Black & White 2 Preview

The world we live in is imbued with the spirit of Zoroastrianism (The Spirit of Zoro? I did not even know he was dead. -Ed.), and most of the time we aren't aware of this fact. The need to strengthen our beliefs by dwelling in the realms of secure definitions is most obvious in our effort to set things in firm boundaries, seeing them rather as what they're not than as what they are. (Oh, just cut the crap, will you? - The inner voice.) Being so prone to oversimplification of things, this is why we often consider ourselves to be all-knowing, insisting on the importance of the false awareness we shamelessly display. The highly positive side of this effect is visible, believe it or not, in a video game. After all, ours is a world where everybody has an opinion on anything and is always eager to demonstrate their capability to engage in practically anything, from being a coach of a soccer team to playing the role of a president, dictator, or king of any given state. This is exactly where Black & White comes in handy (I have no idea what the hell she just said- Smap) (Just smile and nod. Maybe she won't hurt us -Ed.) (She basically said that you two should have wild, uninhibited sex with goats. - 2Lions).

SMASH LITTLE PEOPLE!

A happy cow in the poppy fields.

Thanks to the grace and hard work of Peter Molyneux's Lionhead Studios, the sequel to the god-game, Black & White, is on its way to making hearts of all wannabe gods happy and content. (If the heart is unhappy, you should try with having it removed, says the proverb.) The game comes with the new engine and is less story-driven than its predecessor, with that the choice between good and evil is once again before you, as you are able to decide whether you are more cut out for being a god of war or a god of peace. Both sides offer an intricate and complex scenario in which you control your tribe from the "heavens" (choosing from a number of different nations, including the Japanese, Egyptians, Greeks, Aztecs, and Norse), taking care of its needs and leading it into prosperity, either by means of peace or merciless expansion.

Black & White 2 is level-oriented, meaning that the gameplay will require playing on different-themed continents and shifting from one to another as the game progresses. Sometimes preceding continents will ask for some more attention even after the player has progressed onto another level, demanding for things to be fixed in case they have gone awry in the meantime. Forming routes among continents and using their resources should also be enabled in the game.

Molyneux is quite confident about his new game. "We're working on a game that will totally revolutionize both real-time strategy and 'god games' by bringing them together under one roof." He explains the second Black & White title will incorporate both god-game and RTS elements, giving the game more depth and eliminating all the weaknesses of the original. Although the game is supposed to undergo a serious reconstruction, with many elements from the original being modified or completely altered, the main premise is once again the same - you assist your tribe in their glorious deeds with the help of a gigantic creature and whatever conscience you might have as a person. "Black & White was hugely ambitious," Molyneux says, "and I am still proud of the brave approach we took. But I think parts of it were flawed, especially the start of the game, the creature learning system, and the micromanagement of your people." So you will now be able to have more control of your citizens, as well as find out how your enemies feel about you. They will occasionally reveal their thoughts to you by making comments on your nation and your performance. Of course, you will once again be able to train your creature and teach them basic things, but this time things are far more complex than that. (Oh goody. The first time around training the giant cow was so simplistic -Ed.) Molyneyx claims that the creature can be taught real, "proper things": "You can teach your creature to be the greatest, most powerful unit in your army - he, potentially, is the ultimate weapon. He can get absolutely huge. He can learn simple strategies like when to attack and when to run away and even some more complex strategies like sending some of his army to attack the enemy from behind or having troops perform a pincer movement." The number of creatures is smaller this time, with Lionhead aware that players usually become too attached to their original creature to replace it with another one later on.

Apart from being able to send your creature to lead your armies, you will also be able to control your units yourself, which will definitely make you feel more in charge and able to decide about details you weren't able to control before. The customization of your creature has also gone to greater lengths, meaning you will be allowed to adjust almost every single detail about your creature's appearance and character. Your creature can be taught anything you like, and you are always able to change your mind and teach them something else. You will also have access to their thoughts, so you will actually be able to find out what your creature is thinking. Who knows; maybe you'll be raising a new Oprah. Creatures are once again allowed to fight among themselves. However, you won't be able to take direct control of the creature during fights. You'll simply issue the order and then they'll slug it out for themselves.

Choosing to play as either a god of peace or god of war does of course affect the gameplay drastically. Being on the side of peace will put before you some challenges completely different from those you will experience if you decide to join the "dark side." Maybe you are one of those highly enthusiastic individuals who feel that all worldly possessions must be shared (Uhh, I think they are called Communists. -Ed.), so you're always ready to persuade others to satisfy your need by giving you things... willingly. Most of the time however, they are not willing to comply and as a result, you are unable to grasp the outrageous selfishness of those who do not happen to share the same views as you. That's when your true nature surfaces and you become forceful. You will be able to do all sorts of terrible things both to your citizens and to other nations, ranging from "shocking" to "unspeakable." If you used to torture insects and small animals when you were a kid, you will be glad to know that the game allows you to vent out all your pent-up aggression and let it out on your creature and your citizens. You can beat your poor creature and make your citizens work extra hours and, if you are sadistic enough, you can even make them work at the mass production of sneakers with hours on end for a lousy pay, with an evil smirk on your invisible face. (All we actually know about you is that you're a child molester and a capitalist pig. We've read it on the palm of your omnipresent, all-knowing hand, which once again makes its appearance in the game.) (So by your description, it's a rhinestone-gloved hand? Just come straight out and call me Michel Jackson, why don't you! -Ed.)

In any case, you will also be able to extend your sadistic tendencies towards other nations by fighting with them - attacking their cities and looting their hard-earned goods. Your citizens can be trained into soldiers who are organized into different categories. Your troops will thus consist of several groups of warriors, like swordsmen and archers, which you will be able to send at your enemies along with siege weapons. Every soldier will supposedly have their own stats and bear a name given to them by your own majestic self, this is just one of the numerous details Lionhead plans to enrich the game with. You may also send your creature to war, as it will present a very effective weapon against the enemy. In case you bring the critter along, you will find little use for siege weapons as your creature becomes very dangerous when angry - sort of like how Anne-Nicole Smith is on a low-fat diet. Black & White 2 uses a very logical concept where experienced units can later be used to train new soldiers. For the creatures, the "dog leashes" make their comeback. They allow the player to have tighter control over his/her army. As Molyneux promises large-scale battles with a great number of units onscreen, it seemed necessary to include this useful system in order to keep battles more organized and "clean." (No one likes a messy battlefield -Ed.)