Game Description

Black & White combines elements of several different genres into one multifaceted real-time strategy game. The player becomes an ethereal overseeing presence, a true god in the game world of Eden, who looks after the tribes of various villages. Each tribe in Eden offers its spiritual power to the god it chooses to worship in the form of "prayer energy." It is this power gained from the followers' belief which allows the player to perform miracles to influence the world of Black & White. When all is said and done, a population of devoted worshippers is by far the most crucial resource for any deity.

Each god in Eden chooses a familiar, a creature that begins as a fairly normal animal but can grow into a giant, powerful beast. Beginning gods can choose a tiger, a cow, or an ape, but other animals become available as the game moves on. Each creature develops individually, learning new behaviors by watching the actions of its master and reacting to the treatment it receives. Players can teach their great beasts to punish unworthy followers, help the tribe with magical gifts of food or wood, and defend the land against rival gods and their equally dangerous familiars.

Gameplay takes place across a series of islands, each of which is home to different tribes that can be converted to worship the player and bolster his or her power. Each island offers different puzzle-solving and strategic challenges, most of which the player can take on at his or her own pace. Many challenges involve learning new skills or helping a poor tribe member out of a minor unfortunate predicament, while others may call on the player to convert entire enemy villages. Completing some challenges earns the player new miraculous powers, while other victories serve to move the story forward.

For players with an Internet connection, Black & White supports both competitive and cooperative multiplayer modes. A messaging system allows players to communicate with text and real-time "phone calls" from within the game. If players allow Black & White access to their communication software, the game can re-label followers in their tribes with the names of contacts taken from their e-mail address books.

Black & White was developed by Lionhead Studios, whose founder Peter Molyneux is considered the patriarch of the "God Game" genre and is particularly respected for 1989's Populous and 1997's Dungeon Keeper. Perhaps predestined in these earlier works, the primary theme of Black & White is that there is no right or wrong way to play. Some will become benevolent deities, blessing villages with supplies and protecting worshipers from harm, while others will find it more effective to smite a few of the lazier workers and gain attention through more destructive means. As long as the villagers continue believe in the player's divine power, that power will continue to exist. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Review: Enjoyment

Rarely is an immersion factor and identification with characters so prevalent as in Black & White. Creature manipulation is nearly honed to a science and small complaints like the combat interface, the unavoidable tutorial required for each restart, and somewhat excessive resource management for villagers (especially for only two resources) don't detract appreciably from the overall immersion of gameplay. You can be good, evil or as nasty as you want to be -- playing a god has never been such a fulfilling enterprise. Even the overall mouse-intensive interface can be adjusted to keyboard input if desired. ~ Michael L. House, All Game Guide

Production Credits

LIONHEAD STUDIOS, LTD.

Game Programming: Peter Molyneux, Mark Webley, Jonty Barnes, Giles Jermy, Jeremy Chatelaine, Oliver Purkiss, Thomas Barnet-Lamb, Jason Hutchens

3D Programming: Jean-Claude Cottier, Alex Evans, Scawen Roberts

Artificial Intelligence: Richard Evans

Art: Paul McLaughlin, Mark Healey, Andy Bass, Christian Bravery

Animation: Eric Bailey

Script & Dialogue: James Leach

Sound Effects, Music Composition & Arrangement: Russell Shaw

Musician Coordinator/Lead Instrumentalist: Steafan Hannigan

Instrumentalists: Stuart Hall, Mekissa Holding, Donald Quan, Saskia Tomkins, Ray Hickie, Ron Korb

Scenario & Level Design: Jamie Durrant, Paul Nettleton, Ken Malcolm

Gameplay & Testing: Andy Robson, Nathan Smethurst, Steve Lawrie, Joe Borthwick, Aaron Ludlow, Jeff Brutus

Internet Programming, Library & Tools: Tim Rance, Daniel Deptford, Georg Backer

PR: Cathy Campos

Lionhead Studios: Steve Jackson, Pete Hawley, Janice Nussey, Claire Hedley, Catherine Tutton

Voice Characterization: Marc Silk, Shelley Blond, Hugo Myatt

Additional Art: Jon Farmer, Ben Irwin

Special Thanks: Brian Trewin, Rhubarb, Bill Lusty, Claudia Stevens, Alex Klimovitski, Nick Copus, Nick Thomas, Don Mattrick, Danny Bilson, Jeff Roberts

Testers: Adam Burke, Adam Hodgson, Alex Ashby, Alison Robinson, Allan Mulholland, Andrew Copland, Andrew Mills, Andrew White, Andy Smith, Armando D'Amico, Ashley Berlin, Ben Bodien, Ben Ward, Bernie Glodsmith, Bradley Brown, Brian Dyg Arp, Carl Andersson, Carton Wim, Chad Goullding, Charles Bullen, Charlton Edwards, Chris Armsden, Chris Hagg, Chris Janes, Chris Johnson, Chris Knowles, Christian Gloor, Crag Garvey, Daniel Cook, Daniel Eggar, Daniel Kollmann, Daniel Overton, Daniel Owusu-Ankomah, Daniel Scheers, David John Springate, David Liliehammar, David Polson, David Webley, Dennis Luesebrink, Derek Da Silva, Dimitri Mavrikakis, Douglas Berg, Duncan Sutherland, Dylan Davies, Ed Goodfellow, Edward Karney, Eric Boltjes, Eric Reynolds, Felix Klastrup, Foster Pollard, Glen Woods, Iain Farrell, James Carey, James Hamer-Morton, James McSweeney, James Mearman, James Milner-Walker, Jamie Newman, James Noy, Jeremy White, Joe Falke, Johan Ribenfors, John Emery, Johnathan Rowlands, Jon Hupper, Jonathan Clarey, Joost Ronkes Agerbeek, Joshua Pugsley, Justin Amore, Koen Korteweg, Lester Milner, Liam Fincham, Louis Bromne, Marcus Robinson, Mark Ffrence, Mark Klocek, Mark Naylor, Mark Smehturst, Markus Bacher, Martin Gilday, Martin Khige, Matthew Fletcher, Matthew Hamilton, Matthew Lilly, Maurice Berk, Michael Milne, Mirco Matuscheck, Mitchell Munter, Natali Mailand, Nick Tsiatanis, Oliver Parker-Picken, Olli Koob, Paul Dollimore, Paul Johnson, Paul Lockett, Paul Ricardson, Peter Brozyna, Peter Leung, Peter Ranisch, Robin Allison, Roger Ingraham, Ross Smith, Rowan Newman, Roy Cheung, Sam Hamilton, Sam Vantiburgh, Scott Kirkham, Simon Dune, Simon Finch, Simon Rooner, Sos Kjeldsen, Stephen Hibbert, Steven Fossett,m Styn Dekker, Thilmany Alexandre, Thor Keil, Tim Wvyts, Timmy Geleyn, Toby Hine, Tom Arnell, Tom Lee, Tony Ciniglio, Troy Lonergan, Valerie Cook, William Hall, William Overgard

ELECTRONIC ARTS

UK

Production: Dan Blackstone, Mike Cooper, Wayne Frost, Richard Leinfellner, Lisa Stokes

Manual and Pack Copy: James Leach, James Lenoël

QA Management: Pete Samuels, Andy Bussell, Pat Russell, Matt Price

Test Project Leader: Oliver Byrne

Test Team Leader: Stuart Williams, Paul Watson

Senior Testers: Richard Wilderspin, Chris Gambold, Nathan Jacobs

Testers: Lee Smith, Dan Golding, Jon Trumper, Piers Langridge, Richard Diaz, Fabrizio Calabria, Tom Kilminister, Grant Harden, Martin Bradley, James Fry, Barrie Tingle, Terry Streeter, Carl Maynard, Alez Young, Steven Morgan, Ross Douglas, Jamie Cawte, Barry Scott, Ricky Watts, Constantin Yacoumis, Ben Jackson, Raj Saroye

Localization Coordinator: Matt Price

EA Technical Group: Steve Gaffney, Martyn Sibley

Compatibility & Technology Lab Manager: Tom O'Connor

Mastering & QA Technical Manager: Joe Grant

Technical Requirements Auditor: Rob Charlish, Wayne Bouce

Technical Supervisor: Marcus Purvis

Mastering Coordinator: Donna Hicks

Marketing: Jonathan Bunney, Murray Pannell, David Miller

Legal: Mel Drummond, James O'Riordan, Hannah Ward

Localization: Andy Nuttall, David Lapp, Masa Nemoto, Sandra Picaper

Special Thanks: Mike Richardson

ELECTRONIC ARTS REDWOOD CITY

Product Manager: Steve Perkins

Marketing Assistant: Anthony Caiazzo

Public Relations: Jeane Wong

Package Design: Mike Lippert

Package Project Management: Vyn Arnold

Legal: Sue Garfield, Lisa Tensfeldt, Steve Bene, Bob Roden

Documentation Layout and Design: The Big Idea Group

Documentation Editor: Ede Clarke

Customer Quality Control: Ben Smtih, Dave Knudson, Andrew Young, Darryl Jenkins, Tony Alexander, Dave Kellum, Tony Barbagallo

CAT Lab: John Hanley, Dave Caron, Mark Gonzales, Emiliano Miranda, Brian Sawyer

Product Testing: Syruss Flyte, Aaron Keppel, Anthony Duong, Matthew Ellison, Matt Dominguez, Lenny Castillo, Chad Hawks, Chris McCay

Special Thanks: Erik Whiteford ~ Keith Adams, All Game Guide

Review: Overall

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. 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.

Rather than bombard you with gushing platitudes regarding the nearly uncontested beauty of the game, the focus here is on gameplay, style and innovation. 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. Rarely does a game immerse you so quickly and so completely in the fortunes or failures of its protagonist (or antagonist).

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. All of this builds from a seemingly innocuous beginning as a god-in-waiting or rookie god, if you will.

The plot is not, in or of itself, particularly new but does have a twist. 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 methodology behind this control is at the core of Black & White and it works on all cylinders. 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.

Usually games of this nature give you two choices: good or evil. Black & White, on the other hand, offers a third possibility. 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. There may be a fine line between evil and nasty but, in this case, nasty can reach a new level. And yet, with all the possibilities, success can be achieved and be just as sweet regardless of the path chosen -- scare tactics, rewards, cajoling, demands, beatings, threats, trust, starvation -- the options boggle the mind. Let your personal preferences soar and become one with your god.

The aspect of watching your character take on your own personality over time can't be overemphasized. While manipulating the populace is a means to one end (specifically the overriding game goal of defeating your arch rival Nemesis and his minions), how you handle your own creation is another facet of gameplay altogether and one just as rewarding, if not more so. Through subtle changes brought about by your ministrations, corrections and guidance, a complex personality emerges that will make you either proud of your progeny or downright upset if he fails miserably -- you'll take it personally.

Are there any clouds in the otherwise clear skies of Black & White? Some gamers may not like the somewhat limited creature combat setup, which basically consists of in-your-face, creature-to-creature, non-lethal slugfests incorporating special moves, agility, and the occasional miracle (synonymous with spells and magic in similar games). While effective at determining immediate confrontations, the combat interface is a bit awkward and creatures don't actually die -- they recover from wounds in their temple. These conflicts occur mainly in skirmishes and multiplayer sessions but are rare in story mode and are not to be confused with important combat in the macro-sense of destroying enemy villages, sacrosanct temples, inhabitants, and even resources to prevent expansionism by your opponent.

Story mode is consistent with similar games in the genre. Manage your village, construct buildings, produce or forage for resources (wood and food are the staples), and explore to discover mini-quests (in this case, scrolls) that can enhance your chances for success. While not overly challenging, the puzzles provide a means for increasing your arsenal of tricks and items. Gold scrolls, for example, are essential to story advancement.

What the game boils down to, though, is user preference. Fans of linear, do-this-to-accomplish-that goal-oriented adventures may be put off by the open-ended quality of gameplay, which is somewhat reminiscent of The Sims. Those who decry micromanagement in any form may be dismayed at the level of involvement required to keep the villagers from whining and complaining constantly. Still others may be turned off by the overabundance of defecation and puking sounds.

Regardless, the game has the potential to give each player a real insight into his or her own psyche. The name of the game is self-expression through the character you develop. Besides, the game is simply pure fun once the learning curve is behind you and offers an immense canvas on which to paint any god-like aspirations. Go forth, multiply and rule! ~ Michael L. House, All Game Guide

Review: Graphics

Absolutely stunning and gorgeous graphics add to the belief that you're really a part of this fantasy garden of Eden. Fluid movement of characters, luscious backgrounds and general environmental settings are praiseworthy. Oddly enough, though, individual villagers are simply and undeniably ugly (by design perhaps?) and occasional clipping and overlaps occur. ~ Michael L. House, All Game Guide

Review: Sound

Creature sounds, voice effects and general ambiance is of high quality, ranging from villager-speak to subtle audio clues as to what's happening around you. Humor, terror, death rattles, screams, streams, wind, life-affirming sounds and more create a wonderful mix of aural complexity that reverberates throughout gameplay. ~ Michael L. House, All Game Guide

Review: Replay Value

Even with initial gameplay, be prepared for some very long and intensive hours and the occasional restart as you learn the complexities of Black & White. The game demands literally hundreds of hours to completely explore and reap the benefits of total character creation and the multifaceted aspects of gameplay. Add the diversity of the main characters and the nearly unlimited permutations of possible gameplay to its sheer size and multiplayer aspects, and a long game life is guaranteed. ~ Michael L. House, All Game Guide

Review: Documentation

The manual doesn't really prepare you for the intense and intensive gameplay within Black & White but it does a yeoman's job, for its short length, of explaining the major components, controls and basics of the game. In terms of the complexity of the game, though, it allows free reign to discover new possibilities through gameplay rather than reading about them. ~ Michael L. House, All Game Guide

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