Geneforge 2

Editors' ReviewDownload.com staffFebruary 29, 2024Imagine Brave New World crossed with a poor man's Baldur's Gate, and you have a rough idea of what Geneforge 2 is like. You play an apprentice of the Shapers, an overlord class of wizards who fashion servants out of raw matter. However, now the servants have turned on their masters. In the demo, you'll explore more than 20 towns, forests, and mines, building experience, fighting monsters, and searching for the source of the rebellion. The sound is merely adequate for a 10MB game, and the 800x600 16-bit graphics are less so. Character movement is clumsy. The screen doesn't automatically scroll, and the game often has trouble figuring out whether you want to, say, open a door or use it. On the other hand, you get days worth of free playing time, and the included help is excellent. Geneforge 2 is an odd case: complex enough to keep you interested, but not quite good enough to enjoy.