Post-apocalyptic turn-based strategy game Chains of Freedom brings XCOM-style tactical combat to a dark-fantasy dystopia set in Eastern Europe. In the shadow of a government on the edge of collapse, the intervention of a rogue scientist brings dangerous mind control serums to the table, while even more dangerous horrors lurk in the darkness. With your elite squad of highly trained specialists in tow, it’s up to you to unravel the conspiracy that threatens to tear civilization apart. Now, developer Nordcurrent reveals that we’re less than a month before launch, with a free demo that you can try right now on Steam.
While its battles most closely resemble the tight, close-quarters encounter design of XCOM, Chains of Freedom also adopts the real-time exploration seen in other turn-based strategy games such as Mutant Year Zero and Wasteland 3. Once things kick off, however, that shift to turn-based gives you full control to carefully plan out every move and compare the statistics and odds of every possible action. You’ll need to make use of every tool in your kit if you’re going to overcome the numerous threats that stand in your way, from rival factions to mutant horrors.
While its tale of deep-rooted conspiracies and betrayal promises plenty of intrigue, it’s the combat that has really caught my eye. As a fan of everything from XCOM 2 to Baldur’s Gate 3, Chains of Freedom is promising me plenty of good number-crunching. Factoring in the terrain, positional advantages, and your squad’s composition will be essential to come out ahead, with everything from vicious melee options and regular firearms to specialist tools such as flamethrowers and mortars at your disposal.
As you progress, you can further specialize your crew. Select their skills carefully to meet your needs, and ensure they have the weapons and gear needed to make it through that next fight. Your journey to uncover the truth will lead you through everything from hidden forest laboratories to full-scale, heavily fortified military encampments, so you’ll need to be prepared to adapt your strategies to match the situation.
The Chains of Freedom release date is Tuesday April 15, and it will be available via Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GOG. You can wishlist it for now, or download a demo to try it head of launch.
Alternatively, take a look through even more of the best strategy games right now, or look ahead to see what other upcoming PC games we’re looking forward to in 2025.
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