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Macworld has published a new review of Black & White 2. In the game players take the role of a god who must manage followers and train a creature avatar as it quests to rule the land by either conquering or impressing rivals. Macworld gave the game a score of 3.5 out of 5.

Unlike many other strategy games, the interface for Black and White 2 is stripped down. Your mouse guides a hand that can manipulate most of the world around you. By grabbing and placing civilians, you assign them a disciple status of a certain type- worshipper, forester, farmer, breeder, etc. You can grab and place new buildings, roads, and even control your creature. A series of gestures allows you to cast spells and if you feel like being a wrathful god, you can throw people or throw rocks onto people.

While it’s a real thrill to throw rocks at enemy soldiers and there are times when your hand is really a useful tool, the game relies too heavily on the inexact mechanism. While trying to assign a disciple to a new job, I’d often end up dropping and killing it. The hand is positively clumsy when trying to manipulate rock throwing, and I’d often end up slapping my creature when I meant to be petting him.

Training your creature is one of the most time-consuming elements of gameplay, and requires a great deal of micromanagement. You’ll be grateful that you trained your creature well when he successfully demolishes an enemy platoon. But you’ll also get frustrated when you have to stop what you’re doing and discipline your creature for crapping on some villagers. The game does a good job of showing how the creature matures physically and develops his various skills--he’s your greatest weapon and tool to use; but even after training him for several levels, he’s still going to act like a moron when you need him most.

Macworld: Black & White 2 Review

Feral Interactive

Black & White 2

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