Liberated

Liberated, despite some minor visual downgrades, is a standout title for Nintendo Switch. I was fully immersed by both the action and story all the way through. Atomic Wolf has done a commendable job of adapting the power and potential of comic books as a video game. The developers have stuck the landing, and I’m excited to see what stories and experiences they end up creating next.

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.

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.

Liberated is an ambitious and fascinating game from a small developer. Everything you see takes place inside a comic book - it's stylish and has a hauntingly probable story. However, uninspired platforming sections may be off-putting, but you should be otherwise very happy with this experiment.

More than the sum of its parts, Liberated tells a rollicking tale with plenty of style. It doesn't run as well as it should do, and it's far from lacking in clichés (some of the "people would rather take selfies than open their eyes" stuff is a little eye-rolling) but it's a fantastic take on a dystopian platformer that avoids the major pitfalls that such games often fall into. With responsive controls, enjoyable shooting and strong level design, Liberated is an atmospheric, absorbing treat and far more than the sum of its parts.

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.

The gameplay itself is the least impressive of the game’s features and despite an interesting story and problems it tries to tackle we will remember Liberated mostly by its comic book presentation. [06/2020, p.68]

Liberated’s distinct, comic book style adds atmosphere to its simple, fun action. It’s just a shame that it’s so plagued by technical issues, particularly on Nintendo Switch.

This is a very interesting game, that mixes up different gameplay styles with a unique visual presentation. It’s not perfect, but it’s worth your time if you’re after something original.

The themes of government surveillance and citizenship scores are not impossible to imagine, and that only makes the story of Liberated stronger and much more intense. The plot and gameplay are both simple to understand, even if the game did end too quickly. I also would have liked some variety in enemies and more strategizing in the game, but this is based on a pretty realistic world and having overpowered robots would probably not fit into the narrative. While it may not the most exciting action-adventure platformer out there, the artwork and stylish storytelling is impressive and makes the experience worthwhile.

Liberated is a game with a story more relevant now than ever, and an intriguing comic-book style aesthetic, it’s just a shame that this version comes with way too many bugs and frame-rate issues.

With its noir aesthetic and unsettling premise, Liberated gets most things right and will appeal to those who enjoy a good interactive story. It's not without its flaws, namely some technical issues and less than enjoyable quick time events but overall, this is a very welcome arrival to the Nintendo Switch catalogue.

Liberated is a striking stealth-action comic book come to life, even if it is a little bit derivative.

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.

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.

Liberated’s comic gameplay style works very well and the game provides some good entertainment. However, the story and characters are not as well explored as they could have been. If you like political thrillers, then this could scratch that itch for a few hours.

Liberated is a peculiar game. While it explores some interesting concepts around surveillance, people’s privacy and how societies react to terrorism, I’m not sure any of its ideas are helped by being a video game. If anything, it has an adverse effect, actively drawing away from the team’s artistic skills and world-building.

Regardless of its issues, Liberated shows potential in combining one of the oldest methods in storytelling with the new. Having the gameplay segments fit within the panel of a comic strip is a nice touch, even if the gameplay is average at best. The script is certainly a relevant subject in spite of how many times the idea has been recycled. It’s just unfortunate that, in this case, simply reading the source material would have been a better experience compared to playing it.

While the game’s problems are fairly obvious, Liberated is an ambitious effort from Atomic Wolf and one that has plenty of merit.

The game works decently, in terms of mechanics. I can just think of plenty of other games you'd probably rather play more than this one. If you're in the mood for a relatively quick cyberpunk-tinged romp, though, Liberated isn't the worst you could do.

The comic source is staged nicely, but despite the audiovisual appeal, the storytelling doesn’t offer anything exciting and is enhanced by dreary shooter action.

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.

Liberated wants to be so much, but it trips on its own feet within the first comic issue. The idea to read a comic book on your Nintendo Switch, and also play within those same panels, was a fantastic creative decision. However, the developers seem to have put more effort into that idea than filling out the rest of the gameplay, which is nothing short of lacklustre. If, at times, the cliche story didn’t read like a low quality YA novel, then I’d have appreciated it more.

Liberated has a unique art style, and does a great job of blending the classic detective noir genre with the tantalizing cyberpunk medium. Unfortunately, the gameplay falls completely flat with a lack of depth and continuity with intriguing mechanics.

The only thing that Liberated needs to be liberated from is its lackluster game design and bland story.

Quotation forthcoming.

Liberated is something of a mixed bag. Both its gameplay and storytelling are a little too basic to truly be enthralling, even though there are moments that help it come together. Visually the game is very much a success, but underneath the surface there are definitely areas that could be improved.

While visually intriguing and distinct, Liberated feels more like an idea than a game, thanks to an uninspired story, boring gameplay and a stunning lack of polish.

Really, the comic book presentation of Liberated makes the gameplay portions feel like an afterthought, shoehorning some weak gunplay into a tale that's really more about political intrigue and moral quandaries of balancing safety against the preservation of personal freedoms. The best parts of Liberated are the character beats in the comic panels, and the worst are the moments when you have to shoot a bunch of dopey, stilted bad guys in order to get back to more comics. It's nice to look at, but Liberated's uninspired levels and often-frustrating design make it feel more like a cage.

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.

Liberated seemed like a good idea, but this comic book-inspired action platformer is a game without any idea, which do not even reach to anything at all. With its stiff control, poor collision, repetitive action and oh-so cliché story, the game does not even take advantage of its comic book format.