Enjoyable, though often frustrating, Black and White 2 succeeds where its predecessor failed, but it just doesn't get th
The Black and White franchise has, since its debut, has remained a favorite of mine. Not exactly a genre-defining title, there are many aspects of the series that defy a single gaming category. Much in the same vein as the Age of Empires series, Black and White requires much more of the player than a simple RTS. However, Black and White differentiates itself from other titles with a host of subplots, a pseudo-Warcraft 3 hero mechanism (the creature), and a set of in-game commentators that provide some amount of comic relief.
Black and White 2 takes these concepts and improves upon them and their mechanics, adds a few spiffy new features and challenges, and, on the whole, manages to redefine the original quite well. This, however, is a part of this sequel's downside; there is virtually no difference between it and its predecessor.
This most recent incarnation of the series fixes many of the problems associated with the original: the weak plot; the poorly designed creature management system; the clever yet annoying menu system set in 3-space to name a few. Additionally, the graphics are quite spectacular for the genre, especially in light of the original (bearing in mind how old the original is, of course). And though some of the sounds could use some work (namely, repetitive lines or sounds pulled from the original), most were nicely done and appropriately placed to enhance the game.
However, it should be reiterated at this point that the game is extraordinarily similar to its namesake. In fact, overarching mechanic is identical. There is increased complexity in town building. For example, there are more buildings and some even carry with them consequences, the most obvious example being the torture pit. As one might infer from its name, the torture pit is a generally evil structure and carries with it the consequences of being evil. There are more subtle examples, however, and they need to be addressed. For example, building the tavern next to certain types of buildings will actually decrease productivity. It is important to note that this was discovered not by any noticeable change in game play but by actually reading about it in the manual. While this proved to be an interesting concept in principle, as I stated earlier, this ended having virtually no noticeable effect, even after I became fully cognizant of its being.
Despite the fact that this is essentially a redo of the original, a "whoops, we could do better," if you will, it is still extremely fun. I was motivated the entire time to continue playing it until it was finished. Much to my chagrin, that was quite soon. I had the game for less than a week before it was conquered. And allow me to put this into perspective for you. I am a senior aerospace engineering major at Georgia Tech. I don't have a lot of time for games. I put about 1 to 2 hours per evening into play time for this game. That is not a lot of play time for $50 +/- tax. Admittedly, I feel stupid having paid that much for this little. But, in my defense, I assumed that there would be some replay value, if nothing else.
This brings up my final point before I close. There is no multiplayer. There is no selectable difficulty adjustment. There is no chance of playing as a race other than the Greeks. There is virtually no replay value. It could be argued that you could play it as an evil god once and a good god on the second go-round. Granted, however this brings the total playing time from about 12 hours to somewhere in the 20-22 hour range. Also, it has been argued that it is fun to simply mess with your people...throw them, toss rocks around, etc. I suppose this is fun in the same way that it is fun to ride around in GTA running over people. Don't misunderstand; I enjoy a good drive down the sidewalk as much as the next guy. But if you want to play a game of senseless killing, then just play GTA for the love of God (no pun intended, of course)!
So, what is my “The Verdict?” If you were a die-hard fan of the original, pick up a copy and see how the game was really meant to be played from the start. If you're a flavor-of-the-month gamer, I wouldn't bother with it unless a friend is willing to let your borrow their copy. Don't get me wrong, it is a good play. But given its length and almost total lack of replay value, it is probably not worth it for most.