There may be a fine line between evil and nasty but, in this case, nasty can reach a new level. Some may think it just a sub-set of evil, but the unmistakable fact remains that you can mold your character to a level beyond evil - pure unmitigated nastiness. Black & White, on the other hand, offers a third possibility. Usually games of this nature give you two choices: good or evil. The environment is so convincing that suspension of disbelief is not a problem - you are immersed in a luscious and live world teeming with entities begging for guidance from the start. The methodology behind this control is at the core of Black & White and it works on all cylinders. You're in charge of getting things done not by a specific hands-on approach but through manipulation of your subjects, whether they're groveling, sniveling and cowered minions under your unrestrained and turbulent dominance or happy creatures entranced by your gracious kindness. The plot is not, in or of itself, particularly new but does have a twist. All of this builds from a seemingly innocuous beginning as a god-in-waiting or rookie god, if you will. So much effort is eventually expended in molding your character into exactly the type of deity you want him to be, including personality, foibles and moralistic bent, you find yourself really caring what happens to him and fiercely defensive of any enemy who might presume to challenge his domain.
Rarely does a game immerse you so quickly and so completely in the fortunes or failures of its protagonist (or antagonist).
While it's fun to play the supreme decision maker in games such as Afterlife and Dungeon Keeper, the unbridled enthusiasm of characters in Black & White simply takes your breath away. Rather than bombard you with gushing platitudes regarding the nearly uncontested beauty of the game, the focus here is on gameplay, style and innovation. Mixing elements of empire building, resource management, life simulation, survival and brawling with complex strategies and tactics in a gorgeous fantasy setting seems too good to be true - but that's exactly what famed Populous designer Peter Molyneux accomplishes in developer Lionhead Studios' first effort. Within minutes of initializing gameplay in Black & White, it's readily apparent you're not looking at a clone of a typical good versus evil adventure or a god game.
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