Looming over all of this is the specter of a вЂњpolitical resultвЂќ - essentially a score value that represents public opinion, and can be driven up or down by perceptions of the factionsвЂ™ conduct in the scenario.В At least, thatвЂ™s the idea of the thing, and I would be over the moon if the experience of playing Riot actually felt this way. Police players also need to watch their actions, since their units are constantly outnumbered and the press is always watching. Similarly, the Police have a range of options, from shield units that can wall off whole sections of the map to truncheon-wielding riot cops that can rush in and scatter a packed mob. Rebel players should take care when using offense, as pushing the cops too far could lead to them reacting violently in turn. Players can also switch crowds between вЂњdefensiveвЂќ and вЂњoffensiveвЂќ stances, which determine which tools are available (going offensive is when people start breaking out rocks and molotov cocktails) as well as prompting a reaction from the other side. The Rebels can use social media to increase their numbers, deploy megaphones to shore up the crowdвЂ™s resistance to being pushed around by cops, and even engage in a powerful sit-down maneuver to block the authoritiesвЂ™ paths. Other than the obvious difference in numbers, the Rebels and Police have greatly varying basic toolsets with which to accomplish their goals, though both operate at the most basic level by вЂ“ on console, at least вЂ“ swapping between controlled units and issuing orders to each in turn. I spent most of the first few story campaigns wandering dazedly around the map, pressing buttons and often simply winning when time ran out, not knowing what exactly I had done to secure victory.ДЄ bit more poking around made things clearer. None of this is helped by a near-total lack of handholding or even a basic control tutorial, leaving players who start the game as confused as a random bystander at an actual protest. In practice, the game is simple and repetitive, varying outside the handful of basic objectives only in difficulty. This sounds like a great scenario for tactical viability and pointed political commentary, but unfortunately, itвЂ™s in the execution that Riot falls apart. Police have a varied range of powerful units and can move in formation, but need to coordinate to keep from getting drowned in a sea of angry people. The Rebels have the weight of numbers and move in large crowds, but lack fine control, forcing players to keep switching actions to keep the crowd focused or to prevent them from fleeing in fear if the Police get violent. Rebels are usually tasked with taking and holding areas or protecting key structures or people, while Police must maintain order by dispersing the crowds or taking out marked structures. Opposed in all scenarios, the rebels and police clash across the maps, each side attempting to accomplish a simple objective on a short time limit. SpainвЂ™s вЂњIndignadosвЂќ, and GreeceвЂ™s Keratea. The вЂњNo TAVвЂќ protests Menchiari attended are present, as are maps from CairoвЂ™s Tahrir Square (epicenter of the вЂњArab SpringвЂќ revolt).

RiotВ takes the form of a tactical game, granting players control over either the protestors (or вЂњrebelsвЂќ in the gameвЂ™s terminology)В or the police, in locations based on real-world protests from the last decade.

Inspired by a personal experience during the Italian вЂњNo TAVвЂќ protests of 2012, RiotвЂs stated goal is to capture the emotions and moods of protests and mass movements as they teeter on the verge of violence, and sometimes topple over into that abyss. If nothing else, itвЂ™s clear that creator Leonard Menchiari has honest, laudable intentions. However, Riot: Civil UnrestВ is one such, and much to my disappointment, it demonstrates why the task is so difficult. ItвЂ™s no surprise, then, that few have tried to translate that same complexity into game form.

TheyвЂ™re a uniquely disruptive expression of the complexity of the contexts and conditions that bring them about. Riots and protests are perhaps the most powerful manifestations of societal disorder that can happen in modern society. WTFВ I kind of wish this was a screensaver instead. LOWВ вЂ¦with mechanics that drain the topic of all life. HIGHВ A beautiful pixel-art style covering a fascinating topicвЂ¦

Riot civil unrest trailer