Liberated Reviews
Liberated is a striking stealth-action comic book come to life, even if it is a little bit derivative.
Then again, when you find yourself trapped in an authoritarian government that makes peaceful protest dangerous, then maybe violence is the only answer. At least that’s what the Liberated believe.
Liberated is a game that could have been better. The premise is fine but full of clichés, and there's nothing new to make it more interesting to those who have heard these stories countless times already. The presentation is nice, but the pauses between page turns feel unnecessary considering the style. The gameplay feels repetitive, since direct violence is the only viable answer. Unless you've been dying to get this one the moment it was announced, you'd be better served putting it off for something else instead.
The comic setting works great, and the story is an interesting take on the overused dystopian and Orwellian future. Liberated snatches attention with its premise and the neo-noir aesthetic, but ultimately ends up feeling unfinished. The dialogue choices and the puzzles feel tacked on and undeveloped. The style looks great in stills, but in action it's messy. It feels like this so close to being something truly special, it just needed a bit more time.
Liberated is a dystopian action-adventure game inspired by comic books that gets quite stereotypical very early.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
There are better games out there, folks. I appreciate Liberated's attempt to blend comic storytelling with action sequences, but hopefully somebody will take this baton and do it better.
This is a title that easily caught my eye the first time I saw footage of it, the black-and-white comic book style and cinematic qualities of its action are absolutely eye-catching...
To tell such a cohesive and well-thought-out tale across several perspectives in just four chapters was impressive. With the enhanced edition, two more chapters have been added, but not necessarily to end the narrative. It was more of an additional segment to further iterate the story that was already told. The entire game including the extra chapters can be knocked out in sitting of fewer than 4 hours, which makes repeat sittings to explore alternate choices much more manageable. It was a game that did not overstay its welcome while still delivering an immersive experience that didn’t feel too short either.
Liberated is a beautiful-looking, stylish game where story is first and foremost. If you're looking for a game that ultimately evokes the feeling of playing a graphic novel in the vein of V for Vendetta or Frank Miller's other works, this is your chance. The combat system has some rough edges, but the length of the game is enough to look past some of these decisions. People who love dystopian fiction in comics will probably enjoy the story of the game a great deal, but they will have to be willing to navigate the sometimes-frustrating combat system to see the gorgeously painted tale's conclusion.
A dark & gloomy indie platformer with some tense gameplay and unique visuals.
Great game but held back in animations and forced QTE sections
Liberated is a great comic book turned video game. Dark and dystopian, almost absurdly gorgeous visuals, and a compelling story make this a surprising, but welcome, entry in the Switch library. Although you can beat the game within a few hours, don’t let the short run-time turn you off. There’s a lot of game packed into that those few hours.
Liberated feels incomplete. The writing is poor and never really explores the characters. It never tells you much about them or allows you to get invested. Its a go, go, go game. Not necessarily a bad thing, but we’ve seen examples of this done and still maintaining a good story. Even with nonsensical dialogue, fun gameplay can save it. Unfortunately, neither are here.
Even with gameplay that, on occasion, left something to be desired as well as a slightly crowded cast of characters, Liberated comes easy to recommend with sincere hopes for a sequel.
Liberated presents an affectingly grim dystopian narrative stylized in a viscerally dark comic style. Transitioning from panels of illustrations to action scenes never gets old and is extremely enjoyable. Some in-game graphics are sadly dated with lengthy load times, and the short runtime of the adventure might leave some wanting more, but if you’re looking for a cautionary tale as compelling as it is cynical, Liberated is the comic and game for you.
"Big brother is watching."
Review in Finnish | Read full review
It may not look next-gen on your 4K TV running through your PS4 Pro, but it doesn’t need to. Conversely, I thought it was well suited to something like the Switch: much like a comic, you hold it in your hands and flick through at your own pace. In that regard, Atomic Wolf have nailed it.
A fantastic idea and a brand new way of telling a story in a video game, all hampered by underwhelming gameplay and an overall lack of polish: that’s Liberated in a nutshell.
Liberated is a game that hits as much as it misses. Certain story beats and animation issues drag down the experience, but the overall narrative and art style make Liberated worth a look.