Black & White 2: Battle Of The Gods Review
04 May 2006 | By Simon Priest
If you're looking to venture forth into Black and White 2 then be sure to pickup this expansion along with it
More divinity packed in for our clicking pleasure! Yes Black & White 2 may not have lived up entirely to its predecessor’s reputation but it gave some kick anyhow.
This expansion sees the crafty Aztecs back at it again; simply unsatisfied you whooped them first time around – either with showering kindness or bloodlust. Desperate for revenge, they begin sacrificing their dead legions and manage to summon a God of the damned. This new kid on the block doesn’t seem to like all this living malarkey and so naturally he raises his fallen chums to correct the matter. You’re left to clean up quite the mess, already you enter to find towns pillaged and even your own worshippers imprisoned. Now I would really advise any who intend to play this to first go through the tutorial of B&W2 as otherwise you’ll find yourself coming up short.
Visually there’s no change here, the views are impressive and inspiring just like B&W2. With effects on high the game really does almost become something else, I can’t deny the fantastic job just on the vegetation alone. You try watching a stampede of villagers or troops marching through the long wavy grass unimpressed, it’s impossible. The fur on the creatures, the glow of the lights at night, all of it adds to the immensity of the games engine and its abilities. The game is beautiful being both a blessing and a curse – you will need a high end system to really enjoy the first class features here.
This engine allows a great fluid feel to shaping your towns or 'soldier factories' depending on your play style. A new feature available from the offset to the player is the choice to be good, evil or neutral. Choosing to be a good or evil God automatically grants you appropriate buildings at the expense of tribute and shifts your alignment considerably. Neutral lets you decide what you want to be if perhaps you’re not happy with the choices presented before you. A new creature joins the ranks as well, all hail the mighty turtle! Plus new structures to slap together such as the Hospital which can heal people around it, though for those not in a giving mood perhaps the Blacksmith with sharp pointy things swinging about will suffice? Either way there’s more to keep an army in top shape or a model utopia sparkling.
Sound is just as good here as last time, with surround sound as an option a player can really be sucked into their Godly roles. I can help but stupidly grin when a large boulder 'accidentally' slips and rolls down a hill conveniently while an enemy platoon comes marching up. The sound effects are on the mark, with the only slight downside being a lack of music. Cinematic scenes are great but you can feel lonely with no background music to soothe you once in a while, especially when touching up your town. Even the enemy Gods voice is cool with his metallic like rants he flies into, much like the tribal leaders thoughts you could listen to in B&W2 – this can help out a lot sometimes as they give clues on their movements.
If you haven’t played Black & White before, then you’ll soon learn this is not just another building simulator. There’s a much bigger picture than that, not only do you care and tend to your people but in B&W2 you also have to protect them vigorously. Everything can be launched from the mouse from building the town, commanding troops and teaching your pet creature new habits. At first some may think it’s a tamagotchi meets Populous, not so as they compliment each other well. Caring for the creature is greatly intertwined with the model of your town and its people. The town is a refuge for your pet of choice while in turn it can help protect and nurture your people. The bigger your town, the bigger your influence – meaning the more powerful you get in size the more of the land is susceptible to your whim. A majority of your actions dictate your alignment, so do stuff you know is frowned on by the hippy types and chances are you’ll be scoring for the naughty team. That’s not to say a good caring God can’t defend themselves from aggressors, you can still maintain an army but to send them out to hunt the enemy is a taboo. After all you could very well choose a more balanced approach by showing generosity and vengeance!
When I first bought my copy of Black & White 2, which was during my Florida vacation to the US, I simply couldn’t wait to get home and fire her up. At first I was seduced by the games initial impact but I began to feel something was missing. The original pitted you a newly created God against others in the battle of Eden, but here was the long awaited sequel and no divine rival powers. That coupled with other engine teething troubles and certain features left out of the final product, it didn’t take long for the cracks to show but having said that I still love the game to bits and couldn’t wait to get my hands on this worthy expansion. Yes you’re now up against another God, and it feels good to see a rival hand floating about the land again. Having rocks and fireballs tossed your way gives a much greater feeling of a struggle for Eden.
If you’re looking to venture forth into Black & White 2 then be sure to pickup this expansion along with it. This is a great addition and has you facing divine challenges for Eden once more!
Top Game Moment:
 |
 |
|
| I’ve got gate-crashers at my party! | Could you refuse that cheeky face? |
This expansion sees the crafty Aztecs back at it again; simply unsatisfied you whooped them first time around – either with showering kindness or bloodlust. Desperate for revenge, they begin sacrificing their dead legions and manage to summon a God of the damned. This new kid on the block doesn’t seem to like all this living malarkey and so naturally he raises his fallen chums to correct the matter. You’re left to clean up quite the mess, already you enter to find towns pillaged and even your own worshippers imprisoned. Now I would really advise any who intend to play this to first go through the tutorial of B&W2 as otherwise you’ll find yourself coming up short.
Visually there’s no change here, the views are impressive and inspiring just like B&W2. With effects on high the game really does almost become something else, I can’t deny the fantastic job just on the vegetation alone. You try watching a stampede of villagers or troops marching through the long wavy grass unimpressed, it’s impossible. The fur on the creatures, the glow of the lights at night, all of it adds to the immensity of the games engine and its abilities. The game is beautiful being both a blessing and a curse – you will need a high end system to really enjoy the first class features here.
This engine allows a great fluid feel to shaping your towns or 'soldier factories' depending on your play style. A new feature available from the offset to the player is the choice to be good, evil or neutral. Choosing to be a good or evil God automatically grants you appropriate buildings at the expense of tribute and shifts your alignment considerably. Neutral lets you decide what you want to be if perhaps you’re not happy with the choices presented before you. A new creature joins the ranks as well, all hail the mighty turtle! Plus new structures to slap together such as the Hospital which can heal people around it, though for those not in a giving mood perhaps the Blacksmith with sharp pointy things swinging about will suffice? Either way there’s more to keep an army in top shape or a model utopia sparkling.
 |
 |
|
| What’s a shot of my house doing here? | The legions rise |
Sound is just as good here as last time, with surround sound as an option a player can really be sucked into their Godly roles. I can help but stupidly grin when a large boulder 'accidentally' slips and rolls down a hill conveniently while an enemy platoon comes marching up. The sound effects are on the mark, with the only slight downside being a lack of music. Cinematic scenes are great but you can feel lonely with no background music to soothe you once in a while, especially when touching up your town. Even the enemy Gods voice is cool with his metallic like rants he flies into, much like the tribal leaders thoughts you could listen to in B&W2 – this can help out a lot sometimes as they give clues on their movements.
If you haven’t played Black & White before, then you’ll soon learn this is not just another building simulator. There’s a much bigger picture than that, not only do you care and tend to your people but in B&W2 you also have to protect them vigorously. Everything can be launched from the mouse from building the town, commanding troops and teaching your pet creature new habits. At first some may think it’s a tamagotchi meets Populous, not so as they compliment each other well. Caring for the creature is greatly intertwined with the model of your town and its people. The town is a refuge for your pet of choice while in turn it can help protect and nurture your people. The bigger your town, the bigger your influence – meaning the more powerful you get in size the more of the land is susceptible to your whim. A majority of your actions dictate your alignment, so do stuff you know is frowned on by the hippy types and chances are you’ll be scoring for the naughty team. That’s not to say a good caring God can’t defend themselves from aggressors, you can still maintain an army but to send them out to hunt the enemy is a taboo. After all you could very well choose a more balanced approach by showing generosity and vengeance!
When I first bought my copy of Black & White 2, which was during my Florida vacation to the US, I simply couldn’t wait to get home and fire her up. At first I was seduced by the games initial impact but I began to feel something was missing. The original pitted you a newly created God against others in the battle of Eden, but here was the long awaited sequel and no divine rival powers. That coupled with other engine teething troubles and certain features left out of the final product, it didn’t take long for the cracks to show but having said that I still love the game to bits and couldn’t wait to get my hands on this worthy expansion. Yes you’re now up against another God, and it feels good to see a rival hand floating about the land again. Having rocks and fireballs tossed your way gives a much greater feeling of a struggle for Eden.
 |
 |
|
| The slaughter begins | Survey your dominion |
If you’re looking to venture forth into Black & White 2 then be sure to pickup this expansion along with it. This is a great addition and has you facing divine challenges for Eden once more!
Top Game Moment:
TOP GAME MOMENT
Bowling a very large boulder down an enclosed hill with five platoons and three catapults as my very own pin set!
