Geneforge Saga

The original Geneforge came as a demo on the family computer back in the early 2000s, and it's been my favorite game ever since. Every few years I go back and play it again - and every time it's been challenging and interesting in new ways. The game isn't easy, and you can build a character that's not strong enough to complete the story, which I count as a positive. The later games in the series are all a bit different in terms of both mechanics and story, and admittedly they've all blended together in my memory over the years. Some have better stories than others, as you'd expect, but I don't recall ever being disappointed. I've met a few other folks who've played Geneforge and they always mention that the graphics are terrible... but the graphics convey everything that needs to be visually conveyed without being confusing, irritating, or slowing my computer down, so I have no complaints. Minimalist, yet comprehensive. Then again, I'm not a video gamer; my interests are more in tabletop and board games, and I frequently leave video games half-finished when you almost inevitably have to grind through a lull in the story. But the first Geneforge is something special, and remains the only computer game I've ever played where it really felt like my choices mattered. Not only that, the world was immersive enough that I really wanted my choices to matter.

Spiderweb Software formed the core of my childhood RPG gaming experience, and Geneforge, along with Nethergate and Avernum, had a powerful effect on me while I was young. As a kid I had a copy of Geneforge, then a few years ago I bought the saga on CDROM. Then the CD died and I'm here on GOG buying it for the third time. Geneforge is a third person, party based, isometric RPG much like Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, and Neverwinter Nights. However, instead of swords and sorcery, high fantasy, rootin' tootin' knights and maidens, the world of Geneforge is a fallen one, the ooey gooey remnants of arrogant scientists who thought to play God. The setting has more in common with a zombie apocalypse movie than a traditional D&D based RPG. The world is teeming with ruined labs, forgotten experiments, and people struggling to carve an existence from the harsh, hostile island to which they have been condemned. On a technical level, the graphics and story presented here are amazing, especially for being able to fit in a measly 16 megs of disk space. The RPG mechanics are well thought out, and everything meshes together to provide an experience hard to find anywhere else.

Storywise it's pretty damn neat, even if it sort of seems to be more or less the same story as the Avadon series in broad strokes, just set in a much more interesting and much more original universe. Combat is terrible, actually most gameplay is absolutely terrible, and it's the story and the universe coupled with the exploration and mystery (especially in the first game) that makes it all worth it and a real fun time. The gameplay and combat improves by each game, though the story and the exploration gets worse in by each game - with a few exceptions. I hate all of the Geneforge games, and I love them so very dearly. They are among the best I have ever played, and they are among the worst I have ever suffered.

On the surface, the Geneforge series is a solid old-school RPG: plain graphics, D&D-ish battle mechanics, monster-slaying, loot-grabbing... the whole deal. But then you get to the amazingly well-written story that gives you actual narritive control. Choices you make in the game will affect the NPCs and the game ending in a substantial way! The degree of influence of your choices is something I have never seen in any AAA game title. Or, for that matter, anywhere outside of the very best Interactive Fiction games. Must be played to be believed!

Geneforge 1 is brilliant. I loved the writing. I won't spoil any of it, just know that it's a fantasy RPG with a great twist. I didn't finish 2, 3 or 4 because they all ended up boring me in different ways. They all felt the same. Geneforge 5, though, is another 5 star game. A delightful romp, and finally the UI is starting to look modern. Well worth the purchase.