Why You (Might) Like … Disciples: Liberation

Life’s complicated, and sometimes it’s important to realise: it’s me, not you.

It’s 2025, and we’ve seen some shit, man. Like, the Pope’s from Chicago now. Perhaps unrelated to the Holy See, I’m recommending a game I didn’t like.

I parked my playthrough of Disciples: Liberation at just over 14 hours. It was enough to know that there’s a lot to love there, and that I’m an idiot for not liking it. You might though, so let’s spend five minutes talking about why I’m wrong.

Original Content

The Disciples games have always been a little unique, and Liberation is no exception. The story is both gritty and engaging, kind of like Game of Thrones without incest or beheadings on a five-minute schedule. Every faction in the game is partially evil, and the world is harsh. It sidesteps simple morality plays, and with your main character Avyanna starting as a mercenary, you’re free to play with your moral compass spinning like the aliens are about to abduct you. There’s no BioWare judging you here. It’s a real take for a complex world.

The characters are well written and the banter feels stylish. The maestro who wrote this manages to get a lot across in just a couple of sentences, especially when Avyanna and sidekick Orion are talking. You get a sense of real history between them, a loyalty that goes beyond whatever the current mess is that they find themselves in. The supporting cast I met were well realised, typically spanning confused souls on the wrong side to evil assholes who want to build a literal throne out of corpses.

And the combat is great. It’s deep and tactical, like rock-paper-scissors roided up and started going to the gym. It’s not the kind of game where you can pick just one or two unit types and steamroll the AI. You’ll be guessing and adapting when new units hit your front line. If you’re the kind of sicko who loves figuring out unit counters and battlefield positioning, this will scratch that itch.

So, Why the Uninstall?

There are two rocks I stubbed my toes on in Disciples: Liberation, which are less flaws with the game and more cognitive errors in my psyche.

The unit philosophy isn’t how I roll. Typically, I like a smaller core team of three to six deeply customisable dudes. I want them to have a wide toolbox and wider personalities. Liberation has a broader army-building focus, so there’s more of a tactics-first approach to its storytelling. It ain’t me, chief.

Second, the challenge and scaling’s … off. The encounter design is clearly geared towards people who vibe on that 5D rock-paper-scissors shit, especially if they like cracking tough tactical challenges. Some fights felt demanding in a way that’s for a certain type of person that’s also not me. I admire the design, but I prefer having a more streamlined challenge model.

Well Made, and Maybe for You

Disciples: Liberation is a well-made game, clearly crafted with a lot of love and charm, and it’s definitely trying to do something interesting in the tactical RPG genre. I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed, and it’s worse because I’m disappointed in myself. 

If you enjoy tactical combat with a wide roster, a gritty story where choices have weight but you don’t feel constantly judged, and well-written characters, give this a shot. It’s a quality title that deserves an audience, even if I’m not part of it. In a world where Chicago gave us deep-dish pizza and the Pope, I’m out here recommending games I don’t personally enjoy. If that’s not the most 2025 thing ever, I don’t know what is.

And that’s the thing about taste; sometimes the problem isn’t the game, it’s you. Disciples: Liberation is out there being excellent for someone else, and I’m okay with that. Let me know in the comments if you’re Team Small-Squad or Team Tactical-Army, and hit that like button if you think I’m an idiot. 

And if you enjoyed watching me realise I don’t know myself as well as I thought, well… there’s probably more where that came from, so subscribe for more self-flagellation. Thanks for watching!