Genesis
Rising is the latest space-RTS to come out of Dreamcatcher games. The game has
some fantastic graphics and presents truly refreshing concepts to the
increasingly stagnant RTS genre. Unfortunately, as is often the case, what looks
good on paper seldom carries through in practice. The game is a buggy mess,
filled with freezes and a slew of technical errors, interface issues, and a
variety of problems that can render it unplayable at some moments. Genesis
Rising is yet another unfortunate example of a game that could’ve been great,
but was released far too early.
It’s not
all glum in Genesis Rising. The game’s concept is quite sound, presenting a
universe where humans are an aggressive and brutal race in comparison to other
civilized races throughout the galaxy. As one Captain Iconah, you must search
the galaxy looking for the Universal Heart, which will allow the vicious human
race to take top tier amongst the galactic stage, for better or worse, depending
on how you view it.
The
gameplay has some interesting elements, allowing you to upgrade your units to an
almost RPG-like degree through the use of genetics. You collect genes from
fallen enemies, which can then be applied to your vessels for more power and
abilities. You will also be able to collect your foes’ blood after destroying
their craft (a very gory venture), which will give you more health. The gene
factor adds an extra layer of strategy to the game, as you’ll have to determine
which ships are the best to take out first, allowing you access to their
abilities.
Unfortunately, the game’s innovative ideas fall into shaky ground once you
actually begin the game. The game crashes very frequently, locking up at the
main menu and behaving extremely erratically. It can be extremely difficult to
get into the battles as a result. There also is a fair amount of waiting
involved, as the pace can slow down to a crawl when you’re trying to get your
ships to where they need to be. Once you do get to the battles, however, it does
become very quick and intense, which unfortunately is far too jarring after the
plodding space navigation.
The game’s
fast-paced action is a blessing and a curse. The game boasts some very intense
moments, with some jarring, hair-trigger moments. Unfortunately, the unwieldy
interface makes this more frustrating than it should be, resulting in too many
lost battles. Plus, the pace of the action cannot be slowed down nor adjusted, a
move which might cause many to quit the game in aggravation.
At least
Genesis Rising is a quite impressive visual feat. The ships sport an
appropriately organic look, reminiscent of something that H.R. Giger would come
up with. They boast an incredible amount of detail, and when coupled with the
great special effects and explosions, make for some fantastic looking space
battles, even if they don’t quite play that way.
The sound
effects fall prey to the game’s technical shortcomings, as the sound will
frequently cut out at times with no explanation. Not to say that you won’t miss
much, as the units spew off stock slogans and commands when they are ordered
around.
Having
previewed an earlier build of Genesis Rising, I was excited about what the game
could offer the genre. The game had some fantastic ideas that if implemented
right, could’ve meant great things for RTS fans. However, the game turned into
another sad rush-job with tons of bugs and erratic pacing, and one that many RTS
fans will likely avoid.
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Review Scoring Details for Genesis Rising |
Gameplay: 5.5
The game has some
pretty cool ideas throughout, implementing a new layer to strategy gameplay in
the way of upgrades and gene-stealing. Unfortunately, pacing issues, technical
problems, and a generally spotty interface kill what the game sets out to
accomplish.
Graphics: 8.5
Genesis Rising does
manage to succeed in being a great-looking game, with excellent ship models and
some cool special effects, making for some epic-looking space battles.
Sound: 6.0
The sound is quite
buggy, cutting out too often, and the voice acting and dialogue is generic and
doesn’t stand out against other titles in the genre.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 6.5
Some really great
ideas that unfortunately don’t follow through to fruition due to general
bugginess.
Multiplayer: 6.0
The online
component fares a bit better (and slightly faster) than the single-player
portion, but still moves a bit slowly leading up to the battles themselves.
Overall: 5.5
With a few more
months in development, Genesis Rising really could’ve been something. However,
the game was rushed out far too early, and can even be unplayable at times.
