This look is less a nostalgic affectation than it is simply practical.
Here there is no voice acting, nor any ambient noise that cannot be sourced from royalty-free soundbanks.
As a result, Geneforge 2 feels a bit cheap to begin with.
But the gaps are soon filled by Vogels sharp prose and exquisite worldbuilding.
Some of these genetically-modified creatures are monsters, meant for shoring up Shaper power and putting down insurrections.
Others are Serviles, simple workers designed to find contentment in tilling fields and smashing rocks.
Should Serviles have rights?
Try saying yes when your Shaper line manager is listening.
As Vogel pithily puts it, The works of the Shapers consume the works of the Shapers.
Its Vogels voice that elevates all of Geneforges scenarios.
Nothing helps exorcise an area of undead like a good, firm system of violence.
Its the kind of individual flair that would only be diluted on a project with a larger writing team.
On that front, Geneforge 2 is a masterpiece.
Many RPGs promise to support stealth and diplomacy, but few deliver so consistently as Geneforge 2.
Combat at first feels basic, but reveals more and more nuance over time.
Some monsters are designed to detonate on death, and to be happy about it.
But the more powerful your creations, the less control you wield over them.
Theres a satisfaction to steamrolling an area or solving a situational problem by throwing the right beasts at it.
Long may Vogel be in vogue.
This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by developers Spiderweb Software.
