reza had died. As I restarted the scene, I realized that I needed to make my choices much more carefully.

Players are forced to make decisions between two equally terrible choices. Not only that, the game’s timer ensures players act quickly and with their gut instinct. Thus adding a layer of realism to the hectic world of revolutionary Iran. In a world where there is no clear right and wrong, people must act on their intuition.

As a player, I was often fraught with anxiety. I wanted to do the “right” thing and get the “good” ending. Given this is a game about social unrest and the consequences of it, the idea of a “good” ending is almost laughable. Often, I asked myself, “Was that the right choice?” There was no answer. I was met with a muddied reality where morality is subjective. I found this grey-scale morality to be engaging and a clear reflection of the source material.



The game forces players to confront the tensions between different ideologies

This game does an excellent job of presenting players with complex ideas in a way that is accessible. My playthrough of 1979 Revolution had me questioning the nature of the revolution as well as the place of violence in a social movement. Despite the controversial subject matter, the game does not have an agenda. Players are presented with the different political ideologies and philosophies of the time period, but they are presented as neutral. This allows players to wrestle with these issues. The opinions you form while playing the game are wholly your own.

Despite the complexity of these issues, the game handles them with nuance. As your character explores the world, the game provides important background knowledge about Iranian history, culture, and politics. This allows players with minimal background knowledge an opportunity to both fully appreciate the game and also learn about this pivotal moment in Iranian history. I left this game with a better understanding of Iran, politics, and the challenging decisions people are met with during times of unrest.



Reza’s interrogation is tense and left me wondering what I would do in his shoes

The gameplay and mechanics are simple. Most of the game is cinematic, with some decision making, exploration, and action sprinkled throughout. Mechanics are used creatively, even if simple in nature.

While exploring, players can interact with their environment. One way this is done is by looking at items in the area. These items often unlock “stories”, which are short texts or tapes that explain important historical and cultural information. Taking photos of important moments unlocks these ‘stories’. This feature is especially engaging because, upon taking the said picture, it is accompanied by an actual photograph taken during the time period. This is a clever way to incorporate background and history without overloading players with information.

In addition to using your photographs as a way to access information, there is a scene that asks players to look through your photographs for clues. I found this to be such a clever use of your character’s photographs and was excited to do it again. However, it only happened once in the game. I would have loved to see more creative uses of the game’s simple mechanics.



Photographs taken in the game are accompanied by historical photographs and information

In addition to tense dialogue and exploration, there are a handful of moments when the gameplay intensifies. In dangerous situations, players need to dodge, jump, and push their way to safety. Reacting to simple commands in a timely manner is how this is done. These moments add a sense of urgency to dangerous situations. Much like the clue mechanic, I would have liked to see more of these moments.

Despite simple mechanics, the game runs less than smoothly. In scenes with big crowds, Reza’s movements lagged. In addition to this, there was the occasional invisible wall. For the most part, I was able to overlook these things because it is a narrative-driven game. However, there were parts where this disrupted my immersion.

Beyond the gameplay, the stylistic choices of 1979 Revolution are worth noting. The game is self-described as an experience best enjoyed wearing headphones. I’m assuming this is to encourage players to appreciate the fully voiced dialogue. The skilful voice acting was an unexpected treat.

Another aesthetic choice that caught me by surprise was the inclusion of video clips from pre-Revolutionary Iran. Some clips showed women at the beach in their bathing suits, while others showed young Iranian couples in Western clothing. This is a gentle reminder to players that these events are real. The consequences affected people’s lives in drastic ways.

Though this is an important moment, I felt distracted by the character designs

However, the beauty of these moments is in stark contrast to the somewhat goofy graphics. The character designs feel a bit cartoonish at times, though I doubt this was the intention. Given that this game has a powerful story, I was almost always able to look past this. Though, there were times where I felt distracted by the juxtaposition of goofy graphics with a serious plot.

From my review of Lion’s Song, it is clear that I am a fan of historical fiction. Naturally, I was excited about 1979 Revolution. I found it to be a bold game that skillfully tackles a subject that is often ignored. Any fan of historical fiction, dialogue-driven games, or point-and-clicks will enjoy this game. For those people, this is an obvious purchase. Wait for a sale if you have reservations though. That said, this is a wonderful gaming experience that I am eager to share with friends.





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