Disciples: Liberation

Lots of games promise large worlds to explore, where your choices make a difference. Few, however, have made me ponder my actions as much as Disciples: Liberation.

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Disciples: Liberation is a dark fantasy strategy RPG with turn-based combat, set in the richly detailed world of Nevendaar. Players can explore an overworld, align with various factions, and make decisions that impact the story, while the Digital Deluxe Edition offers bonus armor, weapons, skillpoints, and resources.

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Reviews

70%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,203 reviews

story213 positive mentions

grinding73 negative mentions

Engaging story with interesting characters and choices that matter.
Tactical turn-based combat that allows for strategic planning and unit combinations.
Beautiful graphics and sound design that enhance the overall experience.

Combat can be slow and repetitive, leading to tedious gameplay over time.
Lack of meaningful character customization and unit evolution compared to previous Disciples games.
Bugs and design flaws, such as dialogue loops and poor UI, detract from the overall experience.

story
829 mentions
26 % positive mentions
68 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The story of *Disciples: Liberation* receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its engaging narrative and character development, while others criticize it for being bland, convoluted, or poorly executed. Many appreciate the depth of choices that affect the storyline and the interactions with companions, but some feel that the plot lacks coherence and is bogged down by repetitive combat and tedious quests. Overall, while the game offers a rich world and interesting lore, it struggles to meet the high expectations set by its predecessors in the *Disciples* series.
- “The story is interesting, the combat is decent, your choices change the course of the game.”
- “The story is engaging, and actually forces you to make hard choices.”
- “The story is great, is like reading a book, where you are able to decide the final, and it uses all the known lore and some more.”
- “The story is bland, uninspired dark fantasy, which would be alright, had it not been for a boring and empty-feeling world, where each area quickly resembles the next.”
- “The story is lackluster, and is more like a sex-fueled alternative universe with how most everything contradicts previous story arcs and elements.”
- “The story and presentation is horrible, you start as a mercenary, to then teleport out of nowhere to a different plane, to then suddenly try to liberate the whole land etc...the pacing is totally off but what is even worse is the dialogues.”
gameplay
304 mentions
30 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Disciples: Liberation" has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its tactical turn-based mechanics and RPG elements, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking depth. Many reviewers noted that the game deviates significantly from the classic "Disciples" series, leading to disappointment among long-time fans, particularly regarding the absence of quality-of-life features and a coherent tutorial. Overall, while some find the gameplay enjoyable and engaging, others feel it suffers from poor design choices and a lack of challenge, making it less appealing compared to similar titles in the genre.
- “From a gameplay perspective, you navigate smaller maps, complete quests, conquer stations to generate resources, combat enemies, and upgrade your fortress and army.”
- “One of the strengths of Disciples: Liberation is its deep and engaging gameplay that allows players to manage their armies and resources, while also leveling up their characters and mastering powerful abilities.”
- “Overall, Disciples: Liberation is an exciting game that offers a unique and engaging gameplay experience for fans of fantasy strategy and turn-based games.”
- “Visuals look nice but the gameplay is awful - zero quality of life features, practically no help, no tutorial, no online community, no explanations.”
- “Gameplay is clunky with oversized UI and bad practices all over.”
- “The gameplay feels stretched out to get maximum hours out of it.”
graphics
178 mentions
46 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the visuals as beautiful and well-executed, particularly in combat and character design. However, some players criticize the art style for being too bright and inconsistent with the darker themes of the series, while others feel the graphics are outdated compared to previous titles. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered solid and visually appealing, they do not fully capture the essence of the franchise's earlier aesthetic.
- “The graphics and sound design are also top-notch, immersing players in the game's fantasy setting.”
- “Graphics are amazing, lots of potential!”
- “The graphics are solid for a niche title, the mechanics are good, it's a long and well-built game and I never encountered any bugs or glitches of any kind.”
- “The shift in visuals is very noticeable.”
- “While the art style isn’t bad, the colors are too bright and clash with the dark tone of the series, even though the game is quite gory.”
- “Graphics are sub-average.”
music
74 mentions
49 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its thematic relevance and quality, while others find it repetitive and forgettable. Many appreciate the atmospheric contributions of the soundtrack, though some express frustration over the limited variety of tracks, particularly during combat. Overall, while the music enhances the game's experience for some, it fails to leave a lasting impression for others.
- “The music and graphics are pretty good.”
- “The soundtrack is beautiful and complements the game world atmosphere nicely.”
- “The music is fantastic and I really enjoyed this game.”
- “The music is downright annoying.”
- “There is one track of music that gets repeated at every battle, and there are a lot of them.”
- “The music is standard fantasy fare, and certainly nothing that you will be humming or looking to add to your Spotify.”
grinding
73 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, with many players expressing frustration over the lengthy and unengaging combat encounters. While some appreciate the tactical elements, the overall consensus is that the progression feels slow and lacks excitement, leading to a sense of burnout as players are forced to repeat similar battles to level up. Despite some enjoyable moments, the grind often overshadows the game's potential, making it difficult for players to stay invested.
- “Frankly, I found it tedious and boring.”
- “The game gets pretty tedious and repetitive.”
- “It's become so tedious I'm forcing myself to play just to finish it and it just never ends, asking you to fight a thousand repetitive combats.”
humor
33 mentions
97 % positive mentions
-6 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it hilariously bad or darkly amusing, while others criticize it as cringeworthy and monotonous. Many appreciate the funny moments and witty dialogues, particularly in side quests, but feel that the overall tone can be inconsistent, often veering into teenage melodrama. While some enjoy the absurdity and satire, others find the humor detracts from the game's deeper themes and character development.
- “The side-quests and humor are also quite fun.”
- “Humans are evil, demons and undead are funny, elves are pricks, nobody is a good guy, but somehow everything is played slightly for laughs.”
- “The story and characters are hilariously silly, to the point of parody.”
- “The story is a boring and cringe-worthy fanfiction filled with unfunny jokes, undermining the lore of the Disciples universe with forgettable characters.”
- “The humor falls flat, relying on tired clichés and lacking any real wit or originality.”
- “Attempts at humor feel forced and often miss the mark, leaving the player more confused than entertained.”
stability
33 mentions
12 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
88 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs, crashes, and glitches that hinder gameplay, particularly on launch. While some users have experienced a relatively smooth experience after updates, others continue to encounter game-breaking issues and inconsistencies. Overall, the game's stability appears to be a major concern, with a notable divide between those who find it playable and those who deem it a "buggy mess."
- “Smooth graphics, no glitches, quick loading, calm music, and good story.”
- “The game is bug free, runs well, has good art design, the music is pretty good, and the writing and world are fairly well done too.”
- “The game is buggy, poorly written, and crashes all the time.”
- “Can't even play the game... it keeps crashing with the fight with the priest in the beginning of the game... 3 times it's done this... bug-ridden game, save your money.”
- “You can find glitches in almost every area, not to mention save corruption, soft locks that require replaying the whole area, sudden slowdown of the whole machine (caused by bad memory management probably), etc.”
replayability
27 mentions
33 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers a solid level of replayability, with multiple unit types, hero classes, and meaningful choices that influence the story and gameplay. Players appreciate the variety in army customization and the potential for different playthrough experiences, although some feel it lacks depth compared to top-tier titles in the genre. While many reviews highlight the enjoyable exploration and tactical combat, a few users express disappointment in the game's replay value, suggesting it may not meet everyone's expectations.
- “Disciples: Liberation combines brilliant tactical, turn-based combat with a deep customization and great replayability, since every decision you make shapes the story and ending.”
- “Plenty of replayability with a changing story from one playthrough to the next and 3 different class trees to master or combine.”
- “The dialogues are interesting, the story changes based on your choices, and the game has good replayability due to 'liberator mode' which unlocks after you beat the game.”
- “Awesome game, though replayability might suck.”
- “Still, I enjoyed it for the most part but it lacks the replayability value for me.”
- “It had near zero replayability.”
atmosphere
27 mentions
33 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its enchanting visuals, immersive soundtrack, and varied environments, while others lament the absence of the darker, gothic elements that characterized earlier titles in the series. While the new, lighter atmosphere offers a fresh perspective, it fails to fully capture the essence of the original Disciples games, leading to a sense of nostalgia for the lost aesthetic. Overall, the atmosphere is deemed enjoyable but not as compelling as in previous installments.
- “The impressive graphics, the novelty, the characters, the imagination, the richly adorned atmosphere, the music and sound effects, the visual effects, the balanced battles and AI, everything is enchanting and awesome beyond words!”
- “The story is interesting for now, and there are real decision points which affect the flow of your story in the game, the game's soundtrack is great, and the atmosphere is immersive.”
- “Great atmosphere, combat, varied units/enemies, and the main character is way more fun than I thought.”
- “Game missing a dark gothic atmosphere from Disciples 2 and 3 (in Disciples 2 even the interface was dark and cool).”
- “None of the Disciples mechanics, visual style and aesthetics, atmosphere or music made it into this game.”
- “Overall it is a fun game and I recommend it so long as you keep in mind it is Disciples in name and atmosphere only.”
optimization
21 mentions
24 % positive mentions
48 % neutral mentions
29 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is inconsistent, with reports of poor performance on certain systems, particularly when transitioning between zones or after long play sessions, suggesting potential memory leaks. While it runs smoothly on older hardware for some players, others experience significant issues, including UI optimization and AI predictability. Despite these challenges, some users note that the game is playable and enjoyable, indicating that further optimization could enhance the experience.
- “Technically it runs smoothly even on older hardware (GTX 1060) and I didn't encounter a single bug during playing.”
- “Performance is pretty smooth and for me in those 200 hours of play, no crashes personally (there are some bugs though!).”
- “It needs a little bit of optimization but for now it's worth the money.”
- “It's a relatively new version, so G-Sync works and so do high core count CPUs, but it's still just not great when it comes to performance.”
- “This game seems simple to optimize, mostly just small combat arenas with a few 3D models doing animations, but the performance is quite bad.”
- “There also seems to be a small memory leak, so restarting sometimes will help performance if you play long sessions.”
character development
15 mentions
33 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing it as weak and uninspired, particularly noting a lack of depth in character design and story engagement. While some appreciate the potential for growth in certain characters and the inclusion of dialogue options, others feel that the characters are largely forgettable and fail to evoke emotional connections. Overall, the consensus suggests that character development is a significant area needing improvement, with many players desiring more unique and relatable characters.
- “I think at first she seemed quite stereotypical but I love where her character development took her.”
- “The characters are great, both in terms of design and character development.”
- “I actually feel bad giving this a 'no' as the story and character development is good - plenty of dialogue options and you actually grow attached to the characters - they're not just some overpowered grunt.”
- “Levels are boring, character design absolutely uninspired and bland, but the worst part still is the story and the main character.”
- “The character development is weak; the 'companions' can only be upgraded with the weapon slot and a single 'shard' slot; no names, abilities, or classes.”
- “There isn't any character development; there are just people who throw random lines at each other and it's hard to relate to them because I don't know them.”
emotional
7 mentions
86 % positive mentions
-29 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is polarizing, with some players noting moments of trauma and heartwarming quests, while others criticize the lack of genuine emotional engagement and poor voice acting. The narrative fails to evoke strong feelings, and the characters do not resonate with players, leading to a disjointed experience that oscillates between wholesome and unsettling. Overall, the emotional impact is undermined by inconsistent writing and delivery.
- “Neat, sweet, emotional trauma.”
- “It's okay, combat is simple, the story is fairly engaging, graphics are impressive, and the voice acting is... all I can say is imagine the most heart-wrenching line in a film, now have someone deliver that in much the same way Tracer from Overwatch says, 'The cavalry is here.'”
- “One quest is wholesome fun of gathering bones for a golem who acts like a puppy, while the next one has you experiencing something quite questionable.”
- “The story fails to evoke any real emotions, leaving the characters feeling flat and unrelatable.”
- “Despite its attempts at depth, the emotional moments feel forced and lack genuine impact.”
- “The writing is so poor that it undermines any potential emotional connection with the characters.”
monetization
5 mentions
20 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is heavily criticized, with users expressing concerns about the presence of an obligatory launcher that serves primarily to display ads and potentially facilitate microtransactions. Many feel that the game's mechanics seem designed to encourage spending, leading to a perception that the developers are focused on extracting money from players rather than enhancing the gameplay experience.
- “Now I'm not saying that D:L should've had microtransactions, but without them, these mechanics serve literally no purpose.”
- “The launcher spams advertisements for their other games.”
- “First of all, the game has an obligatory launcher that does nothing except spying and showing ads, but the game cannot be run without it.”
- “No, they exist to milk players for microtransactions.”