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Black & White 2 (PC)

• Developer:
• Publisher: EA
• Genre:
• Official Website: http://www.lionhead.com
• Score: 5 of 5: Purchase

Black and White is very similar to Caesar or Civilization. The game is all about a god (you!) who takes the path of good or evil to bring about salvation or destruction to the people who need help. God is given a creature to control or train, depending if you want a laborer on a command leash or a free-spirited pet on the freewill leash. Both you and your pet can learn spells and are able to cast them with just a flick of the mouse. You must build towns, armies and fields all while keeping your people happy. There are also optional quests which are usually just tutorials, puzzles or goals. You are also guided by your conscience, good and evil, but you can just as easily ignore them as you choose fit.

At first, this game is hard to understand as well as maneuver. If you had played the prequel, you would find the controls and atmosphere very similar. However, if one is used to most other PC games, some of the controls may seem awkward and take time to master completely. A good feature of this game is that it starts with a basic yet action-packed tutorial and gets harder as the game progresses, which is about the same pace that someone new to the game would improve. Once the player learns what all the buildings, features and creatures do, the game becomes a lot more fun.

The graphics are fairly improved from the prequel and look even snazzier with the graphic detail turned up to full. This game requires a fairly recent video card to even run, and as such I had to buy a new card. The detail is uncanny. One can zoom in until you are at the feet of a villager in your town, or go as high as a god might. Some buildings, such as the tavern, can even be explored right to the bartender serving the drinks to your thirsty villagers.

The music is not distracting, and I find it suiting to the game. Sound effects are also fun and not annoying. The weirdest sound is the word ‘death' whispered softly when a townsperson dies.

All in all, this game is fun and rather addicting. There seems to be a limitless gaming experience here because as you finish the main quest or ‘level,' you can continue expanding and playing the game. The creature is quite fun to mess around with, as well as the people for whom you build homes. The only cons about this game are that it requires a decent video card and may lag on slower computers. It's also disappointing that you can no longer fully customize your pet with tattoos; however, the way Black and White 2 changed the creature interface, it is much easier to teach your pet how you want him/her to behave. If you played Black and White, you'll find Black and White 2 much more to your liking and even more enjoyable.

Jan 10, 2006 | 0 comments
KindDragon