Geneforge 2

The second instalment in one of the all-time greatest CRPG series. The valley of Drypeak manages to be even more forbidding and packed with morbid secrets than Sucia Island, and bringing light to its dark, ooze-covered corners is always tense and exciting. Each joinable faction is well developed and the overall choice of which to join-- if any-- has a level of moral complexity that is rarely seen in video games and will have you questioning your real-life ethical principles. Don't expect the typical struggle between good and evil found in many RPGs-- that's not Geneforge. The incredibly unique setting of the Geneforge series is in peak condition here, and you'll be completely immersed as you delve into nests of rogue creations, haunted swamps, crystal mines and barren mountain passes, and of course, scores of abandoned, or often not-so-abandoned, Shaper laboratories. If you're coming here from the original Geneforge 1, expect more of the same. If you're coming from Geneforge: Mutagen, you may be put off by the comparatively primitive presentation of the game-- it was made in 2003, after all. To be frank, the game shows its age. In visuals and resolution, menu design, and in many of its mechanical systems as well. If you're a fan of old games it's nothing out of the ordinary and likely won't impede your enjoyment of the game, but if that's an issue for you you may wish to wait for the "Mutagen" version of Geneforge 2, which is supposedly under development at the time of writing. The difficulty of this game is typical for a CRPG from 2003, which is to say pretty severe. "Normal" in GF2 would probably be "Hard" or "Very Hard" in most modern games. I finished the game fairly easily on Casual difficulty, and the game is designed so that you can bypass most challenges by taking a different route better suited to your strengths or just taking a moment to strategize and come back with a smarter attack plan, so don't let the initial difficulty of the game scare you away. Some of the optional endgame challenges ended up beyond the limits of my party even on Casual difficulty, but everything before that is doable without much frustration if you go in with the right mindset and a decent build. All in all, if you're a fan of retro CRPGs this game is a no-brainer to play in one form or another. If all the baggage of the "retro" tag is no concern to you, or even an added nostalgic bonus, there's really no reason not to go ahead and buy this game. If you'd rather play a remastered version, you might be better off waiting for GF2 Mutagen-- although you can always buy this version on sale as a sneak peek.

Nostalgia on an old game. Immersive plot and storytelling and a lot of choices allowing for huge replayability.

If you have played spiderweb games before you know what to expect. This is pretty much standard for the company (which is to say very good imo). Poor old graphics even for its time, good combat, good systems, complicated moral choices with consequences but without developer judgement.

Great game Good story, gameplay Multiple factions, endings

Of all of the Geneforge games, this is one of the ones with the most replay value. If you can get past the dates interface it is absolutely worth giving it a try.

Another RPG from Spiderweb featuring the Shapers, monster summoning wizards that use a kind of biomechanics in their society. I feel like this one holds your hand a little better up front than the first one, but if you struggle with games like these like I do (mechanically rich but a bit dated, janky, and difficult to figure out) you won't make it very far. And I didn't.

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