Sunrider: Liberation Day

About

In Sunrider: Liberation Day, a turn-based tactics game, you are Captain Kayto Shields of the starship Sunrider. Lead your squad of mecha pilots to victory in battles for survival, while navigating a story rife with intrigue and betrayal. With improved art and gameplay mechanics from Mask of Arcadius, and full Japanese voice acting, this is a must-play for fans of Japanese tactics RPGs and anime. It is recommended to play Mask of Arcadius first for maximum enjoyment.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 549 reviews

story179 positive mentions

optimization10 negative mentions

Engaging story with unexpected twists and character development.
Improved combat mechanics and UI compared to previous games.
High-quality artwork and voice acting enhance the overall experience.

Forced romance with a single character limits player choice and agency.
Game length is shorter than previous installments, making it feel less substantial.
Performance issues and lag during battles detract from the gameplay experience.

story
863 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
75%
5%
The story of "Sunrider: Liberation Day" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a shift from the previous game's more adventurous tone to a darker narrative filled with intrigue and betrayal. While some appreciate the character development and plot twists, others criticize the linearity and lack of meaningful choices, feeling that the story is heavily railroaded and less engaging than its predecessor. The addition of the "Return" DLC has been praised for providing more depth and branching paths, but the main storyline still leaves many players wanting more in terms of player agency and resolution.
- “The story picks up after the end of the first game with choices you imported/selected changing things during this one.”
- “An interesting cosmic setting together with a wide variety of strongly developed characters allows for a wonderful storyline full of all kinds of twists.”
- “The story is still fun compared to other sci-fi games, with many plot twists that keep you engaged.”
- “The story is linear and about as long as the first release of Sunrider; ending after the outcome of the battle of Cera.”
- “The forced romance is very problematic; it is clear that the developers are favoring a certain character with reckless abandon due to personal preference, while I agree that developers maintaining their personal touch on a game is very important, I think that even the way that they handled the forced romance is bad.”
- “The main issue that I've seen in my experience and along with other reviews is that as a player, you have no connection to the story in this game.”
gameplay
155 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
72%
6%
The gameplay in this title has seen some improvements over its predecessor, with enhanced graphics and smoother mechanics, though it retains some clunkiness and linearity. Players appreciate the strategic depth and customization options available, but many note persistent technical issues such as lag and crashes that detract from the experience. Overall, while the gameplay is enjoyable and challenging, it is marred by bugs and a lack of innovation in certain areas.
- “The gameplay is enjoyable in itself, having poured hours into each mission to devise a way to complete it, and I was only playing on a difficulty two times far from the hardest!”
- “There's a lot of depth in the gameplay as your main capital ship and each of your pilots' mechs have different armaments and roles.”
- “The strategy-based gameplay from MOA is back, and better in every way.”
- “Gameplay is as broken as ever, where the 'recommended difficulty' is essentially impossible.”
- “The gameplay has and had the same issue that really bothered me, trying to skip the turn animations or movement will sometimes bite you in the ass as you may skip over some lines because the fight is just too damn long.”
- “Now, the gameplay hasn't changed, but the system itself has so much lag, FPS drops, and bugs that it almost adds a new gameplay mechanic itself.”
music
84 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
43%
4%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its epic quality and fitting themes that enhance the overall experience. The soundtrack is described as majestic and memorable, particularly during key moments like battles and climactic scenes, often earning perfect scores. While some users noted minor issues with audio optimization, the general consensus is that the music significantly contributes to the game's atmosphere and enjoyment.
- “The music is majestic, the stakes are high, and the incredible world-building has always brought me back to play this game time and again.”
- “The theme song is epic, befitting the game.”
- “The soundtrack is epic like hell and fits the game perfectly.”
- “The combat screen is horribly unoptimized, with unit selection painfully laggy, voice lines and sound effects causing the music to stutter.”
- “This title has some poor quality songs and sound effects.”
- “The music is fine, the dialogues sometimes feel rushed but they are ok, nice art, nice game balance even in the hardest level but the lack of equip makes me feel sad.”
graphics
71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
72%
4%
Overall, the graphics in the game have received notable improvements, with a more refined anime art style and enhanced visuals that elevate the experience. However, some players feel that the combat graphics are underwhelming and lack animation, which detracts from the overall presentation. While the artwork and character designs have been praised, there are mixed opinions on the consistency and quality of the visuals throughout the game.
- “On the technical side, I really like the new art style.”
- “In comparison to the first title, this one boasts highly improved graphics and actual voice acting, both of which greatly increase the quality of the game.”
- “The visuals got upped for this game as well.”
- “The graphics are decent, but the combat is slightly graphically underwhelming.”
- “Graphics reworked... and does not look better.”
- “The reliance on the Ren'Py engine is clearly showing, and the unoptimized engine is really hurting and limiting what the TBS portion of the game could have been. LD right now utilizes simple graphics and sprites to represent combat, with no animation whatsoever.”
optimization
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
41%
45%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting inconsistent performance, frequent stuttering, lag during combat, and crashes related to the Python engine. Despite some improvements over the previous installment, many users still experience significant issues, including low frame rates and sluggish UI, leading to a generally poor gaming experience. While auto-saving mitigates some frustration from crashes, the overall consensus is that the game requires substantial optimization work, ideally with a new engine for future installments.
- “It felt optimized and smooth all in all.”
- “But optimization becomes much better, mainly because of how bad it was in the previous game.”
- “Nice improvement; the combat animation was something that many wanted back, and despite some users having performance issues with the combat animations, I believe that was a good choice.”
- “Performance is inconsistent, suffering from random stuttering and lag during combat phases of the game. Worse yet, at random times the window will crash to desktop or outright crash the Python engine, most commonly occurring before a battle, after the battle, or during cutscenes like after firing the vanguard.”
- “The biggest game-breaking problem for me was the optimization, which seems worse than the first game despite the 'updated' captain edition.”
- “The game is poorly optimized, running at a solid 5-10 fps in most cases, especially if you're trying to speed through a mission.”
emotional
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heartfelt characters and a strong, often heartbreaking narrative that resonates deeply with players. While the story builds tension and emotional stakes, some feel it lacks a satisfying conclusion, leaving an emotional void. The improved artwork and voice acting enhance the experience, making certain scenes particularly impactful, though the pacing and unresolved plot threads may detract from the overall emotional payoff.
- “This game made me feel a lot.”
- “An extremely well-written game with a very strong and heartbreaking story.”
- “Return made me feel things I didn't know I could feel.”
humor
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its self-awareness and clever use of comedic moments that complement the dramatic narrative. While some felt that the humor was less prominent compared to previous installments, it still manages to deliver laughs through witty character interactions and situational comedy. Overall, the blend of humor with serious themes enhances the experience, making it a recommended play for those who enjoy a mix of strategy and visual novel elements.
- “I recommend it as a funny parody mix of strategy, waifu, and mecha and would gladly play a sequel, provided it has Japanese voice acting.”
- “Drama, intense combat action, love, loss, and humor are blended together well in this visual novel meets tactical combat game, the third in the Sunrider series by the Love in Space crew.”
- “Moa and Academy was witty, used the situations and characters to its full extent in terms of humorous situations, eased into and flowed well with drama.”
stability
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
87%
The game's stability has received significant criticism, with many users reporting frequent bugs, crashes, and input lag that detract from the overall experience. While some improvements have been noted, such as a better user interface, the persistent glitches and performance issues suggest that the game could benefit from further development and polish. Overall, players recommend caution, as the stability issues can disrupt gameplay and enjoyment.
- “The gameplay struck me as being fine overall, if not buggy at times.”
- “The stability of the game has improved significantly since the last update, making for a smoother experience.”
- “I appreciate how stable the game runs now; it allows me to fully immerse myself in the story without interruptions.”
- “The game is old, buggy, with bad animations.”
- “Combat seemed just as buggy as the previous game; I had a lot of trouble with input lag and the occasional crash.”
- “Finally, it's buggy; my game crashed about 5 times on a playthrough which was ok and not ok because it was too short.”
character development
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
53%
20%
Character development in "Sunrider: Liberation Day" is generally viewed as a strong aspect, with many praising the rich storytelling and the depth added to the main cast's relationships. However, some players express disappointment over inconsistent character arcs, particularly for certain characters who received less development compared to previous installments. Overall, while the game showcases creative writing and character design, it struggles with balancing character growth across the entire cast.
- “As a continuation from the previous title, Sunrider: Liberation Day continues a compelling story and showcases rich character development.”
- “I finally finished the game and I can say that the writers of this game were very creative in their story and character development.”
- “The main cast all received varying levels of character development, fleshing out their relationships in small ways that make the Sunrider feel more like a large house than a battlecruiser/carrier.”
- “There is a disappointing lack of character development for best girl, after a strong showing in volume 2.”
- “Asaga's intense character development throughout Liberation Day is undone in the blink of an eye.”
- “Character development is still lacking.”
replayability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
27%
27%
Overall, the game exhibits high replayability due to multiple endings influenced by player decisions, engaging storylines, and additional content like a "choose your waifu" mode. However, some users noted limitations in replay value, particularly regarding the game's length and the focus on difficulty achievements rather than varied gameplay experiences.
- “The decisions you make will determine whether you get a good ending or a bad ending, and there are many endings, so there's plenty of replayability.”
- “They have proven they can make excellent visual novels that have great replayability, and that's enough for me!”
- “The game is a great continuation of the first, and the return story is incredibly fun and has a lot of replay value!”
- “The only real negative point I can think of is its relatively low replayability, although I did start it again immediately on a higher difficulty.”
- “The game is way too short for the price tag, since there's no replayability except for grinding difficulty achievements.”
- “- no replayability.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to the repetitive nature of battles and the need to replay content for full completion. The writing is also criticized for being flat, which adds to the overall grindiness of the experience. Additionally, the lack of replayability and the short length of the game contribute to a sense of frustration with the grinding required for achievements.
- “In all seriousness, the free expansion is pretty much worth half the price of this game on its own. If you want to achieve full completion, you have to roll through almost every possible choice to complete this expansion 100%, which is pretty grindy.”
- “The game is way too short for the price tag, since there's no replayability except for grinding difficulty achievements.”
- “Battle is pretty hard even at casual; the mechanics are certainly better than the original Sunrider, but sometimes the battles just get a bit tedious, which is what made it hard for me.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
The atmosphere of the game is highlighted by its epic soundtrack and pivotal scenes, particularly Kaito's final stand, which serves as a narrative highpoint. However, some users feel that a complete English voice acting could detract from the overall atmosphere of the visual novel.
- “The only truly great scene, and the high point of the story and atmosphere for me, was Kaito's final stand, the ultimate kamikaze run against the enemy forces.”
- “A complete English voice acting would, in my opinion, ruin the atmosphere of the visual novel.”
- “The soundtrack is epic, like Moa, and creates a very immersive atmosphere.”
- “The only actually good scene, and the high point of the story and atmosphere for me, was Kaito's final stand, the final kamikaze run to the enemy forces.”
- “But a complete English voice acting would destroy the atmosphere of the visual novel in my opinion.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The monetization strategy of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players feeling it leans towards a cash grab, particularly due to a lackluster ending that feels like a narrative shortcut. However, others appreciate the developers' responsiveness to player feedback and suggest trying the game for free before purchasing, recommending waiting for sales if the price seems too high.
- “The game's ending was little more than a deus ex machina scenario as a way for the writers to avoid having to ever allow you to change the story in any meaningful way. It's lazy, shoddy, and reeks of a cash grab on behalf of a company that sought to profit off a market that isn't well established in many western countries.”
- “It feels like many recent games, including this one, are just cash grabs. The developers treat their huge player bases poorly, and it shows in the overall experience.”
- “The monetization strategy is frustrating; it seems like the developers are more interested in making money than providing a quality gaming experience.”