Chains of Freedom, developed for major platforms including the PlayStation 5 by Nordcurrent Labs, takes players deep into a fictional Eastern European dystopia where tactical warfare, conspiracy, and a crumbling nation’s fate converge. The game immediately distinguishes itself with its premise: a morally ambiguous narrative surrounding mind-control serums, shady government experiments, and a resistance squad trying to uncover the truth. While its setting offers a compelling mix of Cold War-era grit and post-apocalyptic dread, the actual storytelling sometimes struggles with pacing and character development, occasionally glossing over the weight of the ethical choices it presents on the surface.
At its core, this is a turn-based tactics game built around squad-level strategy. Missions emphasize precision and smart positioning, with players able to use cover, elevation, and flanking to their advantage. The game also introduces a unique layer through its biocrystal system, letting players tweak and enhance their units’ abilities based on the loot they scavenge. This helps keep combat feeling fresh, though the mechanics sometimes suffer from a lack of balance – certain loadouts feel overpowered while others struggle to keep up, pointing at a need for post-launch balance tweaks. Still, for fans of tactical combat, there’s a lot to enjoy here.
What keeps the gameplay moving is the constant sense of scarcity. Ammunition is limited, and resources like healing kits and explosives must be carefully managed. The developers have done a commendable job of building a world where survival feels genuinely hard-fought, even if some encounters veer into frustrating territory due to erratic difficulty spikes. And while gear variety is impressive – with everything from meat hooks to flamethrowers in your arsenal – some items are more fun in concept than in actual utility.
In terms of controls, Chains of Freedom performs decently on the PS5. Camera movement is fluid, the UI is clean, and command selection generally works well with a controller setup. However, some minor interface quirks and pathfinding oddities can occasionally pull you out of the moment, especially during larger battles or in tighter environments. These issues don’t cripple the experience, but they do stand out in a genre where precision and clarity are paramount for immersion.
Visually, the game leans heavily into its grim setting, with crumbling cities, fog-laden forests, and dimly lit bunkers dominating the screen. It’s not the most technically polished game out there, as textures and animations can be uneven, but the atmosphere is effectively oppressive and draws you into the game world. Audio design follows suit: the soundtrack is understated but fitting, and ambient sound effects add a lot of texture to the game world. Voice acting, on the other hand, is serviceable but not particularly memorable, which feels like a missed opportunity given the game’s heavy narrative themes and reliance on atmosphere.
Ultimately, Chains of Freedom is a solid addition to the tactical RPG genre, especially for players drawn to dystopian storytelling and turn-based combat. While it doesn’t always hit the mark in terms of narrative impact or mechanical balance, there’s still a rewarding strategy experience underneath the surface. If you can look past some rough edges, this is a tense and gritty take on squad tactics with a strong identity of its own.
Score: 7.1/10
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