There are mysteries and answers, and quests, and adventures …

Geneforge, from Spiderweb Software, is a PC role-playing game that harkens back to the older days of software games. The graphical elements are somewhat simplistic, trying to capture a three-dimensional feel with only two real dimensions. The combat is turn based, depending on movement steps ­ which can be your undoing ­ but the guiding force to this game is choice.

What Geneforge may lack in visual candy, or fail to entice with its audio track, it manages to overcome with an entertaining storyline and solid game play.

Yours is the lot of shapers, a clan or discipline that can recreate life, and can forge new elements and new creatures. As a novitiate, you set out upon your journey, only to have the life-craft you are upon attacked. You land upon an island which was banned, or barred. But the island of Sucia is hardly bereft of life. There are serviles, those who used to serve the shaper masters, as well as bandits and monsters to fight.

Upon landing, game players will be treated to two realms which serve as the tutorial. You will learn how to shape life ­ more specifically fyoras, a lizard that will accompany you and cast fire bolts at your enemies. The amount of essence points you spend on the fyora (for those who have played RPGs before, consider essence akin to mana), determines its intelligence, ability, et cetera. If you spend the bare minimum and just create the fyora, it can go wild and attack you at the most inappropriate moment.

This game is rife with large game boards and 77 different locations. There are things to discover at every turn, and ­ as mentioned ­ choices you will have to make. In the town of Vakkiri, you will receive a quest from an Awakened Servile to seek out the Taker spy in the village and report back who it is. When you encounter the Taker spy, he will ask you to kill the elder leader of the Awakened.

The Awakened have come to understand that they are on equal footing with their Shaper masters ­ and yep, because you are the first Shaper they have seen, they are nervous. But there are others trying to undermine the Awakened. That would be the Obeyers and the Takers.

Combat is not the only option you have. You can choose the peaceful approach; however, you will need leadership points in order to negotiate well. As you complete quests and journey forth within the game, you will level up, and you will get skill points to improve your powers.

You can steal, but you may be seen, and if so, that creates a reputation. If you kill major characters, you develop a reputation and not only will some villages be opening hostile to you, but you may draw attacks.

What some games purport as mana (magic casting ability that regenerates over time), Geneforge is not so generous. If, while at a lower level, create a fyora, you may not have the ability to heal yourself in a battle.

The game does have other elements that are quite in line with RPGs. You will have a paper doll and inventory in the interface. You simply drag elements from the inventory onto the paper doll to equip them.

The game did not come with a manual, but rather has an electronic file that, while easily accessed, does not do a very good job in explaining the nuances of the game. In this regard there was a lot of trial and error. Fortunately the game does have a very good save system which allows players to tinker with some of the game elements without having to pay the price of starting all over again.

When it comes to the actual game play, Geneforge is quite smooth. Transition (or travel) time between areas happens quickly, and the game plays well. The story and dialogue is all written, which requires a lot of reading. Some conversations will head in different directions, depending on which question you choose to ask, but most eventually will return full circle to the starting questions.

When it comes to the sound quality of this game, it really isn’t that good. Eating sounds (which are munching sounds) are overblown, there is some audio break-up and the effects are not that well done.

Visually the game is simplistic. No camera angles or options, the animation is kept simple and the environments, while well done, are overly detailed. If you remember some of the old Commodore 64 RPGs, you will have an idea what you will see here.

All that said Geneforge still manages to interest and entertain. All your avatar wants to do is get off the island, but, to paraphrase, life is what happens when you are busy making other plans. In that regard, this is a well-conceived storyline.

Geneforge will not appeal to all RPG fans, but if you are interested more in story, and in quests, than in eye candy, you should enjoy this game.

Install: Easy
This program goes on quickly and takes up little room on the hard drive.

Gameplay: 7
The game slows down because of all the typed messages and story elements. The save functions are very quick and simple to use. Once on a map area, the game moves smoothly unless you are involved in combat. That is turn- and movement-based and can take some time.

Graphics: 6.8
While quite simplistic, the graphical elements still carry the game along. The animation is rudimentary and the environments, while lush, are built on a square mapboard with solid borders.

Sound: 5.5
What is here is below average.

Difficulty: 7
The game is not very well explained. There are hot keys for most of the actions, but discovering what they are can be a challenge. The AI is fairly good, and the game itself progresses in difficulty as you advance through the levels. It does not seem to have any stability problems (there is a patch available that does allow some new key functions, but it wasn’t employed during this review).

Concept: 8
This is a plot-driven game with quite a number of choices that players will have to make. You can be a ruthless thief, or a noble shaper, respected by the serviles you encounter.

Overall: 7
This was a tough call. When held up visually and graphically to other RPGs, Geneforge is definitely running behind. But when you look at the game, how it was delivered in terms of plot and quests, you would have to admit that this is an enjoyable game.