Title: Liberated
Developer: Atomic Wolf
Publisher: Walkabout Games
Website: Liberated.games
Genre: Interactive Graphic Novel
Release Date: June 2, 2020
Version Tested: Switch
The world and layout of Liberated is unlike any other game I’ve played and yet, very similar to several other games I’ve played. That’s both good and bad. The side-scrolling action is certainly not something that stands out from the pack in that genre. On the other hand, putting the side-scrolling action into a kind of interactive graphic novel format and blending several other genres together gives Atomic Wolf’s newest title an original feel too it.
Liberated puts players into a world in the near future where a police state has you on the run. Eventually being on the run deposits your character into the lap of a shadowy organization of activists who inform you your father is a traitor to their cause because he started working for the government. At question is where his loyalties really laid and it’s up to you to prove he wasn’t actually the turncoat your new comrades claim he was.
With its art style and gameplay, Liberated evokes memories of CounterSpy and Inside. If that sounds like a weird mashup, then you’ll understand Liberated.
Play Liberated How You Want … To a Point
One of the nicest touches of this game is that after a short period of time where you have to sneak around, your character is handed a gun and then allowed to either rely on stealth or blast your way out of situations. The title has a little bit of an Assassin’s Creed feel, though that series makes stealth quite a bit more interesting.
When you do get the gun, this is where Liberated starts feeling quite a bit like CounterSpy. That’s a good thing for me because I absolutely love that game. The aiming and shooting is identical to that game. This is also where the game starts to feel a bit less than. Because in CounterSpy, there are more angles you are asked to shoot from and more things to hide from. There’s also more at stake than there is in this title.
You can also sneak around the base areas where you’re blasting the enemy, if that’s your thing. Though because there isn’t much to hide behind, being stealthy in certain points are extremely difficult. One could even go so far as to say impossible.
Stealth Gets Real Boring at Times
Did I mention there are some severe limitations to the stealth aspect of Liberated? There’s some severe limitations to the stealth aspect of Liberated. This is especially the case when talking about the parts where the character is attempting to avoid a patrol. Running from the law enforcement and guards mean you need to hide behind corners and then watch them walk off the screen. Because you have no idea where they are when they are off screen, you have no idea how long you have to wait for them to return.
I counted one wait, where I just sat behind a part of a wall for 30 seconds. Just what you can hide behind is also inconsistent. Most of the hiding places are behind walls, though you can’t hide behind every wall, even if it looks like a place you should be able to tuck yourself away. This makes trying to sneak around that much more annoying when it comes to being in buildings where it seems as though you should be able to hide behind all kinds of obstacles. It also means you have to hurry up and wait that much more often.
The Story in Liberated is Lacking
Even accepting that the stealth aspects aren’t always that enjoyable, the art style and gameplay of Liberated is fun enough. There’s something there that will keep you playing and keep you engaged. There’s even something to be said for putting it in comic form makes you want to get to the next page and see what happens next.
Unfortunately, the story leaves quite a bit to be desired. There isn’t a character that is really going to draw you in. There isn’t a character that will make you want to see what happens to them. The main character is mostly just … there. That’s a bit of a problem when you’re talking about a game that is supposed to be an interactive graphic novel. It’s also not quite clear how much impact on the story it has when you are presented with two choices and you pick one. That’s also a problem, though it’s admirable that they also add that genre into the game.
Verdict: Liberated isn’t going to set the world on fire but it’s also not a bad game. There’s quite a bit to like. Not the least of which is that there are several different genres mashed in together to offer you a wide variety of game play options. The problem is that where it falls short, it really falls short. That doesn’t offer a ton of replayability.
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