Geneforge 2

fun game

Geneforge 2 is too big for its own good. 15 hours in and not even halfway done, I decided to use cheats to turn the game into a point and click adventure just to see the story (the only reason for playing any Geneforge game). Even "playing" the game this way is still taking far, far longer than it should.

I cannot imagine the time investment required to play this game through to multiple endings normally. This game was made with a toothpick and some string and copy-pasted assets; that the game requires as much time as it does with as many sloppy and infuriating design decisions as it has is just insulting.

But it's Geneforge. So it gets a pass. From me. Not for you. Play up until the frustration exceeds the fun and then use cheats to see the rest through, or expect to invest at least 35 hours into this game for a single run.

It feels like a 90's game that released early 2000's. It's fun exploring its massive world.

I feel like Geneforge's biggest selling point is its accessibility and size. I like the story-telling which doesn't overdo the amount of reading dialogue (Like many better games of its type). The combat and the UI is very straightforward too, making it easy to dive into.

You will be save-scumming your way through it, it's that kind of game.

The game suffers from a fatal flaw:

The biggest issue I had was that to replenish your health and mana there is no rest option. Instead you need to backtrack to a healing and mana pool, then run all the way back again. I must've ran back well over a hundred times; it's an annoying chore that cuts your exploration short all the time. This is the biggest issue with the game and will likely cause many to stop playing and not finish it.

The other issue I have is that the combat isn't terribly varied or interesting, nor did it evolve much through the course of the game. You are a mage with some spells and can summon a bunch of familiars. It sounds interesting and full of potential and perhaps with a few interesting AE spells and a better system to recover your mana it could have been better.

It's difficult to recommend this to many people when there are other brilliant older RPG games like EverQuest, Might & Magic 6-8, the criminally underrated Lands of Lore 3, Daggerfall or new ones like Lords of Xulima.

I give it a C, which means it was fun but close to being a 'take it or leave it' kind of experience.

Geneforge 2 is a good game and good 2nd entry into a interesting and fun series. I got over 51 hours for a first playthrought with no help. It adds to the story and lore well however i feel that in the first that shapers lacked definitive proof that they were just humans where in the 2nd they were just that humans. Although it improves alot of the 1st geneforge, i feel as the hit chance was really not balanced. If you liked the first then this is a no brainer.

Final Review
missed 4 80%/ missed 8 50%

Great game
Good story, gameplay
Multiple factions, endings

Also a classic childhood game of mine that I played long ago and love again playing this game again now as I remember still good story and map. The combat interesting to as always and a lot of factions that you could join or just stay unaligned. 10/10

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.

I very much enjoyed Geneforge 1 and Geneforge 2 is so similar in so many ways that I had expected to really enjoy it as well. The game could be a direct continuation of the first one. It has the same UI style, the same mechanics, the same graphic style... what it lacks though is the real sense of mystery. In Geneforge 1 you go into it without understanding much about the world, the shapers, etc... in Geneforge 2 (assuming you played through number 1) you the player have much more information than the character you are playing and that imbalance in knowledge takes away from the story elements and makes the mystery almost non-existent. It's actually this knowledge imbalance that to me makes this one of their weakest and least enjoyable games for me personally. I struggled to finish it because it just couldn't hold my interest in the same way that the first did. While some of that imbalance exists in later games it always feels most prominent in this one. I originally played this game when it first came out, almost 20 years ago, and I repurchased the series on Steam to replay it. Despite nearly 20 years to forget what I knew about the games, I still feel the same way about this installment. I know a lot of people really loved this one and some even think it's the best in the series, but it just isn't for me.

That said the game still has a lot of good points to it and if you really liked the way the first game looks and/or plays you will probably enjoy this game too. Personally, I love the exploration aspect of the game (the entire series really), revealing new areas on my map is for some reason a big thrill to me. The worlds in these games are huge and very expansive and Geneforge 2 is one of the larger ones. This game is very non-linear, you can travel to all sorts of areas on the map pretty much immediately. You're hindered mostly by your current ability level in that you may not be strong enough or skilled enough to go further in an area but you can still go there and explore most of it if you are careful.

If you love having faction choices this is THE Geneforge game for you with, I believe, 4-5 different options. To some people that means a lot of replayability as trying the game with each faction produces some very different results in where you can go and which quests you can complete as well as what ending you will get. The story is complex and well written, but you need to be prepared to do a lot of reading if you want to really take it all in. It means talking with everyone, hearing multiple sides, and completing a lot of quests to really unravel the details of the story. Personally, I didn't find the story as compelling as most of the other games, but it's still pretty good and I do admire the complex story lines you get to delve into if you have the patience for it.

No matter how you play, don't forget to save frequently, ...you will die, ... a lot! This can be a hard game all the Geneforge games are challenging and that's part of what makes it great is the sense of accomplishment you have after clearing a particularly tough area, or defeating a particularly strong opponent. How you play the game will make a huge difference in your experience. I have almost 500 hours on record in this game (maybe up to 1/3 of that is time spent just sitting idle while I walked away to do something else, but I've put in a lot of time. If you like exploring every possible location and doing every possible side quest and discovering every little secret... you better expect to put in a lot of time. If you just want to move through the main story and go straight from start to finish you can probably do that in maybe 4-5 hours. You'll miss a lot of what makes the games series really interesting and unique but you could play that way.

If you love story driven games, like to make your own moral choices in a game, and you love RPGs then you'll probably enjoy this game and the rest of the series.

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

Just as great as I remember! Each area has lots of things to do and explore, and the difficulty option makes it very forgiving if you mess up. In addition, the creation, skill point, and spell system allows for an absurd amount of playstyles, so it never gets boring. Also, the worldbuilding is fascinating and the writing is good. A great game!

Where the first one had mystery and isolation; Geneforge 2 exchanges them for world building and factions! This is the game to buy if you're just starting the series. As almost everything G2 did became the hallmarks for the later titles.

The best geneforge, in my humble opinion. Lots of replayability, new abilities and a skill which finally makes Guardians not unplayably bad for a change. Completely free from the inefficiencies of the later inventory UIs like Geneforge 3 and onward, everything is neatly arranged on a scrollable hotbar for you to use, just like in Geneforge 1. In fact, this game is so similar to Geneforge 1 that if you liked Geneforge 1, you absolutely can't pass up this game. It expands on basically all the foundations that the first game left down.

Geneforge 2 is one of my favorite games all-time. The second game in the Geneforge series, this game is a must play for any RPG enthusiasts. As with all the games within the Geneforge series, the mc (you) are given a lot of choices on how you want to play the game. Each faction (I believe there are 4) has a unique disposition which are in the morally gray area, allowing you to feel satisfactory regardless of which one you choose to help. That coupled with a interesting story line give this game a very strong playthrough and a high replay value (this game is like 24 games in one). The only two drawbacks to this game are: 1) the player is only given 3 character archetypes to choose from which are not very flexible; 2) the campaign is still kinda short (I can usually do a complete play through in around 4-5 hrs). However the game play and flexibility in game more than make up for its drawbacks.

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.

It's good but it really doesn't hold up well by modern standards. And I mean technically. It's a bit of a pain to get working correctly on windows 10, there's an issue where the game lags like crazy when any text is displayed on screen. This coupled with poor resolution scaling (I played this at 4k) makes for a jerky and clunky experience.

That being said a remaster is in the works and this game does deserve it because the game itself is really good. It's a continuation of the first Geneforge and is every bit as fun. The story in this one falls flat, but these game's have always nailed the sense of exploration. Overall it's good if you already own it, but I would personally wait for the remaster.

Geneforge 2 is a great sequel. Those who liked the first game will appreciate it without any doubt.

At first I was a bit dissatisfied with Geneforge 2 as it was way to similar to the first both in it's gameplay elements and story (basically the same things happen in a new location). One of the biggest negatives is the fact that we already know the basic rules of the world, so the sence of wonder is way weaker here. Thanksfully, the story takes it into consideration by making you an apprentice here, so that your character has allmost all the backgroud knowlwdge about the world of Shapers (unlike the one from the original who was almost a complete outsider). Also, I find the fractions here to be a bit better, at least this time I actually found myself switching sides and joining the Barzahl, while in the original there was no second though about being a true Shaper loyalist. Also worth mentioning are new creations, whole 3 of those. Of course you can create only one
after getting a lot of power, but it's definitely worth it. The pacing is another improvement. The original was way too tedious and dragged a lot in the final chunk with all the mines and turrets. This game has less of it and the ending is not that much of a chore to get through.
Overall the game has a great aftertaste, surprisingly better then the original, even though the latter had a lot more atmoshere and mystery. Geneforge 2 compensates this with refined pacing and the choice of fraction being a lot more interesting. If you want some 50 hour (my first run took 50.5 hours) of great modern CRPG Geneforge 2 is for you!

Always try to buy your games on sale. I think this series goes on sale once or twice a year.

This is a continuation and improvement to the first game.

The story gets more personal and the mechanics are more defined. Shortcuts have consequences.

This is personally my favorite in the series.

This game is a turn based game Fantasy RPG just like the first one. You will need to read for context during the game. If you don't like reading you won't like the game. You generally get short scenes from the story where you and your companion will speak and you will receive details about them depending on your skills. You choose how to respond and the scene continues. Making choices with words and actions will shape your story and eventual ending.

There are 5ish endings that I can remember. 3 classes to choose from like before.

Cost versus content. For a one and done deal you could probably finish a single playthrough in 10-20 hours.
To get everything you will need about 5 times that.

This game I originally bought it on CD from their website. I first found it through Wild Tangent's game thing on PC.
I bought it again here to show support for the creator and to leave a review.

In total I have about 100+ hours since I have had this game forever before I found it on Steam

I enjoyed the game and that is the most important thing to me.

Geneforge 2 is my all time favorite Isometric RPG. I have played it probably a hundred times, though most of these times were on the old RealArcade launcher when I was growing up. It's got a wonderful story with compelling factions and engaging combat, a straightforward and meaningful stat allocation system as well as fun combat. Jeff is a genius :)

This is probably my favorite c-rpg of any other ive played. I normally feel restricted in rpgs as I normally am too guilty to play as a "evil" faction (mainly because "evil" factions are kind of assholes). But every faction in this game and the series has a reasonable view and desired course of action. I have played as three of the 4 (technically 5) factions in this game. I explored all I could in the first play through and minmaxed the second and speedrunned the third. The resolution of the game is a tad low but I am used to it. Gameplay is simple but allows for stratagems normally reserved for RTS games due to the unique shaping mechanic in where you are able to produce creations who can fill a variety of general combat roles. Balancing the make up of your party is not essential like other games so you can make a party of magic users and not feel the burn. The difficulties are all fair for what they describe, easy is easy, normal is normal, you get the rest. I cannot recommend this game more for fans of c-rpgs. But if your a person who is looking for really good graphics, or refuses to play games with below average graphics for the time. This game is not for you.

Let me start by saying I love Geneforge 1. That said, this is not as good as Geneforge 1. This is for the simple reason that while playing geneforge 1, everything was a mystery. Playing Geneforge 2, the player has so much more information than the character he or she is playing. This hurts a lot when you're playing a story driven game.

Pros:
Still good story writing
Multiple endings
Rewarding multiple playstyles
Leveling system (same as geneforge 1)
You get pet raptors and bigfoots
Lots of play time for your buck
Enjoyable combat system that allows for a lot of strategies.
More factions available than in 1

Cons:
not as good as geneforge 1
Opening music is bad and overall the game could use a better soundtrack
It can be difficult to tell what area you should be safe to progress to until you're dead.

TLDR; not as good as 1 but still worth a play through.

P.S. a note about the publisher I once bought the first game when realarcade was a thing (back in the early 2000s). Back then they sent a disk and an authentication Code. Well forward to around 2011ish, new computer and i lost the code. I emailed them saying I bought the game years ago and asked for another code. They sent me a new authentication code within 24 hours with no additional questions, maybe they had my email on file idk. But that's the kind of publisher i want to support. Thanks Spiderweb Software

I'm genuinely sad that this game is nearly fifteen years old and so few games have come out in the whole of the time that have had the same feeling of pure narrative RPG elements that this one has. Where, in most instances, it's abundantly clear that a game has components solely designed to appeal to the maximum viewship and reach the maximum number of sales, I genuinely feel the the sole purpose of Geneforge 2 is to diligently tell a good story and allow a player to experience and navigate through that world, regardless of the effect that would have on the market.

Geneforge 2 tells the story of a young apprentice who is traveling with their mentor to do a routine inspection on one of their poorer and more distant colonies, and stumble into an entire world that's not supposed to be there. Two effectively advances the plot from one, as you can see the same character and learn about what happened to them between the previous game and now, and you can once again chose your alliances and work through the struggles that this new world brings.

Over all, this game has the atmosphere that I'm most satisfied with and most comfortable with. Realistic human characters with interests and motivations, managing a delicate power balance that threatens to destroy the faction you care about most. The characters and they present the case for what they believe in, and how dangerous it is to be found out, hits compelling note with me and actually makes me care about what happens to them and the role I play in the valley.

The game is old, by now. The resolution isn't the best, and the graphics were never mind blowing to begin with, but it still caries the same charm it ever had and I'm somewhat partial to say that it's aged relatively well. Above all else, the story remains, the characters remain, and nothing can damage that element.

Geneforge 2 could possibly be my most favourite game of all time. And I cannot foresee any reason that I would not recommend it. It will always have a place in my heart.

My review is positive.

Despite what the negative review said, it worked perfectly fine on my computer.

I have a Samsung office model that is about 2-3 years old and it runs fine on my computer.


It's not as good as the first game in my opinion, but it is still worth playing! I would buy the bundle to get all 5 games for the price of one!