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Forums → Games → Ge.ne.sis REVIEW: 4/10
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Ge.ne.sis
Overview:
This game has really beautiful artwork, filled with bright colours and an interesting use of horizontal scrolling that put you into the game when your characters move. There is also a very interesting way for all the characters to work together in order to defeat the foes. The idea that you can mold your characters by choice using special abilities is interesting as well. This adds to the replay ability for the game. So it has the potential to be a very interesting game!
Synopsis:
In the beginning of the game, your character wakes up from a dream in this colourful fantasy land. You then do battles against monsters, recruiting the help of ghosts called Tarots, who have special attacking or healing powers. You do this apparently, in order to get back to your home. But there is no real reason why theses things are attacking you, is there ever a reason in these games?
Along your journey in dreamland, you meet up with friends who have their own special powers, and you fight more monsters that get tougher as the game progresses. The actual storyline doesn't appear to have much of a plot, as the battles progress from one schizophrenic scene to the next. However, it's enough to captivate younger children into playing this whenever you have to babysit them, like your little sister whenever your parents are out of town. But that could be a problem, and you'll just have to follow the star* to see why (below).
Criticism:
So the game is described as a strategy and tactics game in its comments section. This is true and it isn't. One true part involves the shared use of the energy pool by magic users, including the Tarot ghosts. The ghosts have extraordinary powers that help the team, but sometimes can't be used because another character coughed up a fireball to win their individual fight, and so you may lose the battle this way. One reason that it's NOT a strategy game involves character building, distributing achievement points into abilities. This should require strategical planning but it doesn't. You have to build the characters according to the walkthrough recipes (Gely's recipes are sniper or endurance builds and the point distributions are given). To describe the actual battle as tactical is kinda false as well. There is no way to know how to win a battle, as they involve solutions that can only be met through trial and error. But trial and error is no fun in a game. Who wants to be stuck losing over and over again? I am at the 24th battle, and there's NO way to solve the situations ahead of time. YOU MUST study the WALKTHROUGH in order to win the game. But if you're like me, then you consider that cheating, so you try not to use it...TRUST ME, you'll just be wasting your time if you don't study it, and studying it is just a waste of time, because, what's the point?
So take a look from the walkthrough for the 19th battle, and just ask yourself how many times you'd have to lose this battle over and over before you understood where to place all the characters and how to NOT TO USE the High Priestess, etc....Walkthrough:
If Gely went for an endurance build, have him and Nera block the choke point. Sisi and the Magician can stand behind them to provide support fire. The High Priestess should stand next to the bow bandits to absorb damage, but she shouldn't attack them. It is best to have her heal herself or other allies. ...If Gely went for a sniper build, have him stand right behind the rock and snipe the bow bandits with Marksmanship Perk. The High Priestess can take his place and block the choke point.
So, uhm, where is the strategy and tactics that those fake users** have been cooing so much about? Well, the tactics and strategy aren't for you to figure out, they are for you to FOLLOW. You MUST follow the walkthrough to build your character, and then you MUST follow the walkthrough to win the battles. How is that any FUN? IT'S NOT ANY FUN.
So I am very critical of the author for creating a game that is unsolvable by the player's own mind. You should be able to solve a puzzle BEFORE you start the fight, just by looking at where the monsters are, knowing how they move, and what their abilities are. In this game, you only know after several tries of "maybe this will work, maybe that will work...oh I better read the solution in the Walkthrough. WHAT? How would I have known that!?"
Conclusion:
This game is a disappointment in that it doesn't live up to its potential. It is rife with FRUSTRATING gameplay that requires a lot of walkthrough study to win. But the artwork and animation is FANTASTIC, so if you like this kind of artwork and you are looking for ideas, then you should definately look at this game!!! Link:
Ge.ne.sis
* WARNING: The language used in Ge.ne.sis may not be suitable for some members in the AG community, or your little sister whom you has to babysit!!!
**PS - There's an online campaign by the developers or friends of the developers to make this game seem less FRUSTRATING than it already is. So please be aware of these users. The game came out in mid October, and you'll see new users with posts around the games' debut saying that they beat it and how cool it was. Or they'll describe the game in Chapters, insta-expert of the unfinished walkthrough, but their profile says that this is the only game they've ever played and the only one they've ever commmented on. So the AG people need to know the possibility that this type of campaign is going on. AG should run their own investigation to censor this type of activity and ban this user, hoping it's not the author herself, as she likes to respond to them! This is not an accusation, so please let AG run its own investigation on the game's comment section, the author's page, and the Ge.ne.sis. walkthrough thread.
Grade: 4/10, pretty to look at, but frustrating to play.
Photos:
The Treasure Room: Beautiful use of color and shading, with foreground scrolling to give depth to the scenery. On the right-hand side you may select the difficulty setting, Easy, Normal, or Insane!
Points: Achievement points determine the nature of a character's strengths and weaknesses in battle.
Perks: Spells that the characters can use require achievement points.
Battle: A scene from the 24th Battle.
- 45 Replies
Woah, that's a pretty detailed review.
You should make a whole group of these.
Post it on the game, you might get a merit -
wow, good review. And i can see you are a new player. hope to see more of this kind of review.
Hi Yielee,
Since the review is yours and you have your own thoughts on the game, I want to say that I agree with most of the post. However, I do want to clarify one thing about fake users.
If you suspect me using fake profiles to rate my own game, please report it to Armor Games and they can do IP checks or such to verify. I have no reason to do it. Even though I would love to see people loving the game, AG already sponsored the game and the deal has been done.
I just feel a little offended when people think that I create fake profiles to promote my own game.
I'm sorry that the game was not to your liking. Everyone has their own taste and I appreciate your suggestions very much. I hope that you can overlook the flaws and enjoy the game. If all fail, I'm sure there will be plenty more greater games for you to enjoy and thank you for the time you put in into reviewing it.
Regard,
P/s: This may seems like a shameless self-promotion; but, if you have read the strategy guide and still have problems with certain part of the game, please refer to the support forum:
http://genesis.1manstudio.net/forum/
I check the forum quite often and there are other players who will help you with the problem.
Well, the tactics and strategy aren't for you to figure out, they are for you to FOLLOW. You MUST follow the walkthrough to build your character, and then you MUST follow the walkthrough to win the battles. How is that any FUN? IT'S NOT ANY FUN.
Not entirely so. The guide is for you to follow, which is why it's called a guide. You don't have to follow it if you don't want to. I know I don't since I've not used choke points. :P
The guide is just there as a guide. It's easy to build Nera, Gely, and Sisi different ways. (Power/Magic/Agility, Power/Endurance, Power/Magic, respectively.) It's all about tanking and DPS as with any MMO out there with field limitations.
There is no way to know how to win a battle, as they involve solutions that can only be met through trial and error. But trial and error is no fun in a game. Who wants to be stuck losing over and over again?
The above quote is completely contrary to what battles are about. This isn't a hack-and-slash.
The thing is, if anyone's ever done Boss Battles before, they would know that there is usually a weak point or some overall strategy. But the fact is that since the guide clearly exists, it is used as a crutch by players, so players rely on that instead of really working at it to figure it out because "it's too hard". Boss battles are serious business and shouldn't be taken lightly. They're supposed to be hard and figuring it out how to beat it is the fun in it.
I realize that you may not do a lot of MMO-ing or MUDding, but that's how boss battles go. It's serious great fun when there's other people around (especially game moderators who sit back and watch your fail waiting for someone to die XD) but I also realize this is single player.
While passion is one thing, it is always prudent to be sure not to overstep the line. This is not a warning, though I've noticed you took up to rallying against Ge.ne.sis.
If you have issues with the sexually suggestive nature of certain parts of the game, I suggest you take that issue to Carlie.
Gantic, thanks for your comments. But rallying against Ge.ne.sis? Uhm...NO.
All that happened was that I posted a comment in the game's comment section that the language used in Ge.ne.sis would have been censored on the AG website. I followed this up with a test to determine if other words from the game were censored. Then I soon discovered many fake users, wondering whom they could be??? It was odd that the author was responding to them, but I see now how she would, in that they were SUPER POSITIVE and supportive. I first thought that it was possible that it was the author, trying to support the sequel, but my guess is that perhaps these comments are from family, friends, or even moderators with good intentions...kidding.
Anyway, I thought the language issue was important, but I also knew that the comments that I made in the comments section would soon be buried so I posted to the author's page so she would be able to read it. Then I realized that I should post it where the AG people could read it, which was in the Walkthrough help thread. AND Then I decided that I should quit posting to the different areas, and write a review. That's why it seems to you like I'm rallying, but I'm not.
And while the suggestive content doesn't bother me, I do think that players should be warned that there is some suggestive content, and that there is harsh language included in the game. Such a warning allows the player to decide to play it or not, without offending those who would otherwise be offended. Just a small line at the bottom of the first screen: "This game presents language and situations that some players may find offensive." I know this is easy to do, she got rid of that other offensive statement, do remember this one? "A very polished tactical RPG game. Emerge yourself in one of the most elaborated and beautiful online flash game!" Well, it's since been erased.
As for battles, I'm quite aware of bosses that take some time to figure out. Take the Black Treasure Lord for example, I've forgotten his name. He's invincible. You can lose many battles before you understand that the beating heart is what you have to kill before you can destroy him. And even that is hard to get to. It doesn't look like a foe, but, with the game's hint, you FIGURE IT OUT!!! And that's what's supposed to happen.
But most of the game's battles require a solution that you CAN'T figure out, and so you must follow the cookie-cutter recipe to defeat the foes. Simple as that. You MUST study the walkthrough.
So there isn't really the degree of all-around freedom that you'd expect from an RPG fantasy game, from restrictive builds, to restrictive battle sequences, and even a lack of exploration in between battles, who would have expected THAT from an RPG?! It's just a beautiful but flawed game, that's all. I am sure that the author's sequel will be much better.
Hi Yielee,
I just want to say that the earlier description of the game:
A very polished tactical RPG game. Emerge yourself in one of the most elaborated and beautiful online flash game!
was very poor thought out by me. I was submitting the file to Armor Game for the first time and didn't know that description would go into the actual game description. Therefore, it was typed in less than 30 seconds and seems outrageously bold.
I emailed Armorgame director right away after the game was approved to change the description, however, it was weekend and armor game no longer does update on weekend. I do apologize for such messy, poorly worded description. I would be very thankful if you don't bring it up again.
The reason that there was no warning in the game is because up to this point (250,000 plays), there are only one complaint about the language. There was an easy mistake and I think I may have overlooked it. I will take your suggestions into account and be more careful in the future.
About the gameplay issue, I have nothing to say to defend myself. It is how the game was designed to play and it is how I enjoyed it. I'm sure that there will be people who hate that system, but your voice is heard and I will try my best to improve it in the future without defeating the gameplay.
Regard,
You could say the same about Colony or Sonny. Some people just join for a game they like and then disappear. When Sonny 2 came out, there was a flood of users with Sonny related usernames. The Krin fanboyism is crazy, but it is still not proper to call out someone as a fraud in the way that you did.
Why I say rallying against Ge.ne.sis is ... shoot. I need more sleep. Went back and looked at a few things and it wasn't exactly "Boycott Ge.ne.sis. It is evil!" but the few forum areas where you posted it still weren't the proper place to voice complaint (i.e. off-topic).
No one was entirely SUPER POSITIVE. There are always some negative to it. Over enthusiastic probably, but not entirely fanatic.
But most of the game's battles require a solution that you CAN'T figure out, and so you must follow the cookie-cutter recipe to defeat the foes. Simple as that. You MUST study the walkthrough.
I'd like to know which ones in particular. I had a step-by-step for Charlus + Armlus that is not entirely like the one in the guide. (There's really only one way to beat that level with variations just like the Gold Feeder level.)
I've managed to win just about every later battle with Nera with a Moon Waltz/Soul Bond build that was not like the one in the guide. (She can take on Armlus solo and has enough resist to noticeably, if not significantly, lower magical damage. Moon Waltz Nera is stronger, but Soul Bond Nera can heal more if the Fool is not in play.) There's also a Soul Bond build for Gelyan. (Soul Bond Gely does 5-10k damage + heals, though it's impossible to reconcile his white weakness. Every battle after Death was with Soul Bond Gely, except the one where he has to solo and the one against Shadow Master.) I basically turned the later levels into hack-and-slash. The guide doesn't mention Soul Bond builds (which are not entirely builds in themselves as much as they are non-Power builds) because that requires the player to already know how Soul Bond works (i.e. play for a second time) and I think that's at least some sort of advanced playing, because Soul Bond does not affect Dodge, Resist, Defense, Range, and Movement. As far as I'm aware it also doesn't mention that you can use Soul Bond to heal (especially the Fool who is terribly weak on certain levels).
Still no amount of reading the Guide will help anyone defeat Tale, who is tougher than Reciful. (If Reciful didn't have damage reflect, Neraine and Gelyan would've cut him down quickly.) Plus that battle seems to be based on a bit of luck.
Hi Gantic!
Thank you for such kind words on the game and I'm very glad that you enjoyed it. You are right about the Armlus/Charlus battle as well, it is probly the one battle that you have to be pretty perfect on your moves to beat.
I also added an easy mode and Insane mode. So far there are quite a few players who beat all battle in insane mode so I think there is wiggle room on how you play each battle and don't have to follow exactly what the guide said. The guide is just how I did it myself.
On the side note about Tale Memory, there is a player who is making a video on how to beat Tale Memory on Insane mode. They was also having discussion on the strategy on that was well. I think it may interest you so here is the link to that discussion:
http://1manstudio.net/genesis/forum/index.php?showtopic=27
Thank you again for playing!
Ok, I was going to respond because I feel there are statements that have been said since 11:15 that need correcting, but it's not going to get us anywhere. I like the game's potential, I really do. I like its beautiful graphics, and its animation. I like some of the funny exchanges, and the storyline is interesting. There are just some things about the game that are fundamentally lacking. And those things interfere with the FUN factor.
Fairypoet, you seem very nice, and it's a shame that such a lot of work just isn't doing its job. Since you are open to criticism, I'm going to turn the remainder of this thread into soliciting ideas to make the game even better.
PLEASE OFFER YOUR SUGGESTIONS FOR GAME IMPROVEMENT
Gantic has criticized this game. You've listed your dislikes, but how should the game be improved, Gantic?
Gantic wrote: There are a few other things within the mechanics of the game that I disliked. I realize that Gelyan cannot attack if he moves, as per his perk, but I do not understand why he should not be able to do any Tarot actions. Secondly, the enemies have extra attacks not afforded to the players. They get to attack if it is their turn right before they expire and ranged units get to attack right after they move. While I understand that enemy units are different from friendly units, it hardly seems fair for them to have a dying attack...I also hope for less restrictive gameplay that would allow the player...to explore the world that you create.
Here's the start of my offering: A larger battlefield.
Why? Because the whole team of monsters moves all at once, so its very difficult to determine where each monster will be after the next turn, sometimes its hard to plan how to prevent getting surrounded from monsters at the very beginning. Fairypoet even said that the 1st step is often the most critical step in the battle. So what fun is it to the player if they make a mistake on the first step? They will lose the eventual battle but won't realize this until all their characters are wasted.
If you make a larger battlefield, more squares, this offers maneuverability. The players should be able to spend about 4 turns getting their teams into position, and so the critical point comes from their faulty planning, not from a misstep. Doing this increases the freedom for the players to create different ways to win.
Here's another. Diagonals.
When Sissy illuminates only those friends around her are affected. This doesn't appear to count her friends who are on adjacent diagonal squares. However, if you are standing behind a character or an obstacle, you can still be attacked if the diagonal square is open to the monster's shot at you.
Obstacles.
I got shot by a bandit with an arrow that came through the boulder. I think if an obstacle is in "line of site" between the monster and the player, then the attack should be blocked as well.
If you make a larger battlefield, then you can put in more obstacles for the players to use. The players could employ a strategy to rest an injured character to heal HP. The obstacles could be like safe zones offering coverage against attacks from 1 or more sides, or like danger zones, in which you must pass through like a gauntlet in order to win the battle.
Well, I think of those three that I just whipped up, that Larger Battlefields would have the greatest improvement on the game.
Fairypoet - I'm sure you had thought about this alot during the game's development. So what were the advantages of such a restrictive size of battlefield for your game?
Ok, while you two are thinking, I've thought of another one. In Ge.ne.sis the whole team attacks at once. So you can get pinned in during a battle and lose your team. I once lost 3 characters like this and I couldn't hit the QUIT/REPLAY button. It wasn't there. I had to wait until my characters were destroyed, AND THEN it switched to the room screen with the replay button. So this type of interaction isn't FUN.
If the idea of simultaneous team attack is part of Ge.ne.sis, then there should be a mechanism other than dodge probability that is not part of the calculation of battle. What I mean is that you should actually be given a choice whether to ATTACK or BLOCK. If you are down on HP you could BLOCK in order to try to survive another round to be healed, to attack a more critical monster, or to be used in a soulburst. Stuff like that.
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