Liberated is a tech-noir/cyberpunk/thriller action-adventure game about rebellion in a cyberpunk world. It is presented as a playable graphic novel in which each comic panel is a cutscene or sidescrolling gameplay segment. It was developed by Atomic Wolf and published by Walkabout Games. It was released for Nintendo Switch on June 2, 2020, and for Windows on July 30, 2020. Versions for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are planned for later in the year.
Gameplay[]
Liberated takes the visual form of a comic book, in which story and action/adventure gameplay transition seamlessly across the pages of a hand-drawn graphic novel. In keeping with this theme, the story is divided into Issues rather than chapters, each represented graphically by cover art with an issue number and bar code. Sound effects are accompanied by words such as "Bang!", "Pow!", and "Aargh!" The story also shifts between characters and sides.
Both cutscenes and gameplay take place in comic book panels, transitioning from one panel to the next with each change of scene or camera angle. Gameplay segments consist of side-scrolling action with gunplay, stealth, puzzles, and platforming. Enemies include patroling guards and aerial drones. Low health gives players incentive to stick to shadows.
Story[]
Liberated explores a tangible near-future: an always-online society ripe for the bloom of authoritarianism.
Government authorities use advanced technology to manipulate the population. Civil rights are a thing of the past, with the government engaging in complete surveillance of every citizen in the world. Social media activity, online payments, and GPS location tracking from mobile devices are just some of the ways every single person is being monitored. In this world, insurgents calling themselves the The Liberated resist this oppression, fighting for their freedom, while government agents try to maintain order and control. In Liberated, players will experience both sides of this conflict, with every choice they make changing the course of the story.
This is not a story about good vs. evil, it’s a story about people and the truths they hold. But truth is a matter of perspective.
- Different perspectives — Liberated spans several chapters—comic book issues—told through unique points of view and characters locked in a clash of ideals.
- Familiar technology in a noir near-future — social media, facial recognition, information warfare, social credit systems. Knowledge is power.
- Authoritarianism — how it is born in a democratic society, gradually develops, and ultimately consumes it.
- Revolution and terrorism — Liberated men and women rise against the new social order, but at what cost?
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