Recommend a Geneforge

[juggernaut]

I've never played any of the Geneforge games and know very little about their plots and settings. I've also never played Nethergate/Nethergate Resurrection. I only have the time and will to play one of them, so please recommend which one stands out as the one I should play. For example, Avernum 4 is seen as the worst of the series, 6 is technically the best, and Exile 3 is a classic that I can't recommend enough. If there's no real consensus then I'll flip a coin between 1 and 5.

 

[Gondolin]

5

 

[Fowyr]

GF1 for setting and post-apocalyptic feel, GF2 and GF4 for factions war, GF5 for grand finale and C&C (sort of). Avoid GF3 like a plague. The only remarkable thing about it was Khyryk. Don't know why, but I like him. By the way, starting with GF3 Vogel introduced new gimmick "guess what resistance I lack". But gradually reduced number of spawners.

 

[Serious_Business]

1

To me it was the most involving, although it may be because it was the first I played, but I still feel like it offers something unique compared to the other ones (the world has a better feel overall). The problem with it is that the gameplay is a bit thiner - but you won't notice if it's your first Geneforge. You will if you play the series backwards though, so don't make that mistake

 

[Nim]

Finished GF3 yesterday for the first time and replayed GF1 and 2 before that so

Generally, the first 2 GFs have deadlier/faster combat due to (melee)damage being higher and HPs being lower. I prefer this to the grind of GF4 and 5 but YMMV.

GF1 has the best setting by far, there is so much history to the place going together with the current events, something that is unfortunately lacking in the later games.
It also has less spells and creatures, your inventory counting to your weight limit and the game loses some steam somewhere around the halftime.

GF2 has the best factions, setting and plot are ok, a lot more spells and creatures.

GF3 is just plain forgettable. Not as bad as some people say but it has nothing going for it either. People saying that Khyryk is remarkable shows how mediocre it really is.

Too lazy to write something about 4 and 5 for now, just that he finally got a good UI and different resolutions in 5.

So go for GF1

 

[Archibald]

1. Best setting, whole story and war bullshit became rather stupid to me in later parts.

 

[juggernaut]

Based on some of the comments here, it looks like I'll go with GF1. Thanks for the input bros