Disciples: Liberation

 PlayStation 5
User Score
6.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 20 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 20
  3. Negative: 7 out of 20
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  1. hopper1974
    Oct 26, 2021
    7
    In reality, there are virtually no games that deserve a 0/10 (except possibly that ET game from the early 1980s). People only award 0/10 for reasons other than the objective quality of the game in question: i.) fanboys bombing console exclusives (not relevant here); ii.) one thing that disproportionately annoys them (like the Mass Effect 3 ending); iii.) or a series that in some way takesIn reality, there are virtually no games that deserve a 0/10 (except possibly that ET game from the early 1980s). People only award 0/10 for reasons other than the objective quality of the game in question: i.) fanboys bombing console exclusives (not relevant here); ii.) one thing that disproportionately annoys them (like the Mass Effect 3 ending); iii.) or a series that in some way takes a different turn or does not match their own (often nostalgic-induced) expectations.

    This game would appear to be very much the latter in terms of the 0/10 and 1/10 scores. It’s a little like the reaction of some older Star Wars fans to the later films (sure, they were not as good in the eyes of those of us old enough to have seen the first films at release, but a 0/10 rather than, say, a balanced 5/10 to 7/10 for the later films was nothing more than the nostalgia of people who saw the first films as kids and expected the same experience as middle-aged adults – for example, my nephew thinks The Force Awakens is fantastic and says the original trilogy looks ‘old-fashioned’). The very low scores here will be overwhelmingly from people who played the earlier Disciples games. This is also confirmed by noting that almost everyone who posts a score of 7/10 or more is getting ‘0 out of x found this useful’ effective downvote.

    I didn’t play the original Disciples games. I have though played the console versions of things like Pillars of Eternity, Divinity Original Sin, Sacred Angel, Pathfinder etc (none of which got this kind of battering). None of those were particularly known for their graphical wow factor – it is not overly important in an isometric RPG. The combat is interesting – I haven’t really engaged with a grid-based, turn-based system like this before – and I am enjoying learning the tactics (which become deeper as you move forward). The dialogue options are interesting and can have an effect.

    You do need patience (the battles take quite some time). The load-screen before and after each battle (at least on console) is a touch annoying and breaks immersion. Some of the console version controls are not as optimised for a joypad as they might be (I don’t like it when we must use the sticks as though moving a mouse cursor to navigate a menu – it’s clunky). The music is underwhelming (I think music is an under-rated element in games, and the music in this game is not the most atmospheric or interesting – which it kind of needs to be given the length of battles and the hours one might sink into this game).

    So, a fantastic game? – of course not. But deserving of a 0/10? – of course not.

    My take is: if you are a Disciples original, expecting some kind of 2021 version of that game you played all those years ago, you will be disappointed (I get this from other reviews); if, like me, you are new to the franchise, unencumbered by whatever went before, and just take it as a new game, at face value, then I think it is pretty decent.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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No score yet - based on 3 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. Digitally Downloaded
    Nov 4, 2021
    60
    As interesting and tactical as that combat system is, I couldn't get past the fact that Disciples: Liberation was asking 80 (or more) hours of a person's time with so little payoff. I just found the whole thing too relentlessly miserable to connect with. It's possible to create a dark setting and still have moments of warmth, beauty and joy. Tolkien understood that. Perhaps those that have been inspired by him should be more diligent students.
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  2. SpazioGames
    Oct 22, 2021
    72
    Disciples Liberation is a solid effort from Frima and a good coming back for a long running franchise that has been absent for too long. It's a pity, then, that the game it's too easy and that dubbing and localization are sparse.
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  3. GameSpew
    Oct 21, 2021
    80
    The story at the heart of Disciples: Liberation perhaps isn’t the most engaging, and the voice acting is certainly questionable at times, but you’ll soon look past both issues and simply enjoy what the game does right. Nevendaar is a world densely populated with things to do, and Disciples: Liberation wants you to engage with it without bogging you down. What’s more, with most quests posing choices that could affect your standing with the factions present in the world and your companions, there’s plenty of soul-searching to be done. Ultimately, no matter which of the multiple endings you receive once your journey is over, you’ll remember having to make those tough decisions along the way.
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