Geneforge Saga

I can't believe they got spiderweb games on here. This dude (Jeff Vogel) is awesome. I blew so many hours on Exile when I was a kid. His games are HUGE and deep.

I don't know what got me to try out Geneforge, but I am so glad I did. Don't let the exterior fool you! Inside you will find such a well-written and more-ish game, with fun and rewarding gameplay, you'll find it difficult to stop playing. You'll encounter interesting characters and stories and have to make genuinely tricky decisions, some times with condequences you couldn't foresee, always keeping you guessing - in a good way! I try to recommend this game series every opportunity I get, if you enjoy RPGs you really shouldn't miss out on this experience.

I've loved Sipderweb software since my introduction on an Apple "PC" in the high school computer lab back around 1995 with Exile III. The Geneforge series started soon after and it presented a very unique and addictive play style... Don't form a party, create it! With access to the power of Shaping, you can create a single powerful ally and level it along with you, or create a dozen sacrificial pets to distract and confuse the enemy, sometimes they can even self destruct! There are, of course, also classic magic, melee, and ranged fighting styles, but this unique idea of shaping and the deep world it creates are the true draw. As with all of Spiderweb's games, there are a few UI issues and ways to game the system, as well as assets you'll be a bit tired of seeing as you get further into the series. All that can be easily overlooked, though, when you get into the story and have fun with your creations (or lack there of)!

I've only played the first 3 so far but they were all excellent old school turn based RPGs. If you are in to that sort of thing these games are really fun to play. Each game takes about 35-40 hours to finish. There are alternate endings and ways to play/finish the quests so you can replay. One word of warning: These games are really hard. Like late 80s early 90s hard. Compared to modern RPGs these take some time to figure out how to progress.

The story is grittier than most RPG's and has an original setting. Comparable to Fallout 1 & 2, high praise indeed. The combat is just right, real time turns to fast turn-based combat with all options at your fingertips. Magic and summoning (or 'shaping') are available alongside melee and ranged combat. The graphics are retro obviously, but they serve the purpose. The world conjured up is one you'll remember. That's more than can be said for most games!