Disciples: Liberation

I went into Disciples: Liberation already knowing that a lot of longtime fans treat Disciples II as some kind of classic, so I felt like I should set expectations pretty early. Not in a dramatic way, just you know, straight up: this isn’t really a direct continuation of that same formula. More like, it’s a modern turn-based RPG but with strategy elements mixed in, plus companion ties, faction politics, and honestly a heavier emphasis on story and exploration. Once I accepted that shift, I ended up with a game that felt enjoyable more often than not, yet still had moments that were kinda annoying, and it also comes off as more ambitious than I expected.

Graphics & Art Design – 9/10

If there’s one area that the game really commits to, it’s the presentation. Nevendaar looks great, the environments are richly detailed, the creatures have impressive designs, and the battlefields are built with care. I kept zooming in, probably too much, just to appreciate the character models, and the combat animations, and the whole vibe. The dark fantasy aesthetic stays strong the entire time, and it gives the game a distinct identity.

Story & Worldbuilding – 7.5/10

The lore here is genuinely deep, loaded with factions, grudges, wars, and bits of history. I liked getting to know how the world politics work and how different cultures think, mostly because no single faction is really “all good” or “pure evil”. The story leans into dark fantasy tone, but it also includes little flashes of humor and self-aware beats, which usually land.

Still, the narrative can feel a bit disjointed at times. There were a few stretches where I wasn’t fully sure what the bigger objective actually was, and the amount of backstory, while interesting, sometimes became a lot, like too much all at once. A proper lore encyclopedia, or even a clearer “where am I in the timeline” system, would have helped a ton.

Characters & Companions – 8.5/10

Honestly the companion lineup was one of my favorite bits of the whole game. Most characters seem to have pretty distinct personalities, solid backstories, and actual, meaningful exchanges. The voice acting is usually top notch too and it really does help the cast feel like they’re more than just NPCs.

That said, the romance system feels kinda under baked. Sure there are romance options but they rarely change anything in a real, noticeable way, and after those big relationship moments there’s not much follow through. The companions themselves stay memorable, but the romance mechanics feel more like an extra little perk than a fully formed system, you know.

Combat & Gameplay – 7/10

The turn based combat is pretty fun and it genuinely invites tactical choices. I liked building a team, upgrading units and trying out different faction synergies, that kept battles interesting for quite a while. Exploration, resource collection, and questing also click together nicely, so you end up with a satisfying rhythm that keeps looping without feeling totally dull.

But repetition does creep in. There are just too many encounters, and a decent chunk of them start feeling like simple padding. The “Conquer” option can help skip some fights, yet it’s not always dependable exactly when you need it, which is annoying.

Difficulty & Balance – 6.5/10

The difficulty curve feels a bit uneven, like it can’t fully decide what it wants to be. Early battles are usually manageable and almost calm, then later encounters suddenly get way harsher. A portion of that challenge comes from enemy units getting inflated health pools, rather than them using smarter tactics, so sometimes it plays like the fights just drag on longer, instead of feeling more strategic.

Near the endgame, my party became absurdly strong, and that leads to a weird sort of mismatch. Some encounters were stretching out forever, while others were basically trivial, like the game was switching gears mid stream.

Audio & Voice Acting – 8/10

The soundtrack kinda matches the dark fantasy vibe, and the voice acting stays solid most of the time. Combat effects, spell sounds, and background audio work together to make everything feel more immersed. My only thing is that the music selection feels sort of restrained, notably during longer play sessions, it starts to blend together.

Performance & Quality of Life – 6.5/10

I hit very few technical bugs, and honestly that’s always a plus. But the pacing is held back by too much animation time. Even when I turned up combat speed, certain battles still drag, mostly because there’s a lot of extra motion, buff sequences, and those passive effect animations. By the time you’re partway through a lengthy campaign, this ends up being one of the game’s biggest weak points.

Final Verdict

Disciples: Liberation is a decent game but it sometimes does feel, like it carries too much at once. The gorgeous visuals, the solid companion crew, the deep lore, and that tactical combat that stayed fun for dozens of hours, kept me in it. Still, the encounters start to feel repetitive , the pacing wobbles here and there, and the balancing is a bit uneven , so it never fully reaches what it wants.

If you want a modern dark fantasy strategy RPG and you aren’t trying to relive Disciples II, then honestly there’s plenty to like. Just know you’re signing up for a long voyage that, at moments, drags on longer than it should.

Final Score: 7.5/10