Have You Played 1979 Revolution: Black Friday Yet?

1979 Revolution: Black Friday is about one man in the middle of a country on the verge of collapse. It is set amidst of the Iranian Revolution and uses real people, places and historical events. What makes this game stand out is that it presents a golden opportunity to experience the cultural revolution first hand.

You play as Reza Shirazi, an ambitious photojournalist who is caught up in the unfolding revolution that swept across Iran in 1978 and into 1979.

One aspect that caught my attention when I watched the trailer for the game was the role of making decisions and choices and how they will affect you later on in the game. So many titles we see nowadays have the element of choice, the choice to do something good or something bad.

1979 Revolution focusses on just that, the element of choice. In the game trailer we see that the main character is having to make decisions, whether it is give up the truth to his interrogator or throw a rock in defiance at a protest rally.

The developer, Ink Stories, have this to say on their website about the story: “You are swept up by a web of underground activities and meet a vivid cast of characters. As the revolution tears through your country, friends and family, the fates of those around you hinge on the consequences of your choices.”

Director Navid Khonsari, whose previous work as a game developer came at Rockstar where he worked on several titles in the Grand Theft Auto series, spoke to Vice about 1979 Revolution. He said of the game: “We’re not trying to change history. We’re telling the history of the people.” He went on to mention that “The great thing about the game as opposed to a film is it puts you in the revolution and you get to make decisions and see the results. Do you pick the violent or non-violent way?”

What comes into play more, especially during the trailer, is the use of the photos you take during protests and of the demonstrators. Documenting the civil unrest against the US backed Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi and the rise of Ayatollah Khomeni. They mirror closely the pictures taken by French photojournalist Michel Setboun, who was in Iran at the time of the revolution.

More than anything else, this game is something different as it highlights a period of history that for some of us we know very little about. It gives you the option to make different and sometimes life-changing decisions for both you and your family that will affect the way the story plays out as you progress through the game.

1979 shows a country in the middle of a vast cultural change and a people up in arms wanting change. There is an argument to say that games are just something for downtime, something to chill out to. Games like 1979 are changing that. 1979 Revolution will make you think about the choices you make, the decisions you put into action.

It also raises an interesting question should we have more games like this? Perhaps where you placed at the forefront of Miner’s Strike that affected much of Northern Britain in the 1980’s or perhaps during the period when segregation was ended in the USA. Whatever Ink Stories decide to do next, they have certainly hit upon a winner with 1979 Revolution: Black Friday.

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