Black & White 2 review

Ever looked at all of creation and said to yourself, “I could do better than that”? Now’s your chance. As a god in Black & White 2, you’re charged with leading the “Greek” people back to glory after they’re nearly destroyed by an “Aztec” attack. This means managing literally hundreds of villagers who eat, sleep, work and yes, even love.

But what kind of god are you? A benevolent god wins by building a city so impressive that all the villagers in the land come and join you willingly. Thanks to the innovative drag-and-drop interface, building a large city is both enjoyable and a sight to behold. An evil god will build a city too, but only for the purpose of raising an army that will go forth and conquer, real-time strategy-style. Disappointingly, you don’t get special powers from devoting yourself to one or the other.

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To help out, you'll choose a physical creature to represent your will in the mortal realm: a giant lion, cow, wolf or monkey with a mind of his own. To train him, watch the thought bubble over his head. If he thinks something you like, such as “I’m going to harvest food,” reward him. If he thinks something like “I’m going to eat that villager,” dole out divine justice. But this creature is pretty independent, and you can pretty much ignore him if you’d rather not babysit a giant cow.

The godly currency of Tribute is your reward for reaching milestones set by your angel and devil conscience guides. With it, you unlock new buildings, miracles and creature skills. Ultimately you unlock the awesome epic miracles, like a volcano ability that sprouts a massive, lava-spewing mountain near your enemy’s city.