- Publisher: EA Games
- Release Date: Oct 4, 2005
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AceGamezA shining triumph that looks and sounds as fantastic as it plays. It makes war fun, city building easy and your social life non-existent; but let's face it, do you really need friends when you're God?
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Black and White 2 might be one of the shallowest games I have ever played. In fact, I am depressed that a developer like Molyneux has been able to continually botch up awesome-sounding ideas so thoroughly for so long.
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The game is gorgeous, features great depth and affords some neat strategic elements. But as time wore on I couldn’t stop myself from thinking that I’d like to be playing a game that is less boring and includes more in the department of "doing things".
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After countless days of sacrificing sleep to squeeze in a few more hours before finally taking a rest I can safely say it’s quite an addictive force once you get settled in.
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BoomtownThe basic problem with B&W2 is that once again you're micromanaging a world for people who are too lazy and stupid to be able to do the simplest of tasks, such as build a house or find someone to mate with, for themselves. It's a real shame.
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With this effort, there's no doubt that Molyneux and his team have succeeded in surpassing their original efforts. Black & White 2 is a work of art, beautiful in both its stunning visuals and genius gameplay. [PC Zone]
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Computer Games MagazineThe cow is missing a lot of the inscrutability - and therefore personality - had in the last game. [Jan 2006, p.49]
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If you’re a fan of the first B&W and you were just itching to see how your favorite game could get better, you’ll probably be disappointed by the sequel and be left to ask, like me, how on Earth could Peter Molyneaux have released such a game in the first place?
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Disappointment is the litany of B&W2. As an evil god, I can build prisons and worse...but why? There's no payoff. Pointless minigames that eschew the game's central morality conflict end up being stupid, insulting, and/or infuriating.
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Its biggest issue may be its release date: there are simply better games competing for your dollar in the marketplace right now.
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Edge MagazineAs an RTS, Black & White 2 is less deep, but just as flexible and responsive – and when creatures, miracles, wonders and large armies are all in play it’s arguably the greatest show in gaming. [Nov 2005, p.94]
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For what it does right, the game can’t seem to keep from dropping the ball. Combat is a key component in many RTS titles, and here the whole concept just falls flat.
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Much like Sid Meier's recent reinvention of "Pirates!,' huge numbers of ideas have been included at the sacrifice of any of them being particularly impressive. Jack of far too many trades, apprentice at only a few.
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There are a lot of little reasons to get Black & White 2, but none of them comes together with quite the synergy that would make them more than the sum of their parts.
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Everything in the game is too clear and too consistent. There’s no room for ambiguity or context. You’re either a goody two-shoes or a complete jerk.
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Black & White 2 takes the same unique play style of the original Black & White and adds a system of objectives to make the game more linear. The result is mixed, but those who enjoyed the original will probably still find plenty to like about the new Black & White.
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Game InformerIt may not be as ambitious as the original, but it is a fun, clever, and intricate strategy title deserving of your divine attention. [Nov 2005, p.172]
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B&W2 has funny bits and strategic bits and dramatic moments and the creature represents at points a fascinating AI with which to interact, but in terms of a game (and I know I probably use this phrase far too much) the total is much less than the sum of the parts.
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This is nothing on the beautiful little gem I [didn't] played four years ago.
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Even with some warts, Black & White 2 is still pretty good. Heck, no god is perfect, right?
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Vastly more playable, but still falls short of the series' graphical capabilities and ideological potential.
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Black & White 2 is even more unique, more playable, more endearing than its antecedent, and so full of provocative moments that you may find it difficult to tear yourself away.
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Some parts of the game can drag a little, and the warfare system doesn’t feel fully fleshed out, but creating towns and ‘playing god’ is as fun as ever.
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The graphics are superb, and the game plays much better than the first Black & White. Just about every aspect has been improved, from creature training to tending to the needs of your followers.
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The graphics, creature mechanics, and gameplay can all add to the obsession with B&W2.
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There's a hell of a lot to do and it often feels daunting - like a big cross between Sim City and Total War. But it's well worth having a go if you think you're man - sorry, god - enough. [GamesMaster]
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games(TM)Few can deny that these improvements have made Black & White 2 a resounding success. The trouble is that gamers were expecting many of these things four years ago. [Nov 2005, p.112]
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The campaign is lackluster both in terms of plot and scope (even the optional "side" missions, while still present, aren’t nearly as creative or engaging as the original’s – and where’s my damn singing sailors?).
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The sequel is less open-ended and more structured. Indeed, this time there's a more coherent story, which makes it feel like a different game. However, this comes at the cost of some of the free-form gameplay that you may have loved from the original.
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Unfortunately, in the process of fixing the game, they ended up stripping much of what made the first game so endearing by allowing the numbers to take precedence over the personality. What Black & White 2 gained in competence; it seems to have lost in soul.
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Beautiful graphics make lording over an entire civilization a treat.
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The game still suffers in gameplay because you’ve got to micromanage your population, telling people to go forth and do things one at a time, but at least your metropolis gets to be inhabited by a populous and intriguing people.
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The scope of this game is huge and there is so much to do it is baffling.
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There are plenty of things that I wish the game had included, but the one thing the game definitely needs to do is build a greater sense of personal involvement between you and your worshippers. As it is they mean absolutely nothing to you beyond their occupations.
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The simplistic nature of the game can also turn off many hardcore gamers and the length and difficulty of the game may seem a bit short and easy.
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This is a solid game, but there isn't much in the way of innovation here that I can see apart from the obvious graphical improvements.
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netjakWhile "B&W" simply was dull and arduous, B&W2 ended up being far too easy to handle with little reason to go through again as the opposite alignment.
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Its just too bad they didn’t make sure it all ran well together, there is nothing that can bring you out of the illusion that you are not just playing a game but living it like glitches in the game.
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PC FormatUnquestionably the most impressive thoroughly mediocre game you'll play this year - but hardly a religious experience. [Nov 2005, p.98]
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PC GamerAn excellent response to the criticisms of its predecessor. [Holiday 2005, p.74]
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Pelit (Finland)Better than its predecessor, but what the player gets is tedious and simplistic. Instead of a challenge, there is a three-unit real-time strategy without the strategy. The creature works rather well, though. [Oct 2005]
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The greatly improved presentation is top-notch, sealing the game up very well.
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Play MagazineYou can develop into a deity so festering evil that your on-screen god hand becomes scaled and tattooed... [Nov p.103]
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Black & White 2, while enjoyable for a while, just isn't full of enough gaming nutrients to make it taste as appealing as it looks in the picture over the counter.
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There are many improvements, yet fans of the game's ambitious predecessor will miss its free-form nature.
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Having sat down for 12 hours solid to play through the game in one sitting it would be hypocritical to criticise the game too harshly, it certainly has that Lionhead charm by the bucketload and manages to immerse the player in the world of Black & White effectively.
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One of the things which sets Black and White 2 apart from its predecessor is the combat system.
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The developers took out the Creature vs. Creature combat, but villagers are less helpless and can do things like get their own food and take care of their most basic needs without your constant supervision.
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Both multiplayer and skirmishing modes which were present in the original game are totally absent in Black & White 2. Thankfully, the single player game is a good deal lengthier than the first game.
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Black & White 2 shows a crystal-clear understanding of what makes games cool. If only it showed as good a comprehension of what makes games... well, games.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 76 out of 142
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Mixed: 48 out of 142
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Negative: 18 out of 142
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Jul 7, 2012
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JonasH.Mar 23, 2008
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Nov 10, 2013