Reviews

• gamedeal user

  May 3, 2014

  You will want this game. I loved the politics behind everything. I slowly made my way through the rebellion only to figure out that the rebellion wasn't all it was cracked up to be. I'm sure if I played as the shappers, I would have felt the exact same way. When you get about 3/4ths done with the game, you start feeling a serious amount of dread because you know there are no good guys in this plot. I loved it.
• Kazmirl [Youtube]

  Jun 17, 2023

  Geneforge Four adds a large amount of QOL features to the series and is one of the most important parts in it. Absolutely love it.
• ETR

  Aug 5, 2023

  I've beaten every Geneforge except this one. It just bores me to death and I don't know why. Still recommend it to support small indie devs!
• gamedeal user

  Aug 10, 2023

  Geneforge 4 is a top down RPG that has a very rich story. The fourth installment in the Geneforge series continues the story from Geneforge 3 with several of the characters reappearing and even those from older games being present or at least mentioned. If you've enjoyed any of the previous Geneforge games, chances are you'll also enjoy this one. However, this is a standalone game that you can play through without having played the previous games or having any knowledge of those previous games. If you have played them you'll have a greater understanding of the general world history and character backgrounds. While Geneforge 4 plays pretty much the same as previous games there are a few minor differences. This chapter focuses on the rebellion against the shapers. In every other game you play as a Shaper (Guardian (fighter), Agent (Diplomat/Rogue), or Shaper (Mage)), but in this game you're starting on the Rebel side and you're given the choice of 5 different classes (Guardian (still a fighter) Lifecrafter (rebel version of a shaper/mage), Servile (totally new playable melee type), Shock Trooper (another new type of melee character), and Infiltrator (rebel version of an agent/diplomat/rogue). There are some different ways that NPCs will react to the different character types, especially the servile. I appreciate that two out of the 5 types were visibly female. I generally play a Shaper Agent because it's the only one that looks female but this game offered me a little more variety. The maps in Geneforge 4 have returned to being more like Geneforge 1 and 2. G3 had that individual Island speeration that I didn't enjoy but this game is split to two areas on one land mass. It's still divided between the northern half and the southern half though so you have two points where you can pass from north to south but each time you have to walk through the entire map scene as opposed to quick jump through cleared areas like you can do with any other green cleared area on the maps. Thankfully it's not as much of a time sink as the docks/boats were in Geneforge 3. My two favorite things about the Geneforge games has always been the story and the exploration. I absolutely love revealing areas of a map, discovering and exploring every map space and every room. Geneforge 4 is enjoyable t expore but there is less freedom in exploring than other games in the series because so many points are locked until you finish specific quests. I miss the freedom of exploring where I want, when I want, with the only limitations being my skill and ability to get through each maps obstacles. It also feels much smaller than the previous game. Those two main maps have 58 locations (if I counted right) compared to G1's 77, G2's 84, and G3's 91 that makes it the smallest world to explore so far... at least that's how it seems. It does have a few underground chambers/tunnels and second floors that are explorable, and tchinically it probably brings it up maybe to 68 locations (I didn't count all of those since they aren't visible on the maps). However, the time spent playing was also considerably shorter. A single playthrough was only about 40 hours. G1 took me 60 hrs, G2 was over 200 hrs of gameplay, G3 was 56. So, this came in as the least amount of playtime out of all 4 so far. The other part I love, the story, is far less disappointing. Geneforge always tells a good story if you actually read all the dialogues. You get to read through all the different views, learn backstories,and if you've gotten enough in the right skills you can even convince people to help you in different ways. The story feels satisfying to learn as it unfolds bit by bit, chat by chat, book by book. You slowly get to form opinions about each faction and decide which aligns with your own morals (or the morals of the character you play). I love riding the fine line between factions as long as I can. G3 made it almost impossible and really forced you topick sides quite early. G4 allows a little more freedom to do that but it doesn't make it easy. Staying neutral is more difficult compared to G1 and G2 but does allow you to play double agent a little better than previous games. Unfortunately, what you discover is that none of the factions are actually good. It makes it hard to pick the lesser evil. Geneforge has excellent story, but it's graphics are less impressive. The game's graphics haven't really improved since the first game, but I will say they are effective. There are some updates to it including new character models, and a few new inventory items. The most confusing was the choice to change the 'living tool' look yet keep the old model as a 'spore baton' If you have played other games sometimes it's confusing. Overall if you like turn-based combat RPGs with good storylines, you'll probably enjoy this game.
• Binch

  Sep 4, 2023

  Death to the Shapers
• gamedeal user

  Nov 3, 2015

  An old isometric RPG involving a society built around a special type of magic known as "shaping", which allows the practitioner to create and alter living beings.
• gamedeal user

  Nov 10, 2015

  previous Geneforge 3 review Geneforge 4 Graphics: Almost the same as previous games. Control: Nice and clear tutorial, fixed key binding. Replayability: Almost none to me And now we are playing for the Rebels! See the other team perspective cliche. No. Just no. I NEVER wanted to be a Rebel. So this game pointed a sword at me and tried its best to made a turncoat out of me. It failed. I ended becoming a turncoat Rebel. A sworn enemy of the Rebellion. I feel this game is linear, that is not necessarily wrong. We are back at the continent but the free roaming options are painfully limited and to gain access to other areas you have to check plot points. In order. What I love in Geneforge 1&2 is the freedom to go almost everywhere when you feel like getting there. Climbing the mountains to chat with Trajkov, crossing the desert to chat with Barzahl and random Drakons, looting everything not nailed down. Those were the days. Things I learned: [spoiler]-Rebels are mad, really, really mad. -The Rebellion must be crushed asap.[/spoiler] continued in Geneforge 5 review
• gamedeal user

  Mar 18, 2016

  Realistic and riveting
• gamedeal user

  Apr 17, 2016

  Recommended, good story, challenging battles.
• gamedeal user

  Nov 7, 2016

  I have never written a review on here, but considering this is one of the best games and one of the most underated games ive ever played, ive decided to try my hand at it. Starting off, i know it may say i only have a couple hours on record with the game, but id like to stamp that out now. I played this game years back off an old game engine before steam was a thing, buying it again now is more comfort and support for me, like buying an old book that you read years ago. I have well over 200 hours in the game, and about a thousand in the series. So let me dive in, and let you know what this game is about. Geneforge is more than a game, its a book, an experiance, a choice, and a beautiful combat system all in one. It cries out to the imaginiative, the 3 am readers, the DnD players, the indie game searchers. What it lacks in graphics, it makes up 10 fold in story. The game puts you in the middle of an entire world and has you influence the outcome of it. In the first game, you find yourself in this estranged world, where the game gives you a brief history of it, then immediately tears that away. It isolates you, shows you that you must survive, and asks you what to do to survive. But that is only the first part. once you gather your bearings, you have to forge a path. At first the paths seem clear, good or evil, but the more you progress the more you realize there is no good. there is no evil. This game makes you question everything, with the only clear progression being that of power. You single handedly experiance the start of a world rebellion, and reitre as a god or a soldier by the end. The same picks up in each consquensial title later on, each putting you, a young shaper, smack dab in the middle of the biggest points in history of this new world. The hours, weeks, months of text painstakingly put into this game alone makes it a solid game, but the combat is fantastic too. You play a tactics style turn based micromanaging comabt system, sort of like fallout: tactics or final fantasy: tactics. But instead of pre determined abilities, like everything else you determine your path. Conjure up an army to fight for you, use magic and objects to trick your opponets and take them out one by one, or don a helmet and sword and slash your way through hoards, the choice is yous. My by far favorite part of it however, has to be the fact that nothing is safe in this game from you. It emphasizes that your choices can change the entire reality. No npc cannot be killed, although it may be hard. The world will form to what you want it to, if you are brave enough to undergo the task. Dont take this as you cannot lose, for the wrong desicion will put you in a spot where you cannot escape. But understand that you are free to make that deicion, you are free to make any desicion. This is the closest i have ever come to DnD Freeplay. Pro's: Excellent story line, worth of a novel of the highest value. Freerealm as hell, you are free to make any desicion you want, nothing stops you, you shape the future and history alike. LOTS and LOTS of content, as said earlieri have over 1000 hours in the series as a whole. thats a lot for a single player non grind game. Decent combat tactics system, many ways to play out combat. Can easily engulf you in for weeks. Lots and Lots of Text Con's: The graphics are subpar at best, must be able to use your imagination Game doesnt hold your hand at all, in fact quiet the opposite. This may be a con or pro. Again, a LOT of text. again, could be a con or pro depending on your preferance. Overall i would rate this game a 9/10, Despite the horrid graphics. i honestly believe that if ther were better graphics, there wouldnt be enough reasources to make everything else so amazing. Heres to you, Spiderweb Software.