Disciples: Liberation

Disciples: Liberation is a dark fantasy strategy-RPG hybrid from Frima Studio that asks you to build a mercenary warband, pick political sides across four rival factions, and grind through hex-based tactical combat while a story about gods, undead, and morally grey power brokers unfolds around you. If you have a soft spot for grimdark worldbuilding and the kind of lore that rewards reading item descriptions at 1am, the setting here has genuine texture. The world of Nevendaar carries real weight from the older Disciples titles, and Liberation does try to honor that legacy with its oppressive atmosphere and mature storytelling. Demons broker deals, elves are not friendly, and the church is absolutely the villain in at least two questlines. The faction allegiance system is where the game earns its RPG credentials. Your protagonist Avyanna accumulates influence with the Undead Hordes, the Empire, the Mountain Clans, and the Elven Alliance, and those standing meters actually affect quest availability and story outcomes. That is a real mechanical hook, not cosmetic flavor. Army composition leans into unit synergies and class roles - healers, tanks, ranged damage dealers - and the hex combat has enough tactical depth to stay interesting through the mid-game. Building out your base of operations adds a light city-builder layer that fans of Heroes of Might and Magic adjacents will recognise immediately. Where Liberation stumbles is in the places that hurt the most for an RPG fan. The writing oscillates between genuinely sharp dialogue and clunky exposition dumps that feel like they skipped a revision pass. Side quests frequently boil down to fetch errands dressed in lore clothing, and if you are the type who will notice padding, you will notice it here around hour 15-20 when the map starts to feel repetitive. Combat animations are serviceable but slow, and the interface has rough edges that suggest a production timeline tighter than the scope demanded. The 73 percent Steam rating is honest - this is a game that delivers on some of its promises and quietly ignores others. The audience sweet spot is players who bounced off Heroes of Might and Magic because they wanted more RPG meat on the bones, or who enjoyed Operencia and King's Bounty but wanted darker tonal territory. If your benchmark is Divinity: Original Sin 2 or BG3 for writing quality and systemic depth, Liberation will feel like a rougher, smaller cousin playing in the same genre space. It is not that cousin you regret inviting - more the one who occasionally says something surprisingly insightful but also repeats the same three stories at every gathering. Discover it on sale or when you are specifically craving dark fantasy faction politics with tactical combat. Play it for Nevendaar's atmosphere, Avyanna's arc, and the faction allegiance payoffs. Tolerate it for the pacing bumps and the occasionally undercooked quest design. Go in with calibrated expectations and there is a solid 30-40 hour campaign here that will satisfy the itch. Monika, Scout Team