<s>
Geneforge	B-Application
is	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
demoware	O
role-playing	O
video	O
games	O
by	O
Jeff	O
Vogel	O
of	O
Spiderweb	O
Software	O
released	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
and	O
Mac	B-Application
OS	I-Application
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
five	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
:	O
Geneforge	B-Application
(	O
video	O
game	O
)	O
,	O
Geneforge	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
Geneforge	B-Application
3	I-Application
,	O
Geneforge	B-Application
4	I-Application
:	I-Application
Rebellion	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Geneforge	B-Application
5	I-Application
:	I-Application
Overthrow	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Geneforge	B-Application
storylines	O
takes	O
place	O
in	O
an	O
era	O
resembling	O
the	O
medieval	O
time	O
period	O
,	O
but	O
with	O
the	O
addition	O
of	O
some	O
modern	O
innovations	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
wiring	O
,	O
levers	O
and	O
buttons	O
,	O
alarms	O
,	O
glass	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
steampunk-esque	O
tools	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Geneforge	B-Application
itself	O
is	O
the	O
culmination	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
world	O
's	O
technology	O
,	O
a	O
means	O
of	O
genetic	O
enhancement	O
of	O
living	O
things	O
that	O
greatly	O
increases	O
their	O
physical	O
and	O
magical	O
abilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
Geneforges	B-Application
thus	O
far	O
have	O
taken	O
the	O
form	O
of	O
small	O
colourful	O
pools	O
of	O
semi-living	O
chemicals	O
,	O
and	O
are	O
used	O
through	O
physical	O
contact	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Using	O
the	O
Geneforge	B-Application
is	O
generally	O
excruciating	O
and	O
requires	O
protective	O
equipment	O
to	O
prevent	O
outright	O
fatality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
first	O
,	O
fourth	O
and	O
fifth	O
games	O
,	O
the	O
Geneforge	B-Application
is	O
usable	O
by	O
humans	O
(	O
and	O
in	O
turn	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
)	O
,	O
but	O
in	O
Geneforge	B-Application
2	I-Application
and	O
Geneforge	B-Application
3	I-Application
,	O
it	O
could	O
only	O
be	O
used	O
by	O
specific	O
intelligent	O
creations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
three	O
games	O
each	O
climax	O
with	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
decision	O
to	O
either	O
destroy	O
the	O
Geneforge	B-Application
or	O
to	O
ensure	O
its	O
use	O
;	O
the	O
Geneforge	B-Application
is	O
encountered	O
near	O
the	O
start	O
of	O
the	O
fourth	O
and	O
fifth	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
Real-time	O
"	O
adventure	O
mode	O
switches	O
to	O
a	O
turn-based	O
combat	O
,	O
reminiscent	O
of	O
classic	O
RPGs	O
such	O
as	O
Ultima	B-Application
VI	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
combat	O
mode	O
,	O
each	O
character	O
gets	O
a	O
certain	O
amount	O
of	O
action	O
points	O
,	O
which	O
are	O
spent	O
moving	O
,	O
attacking	O
,	O
casting	O
spells	B-Application
,	O
and	O
using	O
items	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
characters	O
may	O
attack	O
with	O
melee	O
weapons	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
fists	O
and	O
blades	O
,	O
ranged	O
weapons	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
thorn	O
batons	O
,	O
wands	O
,	O
javelins	O
,	O
crystals	O
,	O
or	O
magic	B-Application
spells	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
chance	O
of	O
hitting	O
an	O
enemy	O
is	O
influenced	O
by	O
the	O
character	O
's	O
attributes	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
strength	O
,	O
dexterity	O
,	O
or	O
intelligence	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
character	O
's	O
relative	O
weapon	O
or	O
magic	B-Application
skills	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Geneforge	B-Operating_System
series	I-Operating_System
is	O
known	O
for	O
its	O
versatile	O
skill	O
development	O
,	O
demanding	O
many	O
strategic	O
decisions	O
from	O
the	O
player	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Geneforge	B-Application
is	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
Macintosh	B-Device
on	O
December	O
12	O
,	O
2001	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
on	O
March	O
19	O
,	O
2002	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
engages	O
the	O
player	O
into	O
the	O
origins	O
of	O
the	O
Shapers	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
an	O
introduction	O
to	O
the	O
series	O
as	O
to	O
the	O
Geneforge	B-Application
itself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Geneforge	B-Application
2	I-Application
engages	O
on	O
how	O
the	O
tumult	O
of	O
the	O
Geneforge	B-Application
influenced	O
the	O
Shapers	O
and	O
their	O
creations	O
,	O
and	O
takes	O
place	O
in	O
an	O
isolated	O
mountain	O
valley	O
(	O
revealed	O
to	O
be	O
located	O
in	O
southwestern	O
Terrestia	O
in	O
the	O
final	O
game	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
engine	O
remains	O
essentially	O
unchanged	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
Geneforge	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Geneforge	B-Application
2	I-Application
offers	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
changes	O
and	O
additions	O
over	O
its	O
predecessor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Three	O
new	O
creations	O
and	O
several	O
new	O
spells	B-Application
are	O
available	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Geneforge	B-Application
3	I-Application
deals	O
with	O
the	O
fallout	O
of	O
the	O
previous	O
games	O
as	O
the	O
battle	O
lines	O
are	O
drawn	O
,	O
and	O
takes	O
place	O
among	O
the	O
Ashen	O
Isles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Geneforge	B-Application
game	O
engine	O
has	O
been	O
revamped	O
in	O
this	O
sequel	O
,	O
debatably	O
improving	O
gameplay	O
in	O
some	O
instances	O
and	O
making	O
others	O
more	O
cumbersome	O
to	O
deal	O
with	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
No	O
new	O
creations	O
or	O
spells	B-Application
are	O
available	O
,	O
however	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
different	O
features	O
have	O
been	O
added	O
,	O
for	O
instance	O
,	O
two	O
NPCs	O
(	O
Alwan	O
and	O
Greta	O
)	O
who	O
will	O
join	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
party	O
and	O
a	O
new	O
forging	O
system	O
,	O
allowing	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
create	O
powerful	O
artifacts	O
or	O
enhance	O
existing	O
items	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Geneforge	B-Application
4	I-Application
:	I-Application
Rebellion	I-Application
picks	O
up	O
eight	O
years	O
later	O
at	O
the	O
height	O
of	O
the	O
rebellion	O
against	O
the	O
Shapers	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
east	O
of	O
the	O
continent	O
of	O
Terrestia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
the	O
previous	O
three	O
Geneforge	B-Application
games	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
is	O
no	O
longer	O
a	O
Shaper	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
not	O
restricted	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
three	O
classes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
of	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
companions	O
from	O
Geneforge	B-Application
3	I-Application
(	O
Alwan	O
and	O
Greta	O
)	O
have	O
grown	O
up	O
and	O
are	O
now	O
leaders	O
of	O
the	O
two	O
rival	O
factions	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
(	O
the	O
Shapers	O
and	O
the	O
Rebels	O
,	O
respectively	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
resolution	O
in	O
Geneforge	B-Application
4	I-Application
is	O
considerably	O
larger	O
,	O
using	O
a	O
bigger	O
map	O
and	O
smaller	O
icons	O
,	O
increasing	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
overview	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Geneforge	B-Application
5	I-Application
:	I-Application
Overthrow	I-Application
is	O
the	O
final	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
Geneforge	B-Application
saga	O
and	O
takes	O
place	O
near	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
war	O
,	O
about	O
4	O
years	O
after	O
the	O
conclusion	O
of	O
Geneforge	B-Application
4	I-Application
:	I-Application
Rebellion	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
plot	O
is	O
more	O
akin	O
to	O
that	O
of	O
Geneforge	B-Application
2	I-Application
in	O
that	O
there	O
are	O
multiple	O
factions	O
that	O
the	O
player	O
can	O
join	O
,	O
whereas	O
in	O
the	O
third	O
and	O
fourth	O
games	O
,	O
there	O
are	O
only	O
two	O
major	O
factions	O
.	O
</s>
