TL;DR
Liberated plunges you into a chilling near-future of total surveillance, forcing a choice between submission and revolution. Its striking black and white comic book aesthetic is a major draw, creating a powerful atmosphere for a compelling narrative. However, the gameplay itself falls short, featuring repetitive side-scrolling, basic puzzles, and rudimentary enemy AI that can make progress tedious. While the story shines, the animation occasionally falters, particularly a jarring 3D cutscene. If you're looking for an interactive comic with a gripping story, Liberated offers a qualified recommendation, especially given its price. Want to know if the story is enough to overcome the gameplay? Read the full review.
Liberated presents a dystopian vision of the near future, where constant surveillance is the norm. Players must decide whether to submit to this omnipresent monitoring or join the revolution, confronting the risk of losing their humanity in the process.
From the outset, Liberated establishes a striking visual style, employing a black and white noir aesthetic reminiscent of classic comic books. This stylistic choice significantly enhances the game’s atmosphere. The narrative is engaging and well-crafted. While the voice acting is competent, limitations become apparent in emotionally demanding scenes. The story unfolds gradually, initially presenting as an interactive comic book. After a prolonged introduction, the gameplay sections begin.
Unfortunately, Liberated‘s overall assessment is impacted by its simplistic gameplay. The game sections consist of basic side-scrolling sequences. Character animation is rudimentary, and enemy AI is notably unsophisticated. Levels follow a repetitive pattern: progressing from left to right, engaging targets along the way. It’s evident that the development team prioritized the narrative and comic book presentation, potentially at the expense of designing compelling and innovative game levels.
The gameplay sequences can become tedious, acting as an obstacle to experiencing the compelling story. One particular cut-scene features 3D animation that is, frankly, subpar and detracts from the overall presentation. An example is shown in the image below.
In conclusion, Liberated functions more effectively as an interactive comic book than as a fully realized video game. The gameplay elements seem to draw inspiration from Playdead’s Inside, but lack the sophistication and polish that define the latter.
Liberated suffers from unrefined animations, repetitive level design, and simplistic puzzles. With greater emphasis on creating engaging levels and reducing reliance on quick-time events, the game could have been significantly improved. Despite its shortcomings, the game’s compelling narrative and relatively low price point warrant a qualified recommendation.
