Advanced Search >
Help Me Search

Games

Sony

PS3 | PSP | PS2 | PS One

Microsoft

Xbox 360 | Xbox

Nintendo

Wii | DS | GBA | Cube | N64

Other Platforms

PC | N-Gage | Dreamcast

Upcoming &
Recent Releases

sort by namesort by score

84 AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! -- A Reckless Disregard for Gravity
80 AI War: Fleet Command
79 Aion
xx Aliens in the Attic
xx All Aspect Warfare
66 Ashes Cricket 2009
xx Assassin's Creed II
xx Bass Pro Shops: The Strike
91 Batman: Arkham Asylum
82 Battlefield 1943
69 Bionic Commando
xx Black Mirror 2
79 Bookworm Adventures 2
83 Borderlands
xx Cabela's Outdoor Adventures 2009
xx Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
72 Champions Online
73 Championship Manager 2010
70 CITIES XL
xx Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
xx Crane Simulator 2009
62 CrimeCraft
xx CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Deadly Intent
52 Darkest of Days
xx Diablo III
xx Digger Simulator
xx DiRT 2
xx Disciples III: Renaissance
81 Divinity II: Ego Draconis
92 Dragon Age: Origins
xx Dragons Rage
51 Dreamkiller
xx EA Sports GameShow
67 East India Company
xx East India Company: Privateer
xx Elven Legacy: Ranger
74 Empire: Total War - The Warpath Campaign
xx F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn
72 Fallen Earth
68 Fallout 3: Mothership Zeta
xx Family Feud: 2010 Edition
53 Farming Simulator 2009
xx Fatale: Exploring Salome
71 FIFA Manager 10
70 FIFA Soccer 10
88 Football Manager 2010
xx Foreign Legion: Buckets of Blood
xx GearGrinder
61 G-Force
xx Gratuitous Space Battles
82 Gridrunner Revolution
xx Guild Wars 2
xx Guitar Hero World Tour
77 Hearts of Iron III
xx Hei$t
66 Heroes Over Europe
xx Hysteria Hospital: Emergency Ward
xx International Cricket Captain 2009 - Ashes Edition
xx James Cameron's Avatar: The Game
85 League of Legends
xx Left 4 Dead 2
80 Left 4 Dead: Crash Course
xx LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
xx Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood, The
60 Lucidity
86 Machinarium
xx Madballs in Babo: Invasion
73 Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim
74 Mini Ninjas
xx Mystery of the Mary Celeste, The
xx Mythos
xx Nancy Drew Dossier: Resorting to Danger
78 Nancy Drew: Ransom of the Seven Ships
xx Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverly Academy
xx NBA 2K10
xx NBA 2K10: Draft Combine
83 Need for Speed SHIFT
76 Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
69 Order of War
81 Osmos
xx Painkiller: Resurrection
xx Price is Right: 2010 Edition, The
78 Pro Evolution Soccer 2010
xx Puzzle Kingdoms
67 QuantZ
xx RACE On
37 Raven Squad: Operation Hidden Dagger
83 Red Faction: Guerrilla
86 Resident Evil 5
77 Risen
xx Rogue Warrior
xx Rubber Ninjas
xx Runes of Magic Chapter II: The Elven Prophecy
xx Saboteur, The
xx Sacred 2: Ice & Blood
xx Saw
86 Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition, The
72 Section 8
83 Shattered Horizon
xx Sims 3 World Adventures, The
xx Star Trek: D-A-C
47 Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes
xx Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - Ultimate Sith Edition
xx Stateshift
xx Storm of War: Battle of Britain
xx Sudoku Ball Detective
xx Summer Athletics 2009
xx Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
77 Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 2: The Siege of Spinner Cay
82 Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 3: Lair of the Leviathan
81 Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 4: The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood
xx Texas Cheat 'Em
xx Time of Shadows: Dawn of Magic 2
82 Torchlight
80 Tropico 3
xx Twilight War: After the Fall
69 Twin Sector
xx Urban Empires
xx Venetica
78 Void, The
72 Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Ep 4: The Bogey Man
xx WarpForce
44 Watchmen: The End is Nigh - Part 2
xx Where's Waldo? The Fantastic Journey
74 Wolfenstein
xx World of Zoo
79 Zuma's Revenge!

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.

Genesis Rising: The Universal Crusade

EMAILPRINTpc

Genesis Rising: The Universal Crusade
57
6.8 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 34 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 21 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game >

Game Info

Publisher: DreamCatcher Interactive

Developer: Metamorf Studios

Genre(s): Real-Time Strategy

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: March 20, 2007

Summary

Genesis Rising: The Universal Crusade takes place in the very distant future, three thousand years after what humans believe was the arrival of "the savior". The human race has conquered most of the Universe. They consider themselves a divine race, and think of all aliens as inferior; those that do not obey are punished or destroyed. The dominion of the human race was insured by organids - genetically designed organic machines, easily adaptable to any enemy strategy. Only one part of the Universe remains unconquered. It is the galaxy where the Universal Heart, an enigmatic entity that spawned all life and matter into the universe, is hidden. At least, that's what the humans believe... The player will take on a role of captain Iconah, a battle-hardened fleet commander and a brilliant genetic designer, sent on a quest to explore and conquer the Universal Heart. [DreamCatcher Interactive]

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

80

Games Radar (in-house)

Genesis Rising, with its intriguing twist on the RTS genre, dares you to choose a side, and be counted.

Read Full Review >
80

2404.org

The main quest is challenging and contains a great deal of replay value, not to mention original gameplay that actually works.

Read Full Review >
79

PC Zone UK

I haven't enjoyed an RTS this much in a long time, not because it's spectacularly unique on a gameplay level, but because it has an aesthetic that's just so different from the pervasive goblin-WWII axis of RTS games. [June 2007, p.84]

Read Full Review >
76

PC Format

Dodgy story, also lacking the 3D punch of Homeworld, but a satisfying space opera nonetheless. [May 2007, p.66]

75

Computer Games Online RO

Genesis Rising is a game with impressive graphics and some innovative ideas. Unfortunately, the stability problems and the questionable implementation of some ideas as well as the unexplained lack of some de-facto features in an RTS drag this title down.

Read Full Review >
74

Game Over Online

Squinch your eyes shut during the movies and click blindly through the dialog segments as quickly as possible, learn to micromanage combat at a high rate of speed, and there is a game mixed in there that is both unique and enjoyable.

Read Full Review >
73

PC Gamer

Though the storyline takes a while to ramp up, it's very engaging and provides a really enjoyable ending. [June2007, p.58]

70

PC Gamer UK

So many good ideas, but there're the cheese in a mousetrap of punishing difficulty. Proceed, but with great caution. [June 2007, p.82]

70

GameDaily

Genesis Rising presents many great ideas, but not enough attention was placed on unit management.

Read Full Review >
67

GameShark

What it lacks in finer details and multiplayer functionality, it makes up for in backstory and dynamic, fluid, fast-paced gameplay. It’s not a classic, and it’s no Homeworld, but genre buffs could also do a lot worse.

Read Full Review >
65

IGN

While adaptable living ships warping across the universe sounds like an awesome game, there were too many issues with interface, campaign pacing, and presentation to come out a winner.

Read Full Review >
62

Game Chronicles

Genesis Rising makes a small leap forward in terms of an interesting tech system based on genetics, but then takes two huge leaps back in terms of playability and user experience.

Read Full Review >
60

G4 TV

There are more than a few problems with the game. But there are some really nice ideas suspended down there beneath the crusty surface.

Read Full Review >
60

Gamers Europe

Praise is due to the developers who have come up with a novel idea; however it would appear that they forgot to add a sense of rhythm.

Read Full Review >
59

Gaming Nexus

Although Genesis Rising has some interesting ideas, poor design decisions bury this title quickly. There’s promise here, but that soon turns to disappointment.

Read Full Review >
58

GamingExcellence

Poor interface and bad pacing. The story isn't terribly great either.

Read Full Review >
58

Gamers' Temple

Genesis Rising is pretty, innovative, and a complete mess.

Read Full Review >
55

Hardcore Gamer Magazine

In a genre where games need to be well-oiled machines to be enjoyable, this one sadly doesn't make the grade. [June 2007, p.56]

55

Next Level Gaming

The concept of the game, the living ships that can morph as the situation changes, if implemented correctly, could have been VERY cool for an RTS game. It’s just too darn bad that the rest of the game fell flat on its face and left the graphics and concept high and dry.

Read Full Review >
55

GameZone

The game has some pretty cool ideas throughout, implementing a new layer to strategy gameplay in the way of upgrades and gene-stealing. Unfortunately, pacing issues, technical problems, and a generally spotty interface kill what the game sets out to accomplish.

Read Full Review >
55

WHAM! Gaming

Genesis Rising may be fun for some but I think most people will find a little boring, especially harvesting ships. It seems like eons can pass you by while you're fuelling up.

Read Full Review >
53

Strategy Informer

Genesis Rising in no way reaches the potential it has bubbling beneath the surface, released all too soon and unnecessarily plastered with imperceptive, charmless patina.

Read Full Review >
50

AceGamez

What I cannot forgive is that the combat is horribly balanced - it is the worst of both worlds, a game that demands overwhelming levels amounts of micromanagement yet provides entirely too few tools and opportunities to make it happen.

Read Full Review >
50

Eurogamer

Some gamers might relish this challenge, but the lack of any in-mission saving combined with unforgiving objectives and an imperfect interface will prove overly frustrating for many.

Read Full Review >
50

GameSpot

Icky space bugs make Genesis Rising interesting. Even ickier tech bugs and design problems make Genesis Rising annoying.

Read Full Review >
50

GameSpy

Genesis Rising is by no means a total loss and there's certainly some fun to be had, but its lofty potential is squandered due to some poor decisions and a rigid design that will only appeal to a select number of players.

Read Full Review >
46

Cheat Code Central

Many of these enemy ships resemble living insects and they are recreated to great effect in this game. They are truly disturbing looking, and while they just beg to be killed, the payoff can be particularly gross due to the bloodbath.

Read Full Review >
45

PC Gameworld

Skip this and go play "Command and Conquer 3" or "Supreme Commander" if you want a fun RTS.

Read Full Review >
40

Yahoo! Games

The gene-stealing and blood-drinking theme makes for an interesting concept with great gameplay implications. But the bottom line is that as a game, Genesis Rising sucks, both literally and figuratively.

Read Full Review >
40

Worth Playing

Despite the unique look and direction this takes on the RTS genre, the feeling of "I've been here before, done this before, and seen this before" pervades the entire experience.

Read Full Review >
40

Armchair Empire

Pity the living ships that make up Genesis Rising. There was such a wonderful collection of ideas that were utilized in such an atrocious fashion that you almost want to put the ships down like a lamed horse. It's kinder that way.

Read Full Review >
30

1UP

It's easy to spend an hour watching these nifty starships float around a two-dimensional plane, but as soon as you start mousing, you'll want to quit.

Read Full Review >
29

Jolt Online Gaming UK

There aren’t many space-based RTS titles doing the rounds, but the few that are already on the shelves are almost unanimously better than this broken fun-free nonsense.

Read Full Review >
25

Game Revolution

With a generic plot and terrible ship building scheme, Genesis Rising is lost in space. Hopefully, it stays that way.

Read Full Review >

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 6.8 (out of 10) based on 21 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Bryan F. gave it a1:
Could be so much better than it is. Needs more support to fix various bugs and faults.

Joe C. gave it a1:
It really was a horrible game. The ideas were good, but the execution made it a waste of money. Hopefully another company will pick up there they left off and bring true light to the ideas they presented.

Michael A. gave it a4:
Well, it sucks. The gameplay is slow and tedious, it lacks any real depth, and the multiplayer is a complete joke.

[Anonymous] gave it a5:
Not being able to save your game sucks because you could lose your mothership right at the end of a mission and you have to replay the entire mission over again.

Jonny L. gave it a9:
Very cool game with a great slant on traditional RTS space games!

Larry N. gave it an8:
I playing this game and its awesome, nothing can compare with it. The design of the ships, art, space... missions, story, and incredible multiplayer where game shows it true face. If you like something new nothing seen until now you should try this game. 8 because it has some glitches, and missions are hard, very hard!

Nikola T. gave it a10:
Great game! Something new in a world of RTS!

Read more user comments >

Popular on CBS sites: SEC Football | NFL | Video Game Cheats | iPhone | Video Game Reviews | Notebooks | Antivirus Software

About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use