I've played many RPGs, but I've finished only a fraction of them, many just bore me after a while. I've finished Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale, even more than once, and older games like SSI's Goldbox series and Eye of the Beholder 1&2, Ultima 6 & Underworld, not many more. And, I finished all 5 Geneforge games, in a row. And probably I will play them again with a different character. These games are true RPGs, and beautiful ones.
Review for Geneforge 1 Only
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This game has by far one of the best stories of all time. It's not always perfectly told, the graphics are terrible but you get used to them, and the gameplay has some frustrations and lackings. However, this game is in a rare category as it is one of the few games that isn't actually a waste of your time--this game provides thought-provoking encounters that can change the way you think about life. Other popular games are just merchandise, but this is a masterpiece.
Pros:
An incredibly thought-provoking story with great conflicting ideas and factions
It's a big open-world game with great secrets and exploration opportunities
Cons:
Graphics, sound, music
Not enough items, monsters, spells, abilities
Some writing is a bit too rushed
Length: 40 hours or more
One of the first PC rpgs I played years back, started it up now and it still holds up well. It's a good example of gameplay and story trumping the outdated graphics. You can create an array of creatures to help you fight with mana, or use that mana to weave spells, or just play through as a fully non-magical melee, learning your enemies weak points and getting extra hits with deadly precision. On top of that there are 3 different sects in most of the games, later more. What you say and how you act has repercussions, they take note of how you act and you can side with whichever you like, or no-one at all.
For fans of baldurs gate or icewind dale I recommend this series heavily.
Unlike some of the guys here, I haven't played Spiderweb Software's games for years and years, picked up seventeen of Jeff's (the creator of these games) games in Humblebundle. I started with Geneforge, an RPG from 1999.
I bought it about fifty hours ago, and Steam just told me I've played for over twenty hours. Amazingly, I'm still not tired of it, and I still haven't finished the game. And THAT'S ONE GAME, wow!
Seriously, I've had my fair share of all game genres, new and old, and this game tops a lot of the major retailers and newer games, one of the best games I've ever played. I seriously liked it a lot better than GTA IV for example. Reminds me of a very simple version of Dragon Age: Origins. (Better story and choices though)
A deep and meaningful RPG. What it lacks in graphics it gains twofold in pure brilliance of story. A great addition to any fan of old-school RPGs. Meanings have a major impact on the game's conclusion and gameplay is vastly different depending on which of the three classes you choose.