1979 Revolution: Black Friday

Prior to writing up this review we must confess we knew very little about the revolution that took place in Iran in the late 1970s. We didn't learn much (if anything) about it in school, even if some of our classmates had fled the country as a result of the unrest and the changes it brought with it. And while almost 40 years have passed, it's a historical event that still very much reverberates in the region, its effects still causing ripples today.

Ultimately playing the game made us want to look things up and it helped us connect a few dots that had previously eluded us about the region. And while this game may not paint the complete picture it does whet your appetite and inspire you to find out more.

1979 Revolution: Black Friday is a narrative-driven adventure game in the vein of a Telltale title. It follows one photo journalist, Reza Shirazi, who finds himself caught up in the revolution. The narrative takes the shape of Reza being interrogated in the infamous Evin Prison in 1980, being questioned about his friends and the events that took place. It's a story where every side tends to see things as black and white, while a neutral observer would say there's darkness all around. Reza tries to be neutral, at least you can try to play the game that way, he is a photo journalist after all, but he's forced to pick sides, and choose between friends at every junction. His family is loyal to the Shah, the self-appointed king of Iran who is overthrown, but is violence the answer or should there be a more peaceful path towards freedom (if that is even possible)? One problem with this is that characters who see things as either black or white, tend to be a bit one dimensional and at times the game suffers a bit as a result. Most of the principal characters, however, feature meaningful story arcs.

The game makes numerous references to some of the key events that triggered the revolution, and Reza also takes pictures that open up documentary style archive photos that will help educate players who aren't intimately familiar with the events. The photography mechanic is what sets the game apart in terms of mechanics, additionally there are some quick time events, and a few rather ill-conceived medical treatment scenes. Apparently wiping off blood, pulling out a knife, and then putting some bandages on the puncture wound is a life saving operation here. But more importantly the mechanics of the procedure felt a bit lacking in polish.

In terms of presentation 1979 Revolution: Black Friday has opted for stylised visuals, much like what you'd see in a Telltale game. The models are a bit basic, but there are larger crowd scenes than you'd normally see in this sort of game (even if Tehran seems populated mostly by clones). The animations are a bit stiff and it does take away some of the immersion. The voice acting, however, does a good job of pulling you back in. In the credits we spot plenty of Persian-sounding names and it's clear that a lot of effort has gone in to making sure that pronounciations of names, and Persian terms, are used correctly (or at least correctly as far as we can tell without actually speaking the language). This is certainly something that helps with the sense of immersion.

One thing that is difficult with a product like this is how it treats history. The Shah and his secret police killed lots of people, imprisoned more, the Ayatollah-lead regime that came after was not exactly much better and forced many citizens into exile. We feel this rather dark piece of history is treated with respect, while the game also highlights parts of the culture and paints a picture of the country outside of the turmoil and conflict. It's a balancing act, but one we feel the game succeeds in for the most part. It doesn't come across as preachy or particularly one-sided. As mentioned before, it serves more as motivation to go out and read up on the events, instead of offering up a version of them.

The game has more side content than your average Telltale episode, but it is over in a couple of hours. The structure is different too, with 19 rather short chapters. It makes for pacing that we quite enjoyed as it was easy enough to play for 10 minutes and then take a break. This also gave us an opportunity to catch up on some of the historical facts online. There are some technical hiccups here and there, but given the takeaway is mainly its narrative, it's easier to let that slide on this occasion. Given the narrow focus of the title we're okay with the relatively steep price (£8.99). The game was originally envisioned as an episodic series, but was retooled as a standalone experience focused on the events leading up to and including Black Friday. It's not the complete story arc though, and the ending sort of leaves the player hanging.

This is a game for those who either have an interest in learning more about this historical event or those who are already deeply invested in it and know the events and the principal characters inside and out. If you're not in the least bit interested in Middle Eastern politics then this game is really not for you. It's the treatment of the subject matter that makes 1979 Revolution: Black Friday stand out, not its mechanics, its characters, or graphics. We look forward to possible future episodes as this one ended on a bit of a cliffhanger.