Critical reception for "Free" was generally positive. Blogcritics praised the album as "a masterful evolution of the sound of two fabulous musicians", describing it as "a magnificent symbiosis of metal and experimental electronica." Jake Rosenberg of Transcending the Mundane stated that on "Office of Strategic Influence", "it sounded like they were experimenting with different approaches, but never really established the OSI sound". He lauded "Free" for " like the work of a mature and confident band". Adrien Begrand of PopMatters regarded "Free" as "a challenge to fans of both Fates Warning and Dream Theater, and one that will surprise those who think this is just another slice of flashy prog metal bombast."