1979 Revolution: Black Friday
released on Apr 04, 2016
1979 Revolution, the action/adventure game, immerses players into the gritty, euphoric streets of revolution – where the choices you make may betray you. Set in the actual events of 1979 Iran. 1979 Revolution’s story is told through the main character Reza, a young photojournalist in Tehran, during the electrifying early days of the revolution in 1978. Without political or religious motivation, Reza begins his heart of darkness journey into social upheaval. Surrounded by a group of impassioned key figures involved in overthrowing the regime – Reza’s engagement becomes a high stakes chess match of decision making – whereby everything is at risk.
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If you want to know what it was like to be on the ground during the Iranian Revolution, play this short game, holy sh*t.
Gameplay-wise, you're getting a bit of a David Cage/Telltale experience. Mostly QTE's, a little trauma center, and exploring/choosing. Nothing wrong with these, and in fact I felt like it was done really well. I was a bit worried going in about execution, but I felt like they hit a good mark.
The length is a little short for what I'd want for this. It only was able to skim the surface of some of what I wanted to see from this, and the story itself is from a neutral perspective(in regards to the aftermath and political development). The pacing is also weird as other reviewers have pointed out, as it does seem like it needs more winding down from the climax.
That all being said, I think this is an excellent title and while it didn't rise above these challenges in all regards masterfully, I felt like it was a needed perspective on the events. When going into games, I rarely feel like I'm going to learn things about history, but I really had no grasp of all the different players in the revolution, only who caused it, and who won it. I also would wager there would be a benefit to several out there beyond what I learned since it's not a widely discussed topic beyond American hostages and the oil crisis. I also feel like, while a bit shallow for my tastes, it did a good job of characterizing the different factions/goals of the revolution, and with a bit more length could have padded it out and made it even more rich. It did a great job for what it did have, however.
The art was a little basic, some refining would be nice but I didn't expect full studio quality, and some of the visual effects they employed were very nice.
I also loved some of the real world integration as a teaching tool, such as the characters having a strong basis in real people, with real clips/information about their lives. It gave more depth to the characters overall, and even though relatively small the details were very helpful.
The length is a little short for what I'd want for this. It only was able to skim the surface of some of what I wanted to see from this, and the story itself is from a neutral perspective(in regards to the aftermath and political development). The pacing is also weird as other reviewers have pointed out, as it does seem like it needs more winding down from the climax.
That all being said, I think this is an excellent title and while it didn't rise above these challenges in all regards masterfully, I felt like it was a needed perspective on the events. When going into games, I rarely feel like I'm going to learn things about history, but I really had no grasp of all the different players in the revolution, only who caused it, and who won it. I also would wager there would be a benefit to several out there beyond what I learned since it's not a widely discussed topic beyond American hostages and the oil crisis. I also feel like, while a bit shallow for my tastes, it did a good job of characterizing the different factions/goals of the revolution, and with a bit more length could have padded it out and made it even more rich. It did a great job for what it did have, however.
The art was a little basic, some refining would be nice but I didn't expect full studio quality, and some of the visual effects they employed were very nice.
I also loved some of the real world integration as a teaching tool, such as the characters having a strong basis in real people, with real clips/information about their lives. It gave more depth to the characters overall, and even though relatively small the details were very helpful.
Lots to say about this one. It is always difficult to explain your thoughts on a game that is tied to something real, especially about an event like this one in particular that was such a tragedy. In general, I think these kind of games should be described and analyzed purely as games even if they are about a real event.
That said, I think it is very important that games like these exist, they provide a good vessel to share a story to people who may not be familiar with it. Also, presentation wise, many aspects of the game are accurate. The posters you see are real ones, the radio broadcasts are real. The photos and videos you see are real.
Gameplay wise it is a cheap Telltale game format with not much actual impactful decision making. This format works fine for a lower budget game. But where it fails is just the story itself? The characters aren't particular enganging and if it wasent about a real event the drama would be pretty standard. It doesn't help that on Switch it's a pretty ugly looking game. Low textures and framerates and the game chuggs during some of the big moments.
I don't dislike the game, but I think it could have been a lot more than what it ended up being. I think it's experiencing at least once though.
That said, I think it is very important that games like these exist, they provide a good vessel to share a story to people who may not be familiar with it. Also, presentation wise, many aspects of the game are accurate. The posters you see are real ones, the radio broadcasts are real. The photos and videos you see are real.
Gameplay wise it is a cheap Telltale game format with not much actual impactful decision making. This format works fine for a lower budget game. But where it fails is just the story itself? The characters aren't particular enganging and if it wasent about a real event the drama would be pretty standard. It doesn't help that on Switch it's a pretty ugly looking game. Low textures and framerates and the game chuggs during some of the big moments.
I don't dislike the game, but I think it could have been a lot more than what it ended up being. I think it's experiencing at least once though.
1979 Revolution: Black Friday (2016): Me encanta lo que propone, pero si ya era una idea complicada, la falta de presupuesto y los graves errores de diseño lo lastran demasiado. Aún así, es una aventura gráfica sólida y muy amena. Tenía potencial para ser brillante, una pena que acabe siendo "sólo" decente (7,20)
The gampley of this game is bad but I wish there were more games like this giving history lessons.
1979 Revolution: Black Friday offers an interactive historical experience that delves into a crucial moment in Iranian history. It effectively immerses players in the intense atmosphere of the Iranian Revolution, providing a glimpse into the complex socio-political landscape of the time. The game's narrative-driven approach and moral choices add depth to the storytelling. However, it falls short in terms of gameplay mechanics and visuals, which can be somewhat clunky. Despite these drawbacks, it manages to serve as an educational and thought-provoking journey through a significant historical event.