What an interesting game Chains of Freedom is. I’ve been playing on and off for a while now and I don’t quite know if it is a really good game, or a flawed one with some interesting ideas.
It’s a game that shares a lot of DNA with other titles such as Jagged Alliance 3, or Aliens Dark Descent. Where you freely move around the world, but then battle in a turn-based way. It is a mechanic that is getting more popular over recent years, but still one where the right game can still stand out without needing to do much different or change the wheel.
Chains of Freedom is set in a fictional eastern Europe in a dystopian future. You take on the role of a squad that need to journey through the world, because ‘reasons’ and each member obviously has their own skillset which means you need to work together to win the various battles you’ll take on. Build up their individual attributes, etc, etc. The usual fare.
There is a bit of a B-Tier nature to the game on the whole. with some average story-telling, some wonky voice acting and compounded by out of battle movement that feels like it may have been released only 75% finished.
Now while that might sound like a complaint, it is anything but, as it gives Chains of Freedom a certaijn charm. I grew to love the characters as they were cheesy and somewhat stereotypical. Proper videogame characters. The developers know what this is and have leaned into it fully.
I found that the battles themselves were great fun. Where I found myself getting overwhelmed in X-Com, here I felt I wasn’t going to be punished for not being perfect. Instead it felt like there was a slight push to will you to experiment. I failed some missions and was more than happy to try again with a fresh approach.
What Chains of Freedom adds is a more linear experience. No base to upgrade, no real progression trees to worry about, instead you are guided by the narrative. Which is something I really appreciate. Because making X-Com in a different skin isn’t something we really need, especially as there are other options out there.
I’m not quite finished yet, but this does feel like a one and done experience for me, which in todays crowded world, where there are thousands of indies to play, a solid 10 hour experience in a genre that is usually designed to eat 100s of hours is more than welcome. It might be more than that, but not sure how close to the end I am, but it feels close.
Chains of Freedom sis not a game changer, it doesn’t have the biggest production values, but it also has a price point to match, clocking in at around the £20. Which is just right for what is included. If you’re after a interesting and fun tactics game, then Chains of Freedom is worth picking up.
