Disciples: Liberation is the latest entry in the long-running Disciples series, and blends isometric RPG gameplay with basic base-management, and turn-based combat. While player choice has always been a feature of RPG games, Disciples: Liberation takes this to an extreme. No matter what questline I chose to tackle, there were always multiple opportunities to pick a different path from the obvious, whether it was to abandon a question, tackle it in a different way, or even swap sides and betray the quest giver. This gives players a huge scope for how they play Avyanna – the main player character. Do you want to be kind and generous, seeking to help all? A murderous thief? A callous sorceress hell-bent on acquiring power? A mix of all three? Well you can, and the game will simply work around your choices, rather than punish you for playing ‘the wrong way’.
With over 270 quests, this gives players plenty of scope to choose their own path, and wear the consequences of those choices. A perfect example of this is the dragon I encountered, who had trapped elven refugees in the caverns. While the elves did have some valuables, and it was open for me to play the brigand and rob them, I decided to be the hero. The elves were desperate for me to kill the dragon so they could escape. Talking to the dragon, however, I found it had no interest in fighting me, and seemed to know more about my character than I did. Going back to the elves, I was surprised to find that I could tell them that I had dealt with the dragon. Having selected this option, the elves thanked me profusely, fled their hidey-hole, and were promptly devoured. Oops. At least it meant I could loot their belongings...
While some of these choices have impacts on the quest, others will have serious repercussions for your relationship with the four factions that vie for power in the grim, dark, and yet strangely compelling world of Nevaander. Whether it be the fanatical human Empire, the xenophobic Elves, ravenous Undead, or the Legion of the Damned, your relationships will determine not just if they welcome you or try to kill you on sight, but what units you can recruit, as the availability of higher-level units depends upon your standing with the faction to which they belong. So if you really want to include that high-level archer which wiped the floor with you, you’d better make sure you keep in good standing with the Elves.
Combat in the game takes place on a hex-grid, with players choosing their forces (made up of heroes and units from the various factions you’ve befriended) and attempting to eliminate a particular foe, survive so many rounds of combat, or just win outright, depending on the encounter. This isn’t the hardest nor deepest combat around, but thanks for the need to exploit flanking, and utilize complementary unit abilities, it is satisfying.
The exceptional animations also add to the entertainment. Beams of searing light rip from the skies and smash into the ground. Glowing orbs of dark energy blast from casters hands, and ice-spikes erupt from the grown, only to shatter into a million fragments with the force of a small bomb. It’s punchy, visceral, and vicious, and you’ll find yourself looking forward to seeing what happens whenever you find a new companion or unlock a new ability.
In fact, the only thing which occasionally put a dent in my enjoyment was that combat often ends with the player chasing one lone spell-caster around the map in order to finish it off. It was a bit frustrating, and left me wishing that there was an option for automatically resolving conflict once the computer was in a clearly no-win situation. Especially as that feature already exists during the RPG phase where, if you come across a band of foes you massively outclass, you can simply hit ‘conquer’ and claim an easy victory.
Outside of quests, exploration and combat, players can spend time at their base in the lost city of Ylian. The emphasis on player choice is again apparent, with players being able to modify their base, and even Avyanna’s abilities for an extremely modest fee. This way, players never lock themselves in a playstyle that they may later regret. At one moment, Avyanna can be a fearsome melee fighter, the next, a powerful-yet-fragile sorceress.
Disciples: Liberation isn’t the sort of game which socks you between the eyes with fast past, high-stress action. Rather, this is a slow-burn experience. It’s the type of game you’ll pick up, and without quite realising it, find yourself getting sucked in. It’s also worth noting that there is the occasional bit of ‘mature’ content (beyond murderous fanatics and crazy necromancers), and while this only amounts to fairly tame, text-based ‘romantic encounters’, it’s probably not for the younger player. All up, Disciples: Liberation is terrific looking, fun with a huge emphasis on player choice and freedom. ■