Visual novel with deck building elements
Freeborn is a premium adventure experience that revolves around friendship and the quest to become a champion. This is a story-driven game where dialogues and choices matter, adding a semi-open world on top of the visual novel approach and the deck-building aspect. Set in the fictional world of Arithia, you travel around and engage in fun card battles.
As a visual treat, Freeborn features a zoomed-out fully 3D world that gives a casual feel, paired perfectly with its good range of soundtracks. It looks and feels like Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura or Project Zomboid, but more relaxing.
Explore the world of Arithia
The overarching goal in Freeborn is your quest to become a champion. The gameplay, however, is a bit more varied. There are a lot of things for you to do in this game. You can focus on competing and progressing, you can also build relationships with a host of NPC characters in the game, or do both. You’re even free to roam around its semi-open world or enjoy the music.
Speaking of roaming around, the developers have taken the time to make the most out of its zoomed-out isometric perspective. There is a good mix of urban and natural landscapes for you to explore, each having different features and gimmicks. Gameplay-wise, its card-building aspect plays a significant role. Inspired by the Pazaak from the Star Wars universe, this in-game card battle called Ekosi introduces new features.
With its wide range of activities, it’s easily understandable how this game can overwhelm casual players. This learning curve extends to the Ekosi card game. However, once you get the hang of this game, it becomes addictive on so many levels. Also, the game relies on dialogue choices, giving it a lot of replayability value and making it more than worth the price.
An enjoyable, replayable adventure
Freeborn is a definite treat for people who want a bit of everything. It offers a compelling story driven by choices, set across a good range of set designs with corresponding activities. This alone makes the game replayable. Add in a unique card game with a new twist, and you have a game that is enjoyable for multiple playthroughs. Aside from the initial learning curve, this is definitely worth every penny.
