Superdeath25

I started with the Geneforge 2 demo I found on Realonearcade in 5th grade, all the way back in 2003. My parents were a little stingy about money and it was expensive, so I didn't end up getting the full thing until I bought the series on GOG back in 2015. Geneforge 3 has its flaws, but is super underrated. I sympathize with the idea of rights for serviles, but I can't go along with the rebels past Geneforge 2 as they become obsessed with gaining power and shaping NEEDS restrictions. Plus, the Shapers do seem to moderate on their ideas as the series goes on, lampshaded by that general who recruits you in Geneforge 4 who says the Shapers have reevaluated some policies in the wake of the war and mentioned having to be practical in some ways. The rebels just go further and further into insanity, mostly because of the Drakons

I think the Geneforge 5 player character is somebody from Geneforge 2 as the game mentions the character being seized at Drypeak. Considering he is a lifecrafter and has gorged on canisters, my gut says Sammann could be the Geneforge 4 PC. MOnarch is either the PC from Geneforge 1 or 3. Nothing is confirmed though

I was playing through Geneforge 1 recently, and when I got the Guardian Claymore at the very end of the game, it made me wonder should there be a petition for the remakes to include a new game +, where the player can replay the game with their powerful equipment, though possibly with strengthened enemies. It is irksome when you get the powerful end game equipment after there is little left to use it on. It creates what I call Useless Ultimate Weapon syndrome. Omnicharm is a big offender on this too

In the first two Geneforges, I am sympathetic to the Rebel side. In Geneforge 3, the Rebellion gets taken over by the Takers and becomes a bunch of power hungry lunatics that come across as more concerned with gaining power over the Shapers than freeing serviles like the original idea was. I happily slaughter them across the islands. Plus, if you serve them consistently, the Shapers treat you REALLY well. You get so much praise and you get lots of discounts at their stores. And yeah, I found rebel leaders unlikable. Lankan was a brat, Litalia is like the desperate girl in the bar who keeps hitting on the guy she knows is gay, and whenever I see Master Hoge, I just want to kill him.

I mean, the only flaw was that I couldn't travel everywhere directly. If that was ironed out so that I would automatically take any boats needed, I think the boat feature was a great thing to implement. I like the idea that I clear one island and move on to the next. The only other game that provided anywhere close to that sense of direction was Geneforge 4

Am I the only one who didn't hate the boat mechanic in Geneforge 3. Granted, I didn't particularly like it, but Irksome or not, it gave the best sense of progression and kept me from being confused about where to go, a problem I had in the first 2 Geneforges

The Alwan ending in Geneforge 5 is one of the greatest endings I have ever seen in any game. Ghaldring dies, you retire in glory, barred creations go extinct, Terrestia is reunited under the Shaper banner, Shaping gets under control again, the Geneforges are drained, and the Trakovites disappear. In the same game, the Ghaldring ending is horrible. You do all that work to overthrow the Shapers, only for it to be rendered meaningless in the end as Ghaldring gets overthrown and the shaping laws are reinstated. Makes you feel like your hours of gameplay was all for nothing AS for other games, the Geneforge 3 Shaper ending is really good. Like you, the Geneforge 4 Rebel ending gives me a "WHAT HAVE I DONE" feeling