All of this builds from a seemingly innocuous beginning as a god-in-waiting or rookie god, if you will.
So much effort is eventually expended in molding your character into exactly the type of deity you want him to be, including personality, foibles and moralistic bent, you find yourself really caring what happens to him and fiercely defensive of any enemy who might presume to challenge his domain. Rarely does a game immerse you so quickly and so completely in the fortunes or failures of its protagonist (or antagonist). While it's fun to play the supreme decision maker in games such as Afterlife and Dungeon Keeper, the unbridled enthusiasm of characters in Black & White simply takes your breath away. Rather than bombard you with gushing platitudes regarding the nearly uncontested beauty of the game, the focus here is on gameplay, style and innovation. Mixing elements of empire building, resource management, life simulation, survival and brawling with complex strategies and tactics in a gorgeous fantasy setting seems too good to be true - but that's exactly what famed Populous designer Peter Molyneux accomplishes in developer Lionhead Studios' first effort. Within minutes of initializing gameplay in Black & White, it's readily apparent you're not looking at a clone of a typical good versus evil adventure or a god game.
