There are few games from my childhood that I remember extremely vividly. As I grow older, even the more bizarre and fantastical titles that I adored have faded into obscurity, destined to remain a vague memory teetering on the tip of my tongue as I attempt to recall playing them to friends. However, there are a handful of games so legendarily good, so profoundly impactful, that I cannot help but think of them practically every day. These games may not have been the best or even my favorite, but they did something so utterly unique that they’ve stuck with me, even after all of these years.
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One such game was a simulation strategy title that did something I had never seen another game do prior, and has yet to be surpassed by a worthy successor. Its approach to the simulation genre was incredibly distinct and clearly memorable, making it one of many excellent strategy games from over two decades ago that I would still wholeheartedly recommend playing today. That game was Black and White 2, a title so strange yet so brilliantly clever that my memories of playing it as a wee lad remain just as strong as the teary-eyed closing moments of my all-time favorite game.
Black And White 2 Was Ahead Of Its Time
My memories of Black and White 2 involve me picking up my loyal subjects and throwing them around, petting my giant dog, invading nearby settlements, and stockpiling a lot of wood. Some of these elements will seem fairly typical of the simulation genre, and, in many ways, Black and White 2 offered a somewhat standard simulation experience. You managed a growing Ancient Greek settlement, building homes, chopping down trees, fending off invaders, and ensuring your populace was content at all times. Had that been all Black and White 2 was, then I’d wager it wouldn’t have stuck with me and its many loyal fans quite as much. However, as aforementioned, this is a game that lets you pick up and throw your people around. Oh, and pet the giant dog.
That’s because Black and White 2 was more of a god game than a straight-laced simulation title. Rather than surveying everything from above like an omniscient god, you were an omniscient god, or at least the hand of one. You interact with every aspect of the game with a literal hand, picking up wood to store it, moving buildings around by, you guessed it, picking them up and dropping them off. You preside over this civilization as a god, and, as a result, wield a surprising amount of power. There’s a morality system in play as well, as the type of buildings you construct, the way you treat your populace, and the number of wars you wage all contribute toward being good, evil, or a mix of the two. That aforementioned giant dog (it can be several other animals, too) is your avatar and reflects your moral choices in its behavior toward its surroundings.
Honestly, just writing all of this out makes me miss playing it so much. It was a truly unique approach to an incredibly oversaturated genre that practically no one has attempted since. Recently, the game’s somewhat infamous creator, Peter Molyneux (who created the equally innovative Fable), released a brand-new god game that has flopped due to being bizarrely limited and deviating far too much from the formula outlined in his far superior Black and White series. Outside of that game, there really isn’t any other experience that gives you quite as much direct control and involvement as Black and White 2 did.
We Need More Games Like Black And White 2
Unfortunately, Black and White 2 is completely unavailable on modern platforms or digital PC storefronts, making it inaccessible unless you own a physical disc from 25 years ago. As explained in a rather excellent /noclip documentary uploaded to YouTube, the rights to Black and White are all over the place. Microsoft owns the IP rights and game code rights, which, in theory, means they own Black and White. Unfortunately, EA owns the publishing rights, which means that Microsoft can’t do anything with Black and White without EA’s involvement and permission. So, it’s trapped eternally in a bleak limbo that it will never escape from.
Of course, with Black and White 2, and its predecessor being some of the most underrated games, and not quite the enormous commercial hits they would need to be to guarantee a sustained existence, it is unlikely that EA and Microsoft will join forces to appease me and the handful of other hardcore fans eager to see a sequel. It is undeniably a shame, but an expected result, especially from a series that peaked well before gaming grew to become such a popular and all-consuming medium. So, it is now up to other developers to carry Black and White’s legacy forward and deliver an experience akin to it.
For now, there’s nothing in the works, and I’d be amazed if anything quite like Black and White 2 ever did release. Perhaps if the new Molyneux-developed Masters of Albion pivots direction a little and focuses more on the elements that made Black and White so great, then we may end up with a true spiritual successor. However, beyond that, I’m not exactly hopeful we’ll see much, if anything, from the god game genre. That is, as I hope I’ve rather heavily implied, a devastating shame, as it is, in my opinion, the most involved and innovative form of the tropey simulation genre I’ve ever experienced.
It brought new life to a series of games that had little else to offer in a time that desperately needed innovation. New approaches to exhausted genres are always welcome and encouraged, and frankly, the simulation genre is still in dire need of a refresh. Maybe one day I’ll get the Black and White 2 spiritual successor I’ve always dreamed of, but, until that day, I suppose I’ll have to settle for my very vivid memories of throwing people around and petting that aforementioned really big dog.
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