If you’re a history buff, even remotely, and you enjoy mature, strategic, adventure games then the latest offering from developer Polyslash and publisher Klabater might be your hot ticket for the Summer. We. The Revolution has been on Steam since March and has seen very positive reviews. The game just recently has made the jump to the three primary consoles. We decided to do our review on the Nintendo Switch version because who doesn’t want to condemn people to the guillotine while “on the go”? This is our Nintendo Switch review of We. The Revolution!
Historical Stylish Story-Telling
We. The Revolution‘s story takes place in Paris, during the French Revolution. You the player control a male Judge who is both considered an alcoholic and a gambler. You are a member of The Revolutionary Tribunal. The majority of the game involves you presiding over court proceedings. You are presented the details of the case and you get to devise questions, a mini-game in itself, to come to a verdict. It sounds simple but We. The Revolution has plenty of adventure elements that make judging people in front of you a challenge. You’ll need to rule on revolutionaries and their enemies, criminals and ordinary citizens. As the story progresses, in a day-to-day fashion you’ll need to decide how to expand your influence over XVIIIth-century Paris. You get to decide who to “piss off” while at the same time balancing how to gain favour with your relatives, friends and immediate family if you so desire.
The cut scenes of the overall story are told by mostly beautiful, still, polygonal textured artwork, typically panel by panel. In some story points voiced dialogue is added for your character and other NPCs. Your character is male and is voiced by a male. This is one area perhaps that someone who’d rather play a female might be disenchanted. Of course given the historical time period, and the view of women back then, this would have become a conundrum.
Gameplay
The game plays out in a day-by-day fashion where the typical start of the day begins with some new event, e.g. a visit by King Louis, or you need to make a new moral decision. Then you’re thrust into the next court case. Throughout each court case, you are made privy to the gossip surrounding you of which you can reply to in several ways. You’ll see how making a choice affects your standing with the revolutionaries, the jury and even your own family. Think of it as a faction building mini-game.
You’ll need to read the court statement and play a mini-game where you unveil questions to ask all while watching the jury’s sentencing gauge / attitude. Asking questions involves matching up the key points in the court proceedings with an area of questioning, e.g. “Evidence”, “Order Of Events”. You’re allowed a few mistakes, exceed the mistake count and you’re locked out. The unveiled questions then become choices to ask and each choice is denoted as to whether it conveys leaning towards imprisonment, beheading, balancing the scales or acquittal. All of this is done from a first-person perspective and it’ll require reading documents and NPC dialogue.
After a day at court is done you then decide what to do for the evening, for example. All these choices impact your faction score with someone. If you promised a fellow man that you were going to attend a card game that night you can choose to not go and spend time with your family.
Not For The Kids
Bear in mind, given the context of court cases involving violence and sexual assault, plus the amount of required reading, and the oppression involved that this game is meant for a mature audience. While you can condemn someone to a beheading the actual act is not depicted visually on screen. Instead, only the guillotine and crowd reactions are shown.
All of this decision making is supposedly wrapped around randomized game events. The developer ensures us that no two playthroughs are the same. Ultimate replayability!
