Black & White
from: Electronic Arts
Price: $39.95
Prices subject to change.Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Product Description:
Amazon.com Review:
If you've ever wanted to play god, Black & White shoulddefinitely be on your short list. This highly anticipated game takesthe concept literally, letting players navigate and influence a lushworld using only the "hand of god" as an interface. Players can use thehand to uproot trees, hurl rocks, rescue (or punish) followers, andcontrol all aspects of the camera as it zooms, dips, and swerves overthe completely 3-D environments.
The game gets off to a slow start, but things pick up once players getto choose their creatures. Creatures are giant animals that serve asyour physical link to the mortal world, and they have a sophisticatedartificial intelligence that lets players teach them how to act. In thebeginning, there's only a cow, ape, and tiger from which to pick, butthe choices expand as the game progresses. And for a limited time, Amazon.com customers can download a bonus creature--a magnificent horse. Click here for details.
Ultimately, creatures grow, and their appearance gradually changes toreflect both their tendency toward good or evil and the treatmentthey've received from the player. Deny the animal access to food and itwill lose weight. Pet it each time it eats a villager and you'll soonhave an evil juggernaut that strikes fear into people's hearts. Most ofthe game's fun comes from spending time teaching your creature andsimply watching the crazy things it does of its own volition. Best ofall, players and creatures don't have to have the same alignment,making it possible to be an evil god with a glowing, beloved,benevolent creature. It all depends on why you choose to reward orpunish the creature.
Unfortunately, Black & White tries to be too many things atonce, and there is rarely any real focus. It's difficult to enjoytraining a creature when villages need protecting, villagers needdirection, and buildings need to be built in order to expand theplayer's influence and ultimately win each level. It wouldn't be so badif the villagers were half as smart as the game's creatures, but theyrequire a lot of micromanagement to work efficiently. The single-playercampaign gives players plenty of time in each mission to overcome theseshortcomings, but prepare to spend many long hours administrating yourholdings for every hour of pure joy that Black & White iscapable of providing. --T. Byrl Baker
Pros:
Amazon.com Product Description:
Black & White is a role-playing game unlike any other you've played before. You play the role of a deity in a land where the surroundings are yours to shape and its people are yours to lord over. Be an evil, malevolent god and the natives will worship you with fear in their eyes. Play as a kind, benevolent god and they will worship you with love in their hearts.Your actions decide whether you create a heaven or hell for your worshipers.Then select a creature from the land to act as your representative in the world. Raise it to gigantic proportions and teach it to do your bidding--whether the animal grows into an evil colossus of mass destruction or a kind and gentle giant is up to you. Progress through the game's rich storyline performing powerful miracles to battle other deities and become the world's supreme god.
Amazon.com Review:
If you've ever wanted to play god, Black & White shoulddefinitely be on your short list. This highly anticipated game takesthe concept literally, letting players navigate and influence a lushworld using only the "hand of god" as an interface. Players can use thehand to uproot trees, hurl rocks, rescue (or punish) followers, andcontrol all aspects of the camera as it zooms, dips, and swerves overthe completely 3-D environments.
The game gets off to a slow start, but things pick up once players getto choose their creatures. Creatures are giant animals that serve asyour physical link to the mortal world, and they have a sophisticatedartificial intelligence that lets players teach them how to act. In thebeginning, there's only a cow, ape, and tiger from which to pick, butthe choices expand as the game progresses. And for a limited time, Amazon.com customers can download a bonus creature--a magnificent horse. Click here for details.
Ultimately, creatures grow, and their appearance gradually changes toreflect both their tendency toward good or evil and the treatmentthey've received from the player. Deny the animal access to food and itwill lose weight. Pet it each time it eats a villager and you'll soonhave an evil juggernaut that strikes fear into people's hearts. Most ofthe game's fun comes from spending time teaching your creature andsimply watching the crazy things it does of its own volition. Best ofall, players and creatures don't have to have the same alignment,making it possible to be an evil god with a glowing, beloved,benevolent creature. It all depends on why you choose to reward orpunish the creature.
Unfortunately, Black & White tries to be too many things atonce, and there is rarely any real focus. It's difficult to enjoytraining a creature when villages need protecting, villagers needdirection, and buildings need to be built in order to expand theplayer's influence and ultimately win each level. It wouldn't be so badif the villagers were half as smart as the game's creatures, but theyrequire a lot of micromanagement to work efficiently. The single-playercampaign gives players plenty of time in each mission to overcome theseshortcomings, but prepare to spend many long hours administrating yourholdings for every hour of pure joy that Black & White iscapable of providing. --T. Byrl Baker
Pros:
- Great graphics and animations
- Exceptional creature artificial intelligence
- Plenty of keyboard shortcuts, greatly simplifying the complexcamera controls
- Managing villagers and buildings can be a chore
- The manual is completely inadequate considering the complexity ofthe creature AI
Amazon.com Product Description:
Black & White is a role-playing game unlike any other you've played before. You play the role of a deity in a land where the surroundings are yours to shape and its people are yours to lord over. Be an evil, malevolent god and the natives will worship you with fear in their eyes. Play as a kind, benevolent god and they will worship you with love in their hearts.Your actions decide whether you create a heaven or hell for your worshipers.Then select a creature from the land to act as your representative in the world. Raise it to gigantic proportions and teach it to do your bidding--whether the animal grows into an evil colossus of mass destruction or a kind and gentle giant is up to you. Progress through the game's rich storyline performing powerful miracles to battle other deities and become the world's supreme god.
Accessories:
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: 
- It's a great game.
I never got the game in the mail... but I've downloaded the demo and I've also played it before on a friends computer. I think it's a really fun game.
I'm not good at reveiws so that's pretty much all I have to say. Get it and try it out for yourself. You won't be disappointed.
Rating: 
- Not as fun as they say
I bought this game because of the insane reviews it got from gaming sites like ign.com, but after playing, i dont think its really THAT fun.
the game is a very creative concept, has great controls, great interface, great music. But as other reviews have pointed out, theres too much micro management for my taste. For example, if one of my villages is running low on people, i would have to drag people from other villages over one by one, stuff like that.
Read More
Rating: - An average simulation game
Well, I admit it. I didn't do my research and bought this game because I heard great things about it. I wish I had done a little more research before I bought it. Controling the creature is probably the funnest aspect of the game, while the constant micromanaging of the villagers is the biggest letdown. This would have been a sure fire winner if I didn't have to worry about getting the villagers food and wood every 3 minutes. Overall, if you enjoy simulations and don't mind some tedious micromanagement, ... Read More
Rating: - Pretty Good Game
This is a game where you area a god ( well, a hand acually), and you have a pet creature. As a god you can control different villages any way you like.You can even play catch with your villagers if you want. Your creature can be a cow, monkey, or a tiger.You can teach your creatue to be bad or good.You and your creature can perform good and bad miracles such as storm, rain.This game is great .You should probably buy it if you want to have a new gaming experience
Rating: - Very enjoyable strategy game, but not the best
I love strategy games, especially those where you play an "all powerful" diety like Populous. Black and White was very enjoyable to play, but there are better games out there. It requires a lot of patience, so as other reviewers have mentioned, if you like quick results then look elsewhere. The creature AI is great if you have the patience to train him. If you enjoy games that require strategy but a finite set of tasks to perform like Mahjong or Solitaire, then you might find micromanaging the villages to ... Read More
- It's a great game.I never got the game in the mail... but I've downloaded the demo and I've also played it before on a friends computer. I think it's a really fun game.
I'm not good at reveiws so that's pretty much all I have to say. Get it and try it out for yourself. You won't be disappointed.
- Not as fun as they sayI bought this game because of the insane reviews it got from gaming sites like ign.com, but after playing, i dont think its really THAT fun.
the game is a very creative concept, has great controls, great interface, great music. But as other reviews have pointed out, theres too much micro management for my taste. For example, if one of my villages is running low on people, i would have to drag people from other villages over one by one, stuff like that.
Read More
- An average simulation gameWell, I admit it. I didn't do my research and bought this game because I heard great things about it. I wish I had done a little more research before I bought it. Controling the creature is probably the funnest aspect of the game, while the constant micromanaging of the villagers is the biggest letdown. This would have been a sure fire winner if I didn't have to worry about getting the villagers food and wood every 3 minutes. Overall, if you enjoy simulations and don't mind some tedious micromanagement, ... Read More
- Pretty Good GameThis is a game where you area a god ( well, a hand acually), and you have a pet creature. As a god you can control different villages any way you like.You can even play catch with your villagers if you want. Your creature can be a cow, monkey, or a tiger.You can teach your creatue to be bad or good.You and your creature can perform good and bad miracles such as storm, rain.This game is great .You should probably buy it if you want to have a new gaming experience
- Very enjoyable strategy game, but not the bestI love strategy games, especially those where you play an "all powerful" diety like Populous. Black and White was very enjoyable to play, but there are better games out there. It requires a lot of patience, so as other reviewers have mentioned, if you like quick results then look elsewhere. The creature AI is great if you have the patience to train him. If you enjoy games that require strategy but a finite set of tasks to perform like Mahjong or Solitaire, then you might find micromanaging the villages to ... Read More
