Nordcurrent’s Chains of Freedom delivers a turn-based tactical experience to the PlayStation 5, drawing inspiration from genre giant XCOM. Check our Chains of Freedom review!

 

Step into a thrilling turn-based tactics game set in a fictional, dystopian Eastern European state. Lead an elite military squad as you navigate perilous missions filled with danger, deceit, and moral dilemmas.

Chains of Freedom from Nordcurrent is set in a bleak, dystopian Eastern Europe ravaged by the alien crystal EDEN. You command an elite military squad under the Sovereignty. Your mission? Unravel a looming mystery before the mutated horrors and rebellious factions plunge the world further into chaos. An asteroid’s impact unleashed EDEN, transforming many people into savage mutants. From the ashes, the Sovereignty emerged, offering an injection that granted immunity to EDEN’s effects. However, dissent brews, leading to a dangerous revolt that could end up tearing up what remains of the planet.

Chains of Freedom offers three difficulty levels. The Story difficulty provides a narrative focus with lighter combat so that those of you who have less experience with games like this one can have a chance to see the credits roll. The Adventure difficulty offers a balanced – yet already quite challenging – experience with a 3-turn revive limit for your companions that fall in battle. The Challenge difficulty is geared toward seasoned tacticians with more aggressive enemies that will punish you for any mistakes you make.

 

Chains of Freedom employs a tactical battle system where unit positioning and utilizing cover are crucial. Each character has a set amount of Action Points (AP) per round, allowing you to strategically decide how to allocate them for movement, attacks, and special skills. Personally, I found the combat encounters to be somewhat lengthy and repetitive, but your mileage will certainly vary.

Each team member possesses unique skills, like Fidel’s Uppercut and Sola’s Grapple. The first one will allow you to stun enemies with a mighty punch. The second one makes it possible for Sola to use the aforementioned tool to quickly move through the battlefield to better position himself for an attack or to take cover as needed. Resourcefulness is key; scavenged materials can be crafted into essential items like ammo and healing supplies. Later, you’ll discover powerful EDEN Biocrystals, offering stat boosts and abilities – sometimes with a trade-off.

One of my personal highlights in Chains of Freedom was its comic book-style art direction and game structure. As you progress, mini-cutscenes, presented as if you were reading a comic book, enhance the narrative. The voice acting is also noteworthy, adding another layer of immersion to the experience that helps to bring you closer to the world of Chains of Freedom.

Trophy hunters will find a full list, including a Platinum trophy, rewarding them for milestones from story progression to tactical mastery. These are earned by overcoming combat challenges, strategically utilizing EDEN crystals, and solving some of the puzzles that the game will throw at you. Additionally, some trophies are tied to completing the game on higher difficulty settings, so you’ll need to get good and learn from your mistakes to be able to reach the end.

Inspired by tactical classics, Chains of Freedom on the PlayStation 5 immerses players in a dark, post-apocalyptic world with a narrative that draws you in, even if the combat didn’t hit the mark for me. If you have a high tolerance for potentially repetitive encounters and are captivated by dystopian settings and comic book-style storytelling, this one might be worth checking out. Chains of Freedom is available as a Cross-Buy title, so your $24.99 purchase will allow you to download both the PS4 and PS5 versions of the game at no extra cost.

Disclaimer
This Chains of Freedom review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy provided by Nordcurrent.

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