Before us is a most interesting story, similar in storytelling style to a theatrical production, divided into three acts. We got the main role - judges of the Revolutionary Tribunal. Starting from the first day in a new responsible position, wearing a black robe, he entered a cruel game where intrigues are woven into a tight ball, and the law acts only in the interests of those who know how to look at it from a special angle.
One of the main mechanics is explained to us from the very beginning - the course of the trial. While fulfilling your duties, every day you will have to meet the eyes of the next accused, listen to versions of what happened, study the evidence and pass a verdict. All this is presented in the form of reading documents and lines of dialogue, then, after weighing all the pros and cons, deciding the fate of the person standing in front of you. It looks relatively simple, but... We all depend on someone. The feigned judicial indifference hides the gravity of the most difficult decisions. Paris, not yet recovering from the revolutionary shock, found itself divided between factions and castes eager to gain power over the newly proclaimed Republic. Each verdict rendered affects the loyalty of one group and one group to the judge. There are three such groups in total: Revolutionaries are the most ardent followers of new ideas, they now have enormous influence in the capital. Aristocrats: members of the nobility who have gone underground, seeking to regain their former power and restore the power of the monarchy. And the common people - ordinary citizens, watching the chaos reigning on the streets and being united, capable of becoming a formidable army. It is necessary to skillfully balance between the interests of all three parties and be able to maintain their loyalty to you. The difficulty is that castes, as a rule, have different attitudes towards any verdict and it will not be possible to please everyone. For the acquittal of a thief who stole a loaf of bread at the market, the lower strata of society will be grateful and the streets will become calmer for the judge, but the revolutionaries will harbor a grudge for excessive leniency towards criminals. Having condemned the once important count, and now the “enemy of the Revolution”, you can count on help from supporters of the new government, but you will have to sleep with your eyes wide open - the former courtiers will try to take revenge. In such conditions, a fair verdict is the last thing to think about, and the lives of the defendants are just bargaining chips in the bidding for power.
The second important aspect when making decisions is the family of the judge himself. The arbiter of other people's destinies has a wife, two sons and an elderly father waiting at home. Each of them has their own approach to the new position of head of the family, and not everyone will consider the decisions made in the courtroom acceptable. And when it comes to the well-being of relatives and the importance of maintaining one’s post, a person is capable of doing things that are absolutely incredible in their cruelty or in their nobility.
Intrigues, contract killings, lawlessness - all this is the result of the confrontation between the factions now dividing Paris among themselves. But these are not faceless masses. The ball is ruled by several influential personalities with whom we will build mutually beneficial relationships, quarrel, go to the most incredible tricks, just to remove another power-hungry official, general or former courtier from our path to the top of the political Olympus. The system of building intrigue captivates you with the possibility of different outcomes of events, and also forces you to look for unexpected solutions every time, such as an alliance with your worst enemy or a false admission of your own defeat.
Sometimes we need to act less diplomatically, leading a crowd of angry mobs or staging a real battle in the square with supporters of figures we dislike. Features and mechanics at We. There are a lot of The Revolution, but they open gradually, allowing you to calmly understand everything and hone your skills. To strengthen their secret control over the city, they will have to deploy an entire intelligence network of spies, assassins and other professionals in their field. The construction of the Monument of Justice will begin in the residential area, which will require considerable resources and create additional difficulties. Well, constant invisible battles between you and a new rival, building relationships and making useful contacts will add spice to the plot throughout the entire playthrough.
Those who are familiar with the history of the Great French Revolution will recognize many names and events. The developers tried to write, albeit a fictional story, so that all the adventures would have something in common with the real events of those years. Therefore, we have a unique opportunity to establish a fragile friendship with Danton, try to get rid of the omnipresent Marat with his articles, and even enter into confrontation with Robespierre himself. Although, perhaps, your relationship with these and many other persons will develop completely differently than written above, because there are many options for the development of the plot and everything depends only on the verdicts passed in the courtroom and the favor of the participants in the eternal post-revolutionary squabble towards the owner of the black robe.
I would especially like to praise the visual component. Everything that happens on the screen is made in the form of a kind of mosaic, which gives the image its own unique style, which is difficult to confuse with something else. The plot is also very good. It is very interesting to watch the unfolding events, understanding your own influence on the outcome of a particular case. Throughout all three acts, we see how a simple-minded and sometimes indecisive person is able to change, striving to achieve respect and power. The entire dirty ins and outs of political games are covered, all participants in which lose their last bits of humanity in an effort to strangle and destroy their opponents. Particular attention is paid to revealing family secrets and demonstrating all the flaws of the legal system and the selectivity of the law.
Finally, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that this is a game or, if you like, an interactive series, but not material from a history textbook. Most of the negative reviews are reduced to accusations of historical inaccuracy, accusing We. The Revolution is a distortion of reliable facts of the WFR, however, as I already wrote, this is not a documentary and you certainly shouldn’t try to learn history from it. The setting of the revolutionary time is just a decoration, and the plot tells about eternal human vices and desires: the thirst for power, betrayal, meanness, hypocrisy and disregard for the law, which they themselves invented. Here we are forced to make vile decisions and ruthlessly sacrifice human lives in order to save our own. Throughout the story, there will be several sharp and unexpected plot twists that can make your head spin, and the ending can even shock you.
In a word, we have before us a wonderful, high-quality project with well-written characters, a fascinating plot and a cruel, but truthful and relevant message at all times. I sincerely recommend it to anyone who wants to feel like a high-ranking referee and learn all the complexities of playing by someone else’s rules.