Chains of Freedom Review — Snakes in EDEN

Chains of Freedom is a game that, above all else, surprised me.

I can’t tell you exactly what it was about the Chains of Freedom’s Steam store page, but it left me unenthused. Maybe it’s the somewhat generic title card or the fact that the selected screenshots focus on the more boring elements of the game. The trailers do a better job of showing off the monsters, while the screenshots mostly highlight the fairly generic “apocalyptic raiders.” All I can say is that, based on my first impression from the advertising, I wasn’t excited. So it surprised me to find something pretty special here.

Chains of Freedom tells the story of a post-apocalyptic world. And by post, I really mean post. The world has been more or less reunified by a very obviously fascist, cult-like superstate called the Sovereignty. This happened after a mutation called Eden nearly wiped out the human race, turning them into freakish monsters across a shocking spectrum of shapes and sizes. The game opens with the Sovereignty’s so-called peacekeepers arriving to stop a doctor with a brainwashing device from leading a terrorist coup against the world’s last remaining government.

Chains of Freedom immediately stood out to me for its excellent use of art. Cutscenes, character portraits, and even the textures on 3D maps and models all have a distinct graphic novel look. The incredible art style is impressively consistent, with very little distinction between gameplay and comic-panel cutscenes. Matching the cutscene style to the in-game world couldn’t have been easy. The look reminded me a lot of The Walking Dead comics, especially since many of the enemies are scrappy, raider-like survivors who could have stepped right out of the pages of Robert Kirkman’s apocalyptic saga.

The focus on strong art direction shows in the designs of the characters and enemies. There’s a good amount of enemy variety, and they all look great. I appreciated that new enemies were introduced with full-body graphic novel sketches. I was especially fond of the game’s first chapter, which did a great job introducing the different enemy types, both human and Eden. That giant bat monster had serious boss-monster presence.

The game’s voice acting is charmingly underwhelming. The main characters seem to have more professional voice actors, but many other characters sound like they’re voiced by newer or lesser-known voice talent. As line readings can feel goofy at times, but I liked it even more knowing the actors gave it their best.

For all I enjoy about Chains of Freedom, it is unfortunate to say that the gameplay was probably, in my opinion, the worst part of the experience.

Chains of Freedom is a turn-based squad tactics game. If you’ve played XCOM, you already know what to expect. You engage in top-down, turn-based battles against various enemies, breaking up the story with action as you progress through the game’s levels.

The issue is that the combat is simple to a fault. It doesn’t really innovate on any of the genre’s familiar mechanics. The game even uses a hit chance percentage system, which I personally can’t stand.

The most disappointing thing about the gameplay is that it’s just fine. The mechanics aren’t new or complex, and there’s no added flair to make the battles feel more cinematic. Animations are basic. Getting hits or kills feels uneventful, even when you land a one-hit kill. With no grand strategy, unique mechanics, or visual impact, the battles often just feel like a repetitive cycle of move, attack, end turn—until someone dies. It’s a tiring exchange. I mean, heck, when new enemies appear, the screen fades to black, and they just show up on the map. That’s it.

For a game I just praised for its art and cinematic moments, it’s surprising that those qualities are missing in the combat—where it arguably matters most.

The best thing I can say about the gameplay is that the weapon variety is strong. Weapons aren’t restricted by class, so you can give any weapon to any teammate. Beyond that, I found combat pretty boring. I usually just wanted to see more art or learn more about the story and characters whenever a fight started. It’s strange to say that the least exciting part of the video game was the gameplay itself.

The truth is, if you’re a fan of the genre, Chains of Freedom’s gameplay is fine. You might even enjoy it. I’ll admit I’m a little biased since I don’t really enjoy this genre’s gameplay in general. The game plays like others in the genre and runs smoothly, as I didn’t notice any bugs or glitches. I just personally find the formula a little stale, and I wish developers would take more risks to refresh these familiar mechanics.

TryHardGuides was provided a PC review code for Chains of Freedom. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles on our Game Reviews page! Chains of Freedom is available on Steam, Epic Games, and PlayStation.