Land of the Free: An Open-World GTA-Like Heads to Game Boy, Bridging Comics and Video Games

Comic book author and developer Gonçalo Fernandes has unveiled Land of the Free, a new Game Boy title that brings GTA-style open-world action to Nintendo's classic handheld, directly inspired by his graphic novel The Last Call. The story unfolds inside a sprawling territorial prison complex once known as Florida, where two inmates discover a mysterious map said to lead to freedom, instantly turning them into targets for ruthless gangs roaming a lawless land.

Announced as Land of the Free Part 1, the game lets players explore this open world on foot or by vehicle, including a drivable tank capable of destroying scenery, and offers a choice between two playable characters with distinct storylines. Fighting, exploring, and uncovering hidden secrets all help expand the lore and continuity of the comic the game is based on, following on from the author's previous Game Boy title, Triple Threat Terror.

Release still listed as "TBA", physical cartridge pre-orders already open

The game was built entirely with GBStudio, the free, open-source tool that lets anyone design Game Boy games without any programming knowledge. GBStudio can be downloaded for free from its official website, and a getting started guide walks newcomers through the first steps of building their own game. As for Land of the Free itself, no precise release date has been announced yet, but pre-orders for the physical cartridge are already open on the author's online shop.

Source: Time Extension