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your favorite geneforge


jared

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1. Geneforge 4.

 

In my opinion, definetely the best one out there. Best story (along with GF1), best gameplay by FAR (five classes, new inventory system, and so on), much better graphics, and the whole chapters thing turned out to be really good.

 

2. Geneforge 1.

 

I loved this one. I remember finding the story very original when I first played it. The gameplay was original and simple, and the gameplay balance, though not perfect, was pretty good as well.

 

3. Geneforge 3.

 

I felt this one was an improvement compared to GF2. Better gameplay balance, elemental attacks, new dungeon feature, crafting, more canister side-effects, and so on.

I sure wish Jeff Vogel had actually made it possible to make Ur-Drakons, but Icy End just doesn't have a drakon canister, as far as I know.

 

4. Geneforge 2.

 

Pretty good, but still the worst game in the series. Worst gameplay balance by far.

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I think I'd rank them as G4, G1, then G2 and G3 in a dead heat. I like them all, and consider G2 and G3 fine games. G1 stands out as being the most original because it was first, and G4 for lifting the series to a new level of sophistication.

 

To me the differences between the four games, and even their limitations, seem to work well as the natural development of the big story. In G1 you explore a static and limited world, and this fits the story of stumbling into old secrets on an abandoned and forgotten island. G2 is a big sprawl, and five factions pursue divergent plans while the PC plays combat tourist; but this feels exactly right for the mad scramble after the great secret has been released, when everything is up for grabs.

 

Then G3 goes entirely the other way. Open war on a series of small islands reduces the luxury of wandering to choosing sides and fighting one battle at a time. You're on a frontier where neither side has much support to offer you, but the tourist has become a soldier, one way or the other. Then in G4 you're right in the middle, after both sides have suffered and adopted desperate measures, and there is finally some sense of operating in a dynamic world, where not everyone else is just standing around giving you dialog options.

 

To keep up the momentum, I would think that G5 should contrive to make both sides more capable, so that you're part of a real clash of titans, instead of just a rebel remnant fighting exhausted shapers. With all those titans present, a lot of thought should go into making it clear why and how the initially negligible PC becomes important. "You're the only shaper/lifecrafter available" won't cut it any more.

 

And with stalemate settling in, political divergence again seems likely, and it might be nice to have more factional complexity. Perhaps you could meaningfully promote radical or moderate sides in either camp, as well as the Trakovites.

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For some reason, 4 is the only one that actually made me want to buy it. 1 and 2 were good, but there's something about the story this time around that really grabs me. It's probably that I've always sided with the rebels, but this time, my morals force me to go with the Shapers(then, of course, incite another rebellion led by my character that actually practices what we preach).

 

edit: heh, first post in a while... just remembered how stupid my sig is.

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That was a very well thought out response, Student of Trinity.

 

I'd say GF4 is my fave, though they're all great for their own reasons. GF4 is the one that has me playing through a 3rd time in a row! I think it's the diversity of the story (though not as great as G2) along with the vastly improved playability.

 

Long live Mil Bundus, great Servile General!

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Geneforge 1 probably wins out as the best just because it was original. The rest of the games while building on the previous games still seemed like it was redoing the same idea. That having been said I have really enjoyed going through the demo for G4 and it may end up being my favorite. I would rate G1 and G4 as the best, G2 being second best, and G3 being my least favorite. I did not like having to go to the docks to travel around the differant islands. I still remember when I first saw the whole map in the original Geneforg. I kept looking at it to see if I could tell where the next town was. I was also really interested in getting to those doors that were shown in the North East of the map. The first game just had more intrigue. I had a real interest in the story while playing through the original Geneforge which I just don't get playing the others. Near the end you also got the chance to pump up your character by using the Geneforge. Using the Geneforge in G4 was not quite as exciting.

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  • 5 years later...

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