The Price of Freedom
- December 22, 2016
- Construct Studio
Get on Steam"The Price of Freedom" is a Room-Scale VR narrative game set in 1960 during the Cold War. As a CIA agent, you must assassinate a man who stole valuable Chemical Weapons research, but the mission takes a dark turn as you uncover the truth behind his motives. With voice actors from popular shows like "The Walking Dead" and "Dragon Ball" and full support in English and Chinese, experience an immersive and thought-provoking story. This is the first episode in an episodic series and is also available for arcades on SpringboardVR.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Engaging and thought-provoking story inspired by real historical events, with a surprising twist at the end.
- Well-crafted VR experience with good atmosphere, voice acting, and intuitive interactions, making it suitable for newcomers to VR.
- Short but impactful gameplay that effectively utilizes room-scale VR, providing a unique narrative experience.
- Extremely short playtime (around 10-30 minutes), leaving players wanting more and feeling like the experience is incomplete.
- Limited interactivity and simplistic puzzles that may not provide enough challenge for seasoned gamers.
- Some technical issues, such as awkward hand positioning and occasional glitches, detracting from the overall immersion.
- story186 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game's story is a compelling and immersive experience, drawing inspiration from real events in the 1950s-1960s USA, and is praised for its engaging narrative and atmosphere despite its short length of about 15-30 minutes. While some players noted the simplicity of the puzzles and the linearity of the gameplay, many found the storytelling to be powerful and thought-provoking, often leaving a lasting emotional impact. Overall, it is recommended for those seeking a brief yet impactful narrative-driven experience in VR.
“The story is interesting and engaging; as I progressed through the story, I started to say to myself, 'What have I done?' but the twist at the end left me almost speechless.”
“Incredible storytelling and narrative. The developers tell an amazing story with a profound impact in first person, and it's nearly perfect in VR.”
“This is a story-driven experience and a good one at that, providing a solid 15-20 minutes of all-around interesting content.”
“The puzzles generally just involve finding a hidden object and the story feels really heavy-handed.”
“Extremely short story that's a bit too convoluted and not too interesting.”
“Very short but I would happily pay for a much longer story; I was a bit caught out when the credits rolled as I was really looking forward to finding out what happened next.”
- graphics21 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising them as clean and immersive, while others describe them as basic or budget-level. Many players appreciate the effective use of the environment and the overall visual presentation, though some note that the graphics may not stand out compared to other titles. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the immersive experience, despite some technical limitations.
“Graphics and voice acting are all first class, creating an immersive VR experience, albeit set in a tight room scale environment throughout.”
“The controls, graphics, atmosphere, voice actors, and soundtrack are sublime, making you fully immersed in the game.”
“Exceptional graphics and voice acting.”
“Poor graphics, poor puzzles, boring...”
“Graphically it is, well, a bit basic, but not offensive.”
“Controls and graphics feel very janky - paper that acts like slabs of polystyrene etc.”
- gameplay20 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a short, immersive experience focused on puzzle-solving and exploration, with interactions that enhance the narrative. While some players appreciate the polished mechanics and innovative VR elements, others find the puzzles lacking in challenge and the overall gameplay somewhat clunky or simplistic. Despite its brevity, the game effectively conveys a compelling story, leaving players wanting more depth and extended gameplay.
“The gameplay involves solving puzzles which are of medium difficulty, keeping you interested and immersed.”
“A short immersive experience, a really polished gameplay, good acting and story.”
“This game has some of the most innovative roomscale gameplay I've seen in VR so far.”
“There is very little in terms of actual gameplay, but the story is robust.”
“One complaint: the gameplay was a bit clunky.”
“Game mechanics feel like an afterthought, a boring distraction cobbled together quickly in order to move on to more interesting things, and the result is a game that feels like a very pretty prototype.”
- atmosphere16 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 6 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its immersive and engaging qualities, with many reviewers highlighting the effective combination of storyline, graphics, and sound design that enhances the overall experience. Set against a backdrop of historical tension, such as the Cold War, the game creates a captivating sense of mystery and emotional depth, making it a standout feature despite its shorter length. Overall, players find the atmosphere to be a key element that elevates the gameplay and storytelling.
“The controls, graphics, atmosphere, voice acting, and soundtrack are sublime, making you fully immersed in the game.”
“Taking place in the 1960s, the United States is at the height of the Cold War with Russia, and the looming threat of nuclear war pervades the atmosphere.”
“The surroundings and the atmosphere in this short game are just mind-blowing.”
“Very nice and polished room solver with a creepy atmosphere.”
- music5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its quality and fittingness, enhancing the overall experience alongside the voice acting and immersive atmosphere. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature that complements the imaginative storyline and contributes to a captivating gameplay experience. Overall, the music is considered a significant asset, making the game a worthwhile purchase.
“Just finished the game, the voice acting and music are surprisingly well-fitting for a free puzzle game.”
“The controls, graphics, atmosphere, voice actors, and soundtrack are sublime, making you fully immersed in the game.”
“Imaginative, fun storyline, great music and sounds, and a brilliant ending.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report a generally stable experience with minimal bugs or glitches, though some minor issues arise when interacting with objects. However, a significant concern is the occurrence of visual glitches, particularly a gray screen effect in specific scenarios, which may be addressed in future updates.
“The only downsides to this game are the slight bugginess that occurs when interacting with objects, but that will probably be smoothed out in future releases from this studio since this game was developed so early on in VR's timeline.”
“But the major issue encountered was actually the presence of visual glitches where the whole screen would turn gray, depending on what you are looking at.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game offers limited replayability, with users noting that it provides only about 20 minutes of gameplay, making it a short experience overall. While some find it a good use of time, the lack of replay value is a significant drawback.
“No replayability and limited use as a demo for VR, but still a good use of time.”
“20 minutes of gameplay, non-replayable, which makes it a very short experience indeed.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report significant optimization issues, particularly with stuttering and latency, which detracts from the overall gameplay experience. Players with mid-range hardware, such as a 6700k and 1070ti, have noted that the lag between their actions and the game's response can be disorienting.
“I have a 6700K and 1070 Ti, and there was some pretty bad stuttering. It wasn't just the solid half a second to two-second halts you get from time to time; it felt like my HMD and controllers were lagging behind my actual actions enough to bother me and cause disorientation, which didn't lend well to the previously mentioned cabinet rotation.”
“The optimization is severely lacking. Even with high-end hardware, I experienced frequent frame drops and input lag that made the gameplay frustrating.”
“Despite having a powerful setup, the game runs poorly. I encountered constant performance issues that detracted from the overall experience.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its solid and wholesome story, providing an emotionally engaging experience that users highly recommend.
“It's a solid and wholesome story-driven experience; I'd definitely recommend downloading it.”
“The emotional depth of the characters really resonated with me, making the journey unforgettable.”
“I was moved to tears by the heartfelt moments in the game; it truly captures the essence of human experience.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the humor in the game unexpectedly delightful, as it subverts their initial expectations of being a serious agent and instead offers a more entertaining and lighthearted experience.
“The funny thing is, I downloaded this game because I thought I would get to be a badass agent that kills traitors for my country, but what I actually got was better.”
“The humor in this game is top-notch; I found myself laughing out loud at the witty dialogue and absurd situations.”
“I love how the game balances serious moments with hilarious one-liners that catch you off guard.”
