Black & White

"What an utter waste of money and time this was."

I first heard about Black and White from a friend who is crazy about computer games. He told me it was the greatest game he ever played. Thusly, I borrowed a copy off of him. I installed it, loaded it up, and loved it to pieces. The only reason, however, that I loved it so was due to the fact that I could throw people over mountains and smash their domiciles with boulders. Once I got past that (about two hours into the game) I realized that the hype was all a waste of breath (and a lot of it).

Graphics: 8/10

The graphics were okay for the most part, and although detailed and clear, the people looked incredibly weird. I don’t mean to rip off another person’s review, but they are right, as they do look like Lego people who move blockily. Anyway, I don’t know if it’s my computer or what, but there was a lot of slowdown when I was moving across the landscape. I don’t see how it could be my computer though, a 1.0GHz Athlon with 640MB RAM and an ATI Radeon 8500 64MB video card; I am at a stump at that part. The graphics will suffice, although not Sims quality.

Sound: 10+/10

Easily the best part of the game, the audio effects in Black and White are amazing. The voiceovers are excellent, the sound effects are superb…… just an overall great attention to detail factor in this game regarding the sound. If you have a good video card and speakers, the sound will not disappoint.

Gameplay: 5/10

Here, in my opinion, is where the game crumbles. You are god to a small village, and you decide how they live. It sounds great, and it is for a time, but then it gets exceedingly boring. After killing people and demolishing their homesteads, there really is no more fun to be had in the game, short of the creature, whatever that is. I say this because I fail to see a point to the game, and like my previous experience with SimEarth, it is very hard to like a game if I can’t figure out its point. It stumps me as to how many people love this game so much.

Controls: 1/10

Hoo boy, here we go. The worst part of any game I’ve seen in a while, the controls in Black and White are completely unforgivable. They are also among the first thing you notice during the game as well, so I should think the developers would make an effort at good controls. Here’s how it works: you click and hold the left mouse button and drag to move accordingly across the landscape. You click and drag near the left/right of the screen to rotate it and near the bottom/top of the screen to slide up or down. Sound easy? Not at all. In about three hours of playing, I couldn’t get used to them. Damn you, Sony, for these horrible controls. Controls in my mind make or break a game, and they definitely broke Black and White.

Replay Value: 2/10

Or lack thereof. The only reason it gets a 2 is because it is fun for a while throwing people and smashing buildings. Once you realize that that’s not the point and you’re supposed to do something but you don’t know what it is you’re supposed to do, you won’t like the game anymore. If I pay $50 for a game, I want it to last me more than three or so hours (which is why I downloaded the game).

Overall: 3/10

I’m being generous, too. I wanted to give it a two, but remembered throwing people and smashing buildings (which there are already a huge number of games for). Really, for 5 years of development and $50 pocket money, I would expect a little more on a CD than what Black and White gives you. Despite the audio, Black and White is pretty much a waste of your money. Everyone is different though, so I suggest you borrow the game from a friend and try it out yourself. Black and White is one of those games that you either love or you hate, and I for one am the latter. Thank you.

~*~Another fine review by Aristotle~*~

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 02/03/02, Updated 02/03/02