Kings Journal: Black and White (Patreon)

In 2001 EA published "Black and White", a PC game developed by Lionhead Studios.
Today Kings Journal takes a look back at a game that was very different and one of the first "sandbox" games in gaming history.
Here is the games intro:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uAt0U9VgHI

Let´ s start at the beginning.
A man and a women take a walk at the beach and their son jumps into the water and is soon surrounded by sharks. His parents fall on their knees and pray for a miracle. Their prayers create a new god, who saves the boy from death. This god, who only shows his hand visible, is the player.

The people take you to their village and build a temple for you. From now on you can decide if you play the game as a neutral, good or evil god. There are golden an silver scrolls for main and sidequest. All quests can be solved in different ways. You can build a prospering village or a dark place filled with sorrow and you´ ll find other villages and residents who can become your people. You only need to make them believe in you.
But you are not alone:
Early in the game you get a creature. A divine beast, that supports you - if you teach it right. It grows, becomes stronger or just fat, learns miracles and it will be your companion. Like your divine self it can be good, neutral or evil. The attitude will change the creatures look and behaviour.
Your own attitude will change the temple, island, music and weather and the look of your hand. An evil god has always bad weather within his sphere of influence. The temple becomes spiky and red and nature becomes dry and sick. A good good has lovely weather with bright light and a shining pure white temple.
A good creature is surrounded by lights and an evil one by dark mist.

On the image above you can see three creatures (there are more) of the game: A lion, a wolf and a tiger. The creatures build is anthro - close to a human body and kinda created for admirers of furries.
My favourite creature is the wolf. Obvious, isn´ t it. ;)
But also the lion, who is one of the best creatures in the game.
In Black and White 2 (yes, there is a sequel) I chose the lion, because the wolf looks stupid in my opinion. The good white wolf is ok, but the lion is just gorgeous. That´ s why I added those pics above. XD

The main story of Black and White 1 leads you through 5 islands. You´ ll meet other gods, their creatures and their fate, while you become stronger, earn new miracles to cast (water, food, wood, fire, storm...) and continue your journey to fight "Nemesis" a god, who wants to be the only god for all times.

In 2001 the majority of games followed a strict story and a single path to win. There was no freedom or areas you could discover on your own.
Black and White tried to get rid of those boundaries. And it was succesful.
You can do what you like in the game and play as you wish. The game is a big playground filled with life. If you like to build villages you can build, if you like to set the world on fire you can burn it.
I haver never played such an unusual game again.
The sequel B&W2 was not able to create the spirit of freedom again.
It just fell back into gaming industries boundaries and became a strategy game. Leaving fans behind and it was too weak to gather new ones.

The Lionhead Studios once blessed with great ideas, were closed in 2016.
Anyway Black and White has a place in my players heart for being special.

Fun fact at last. I became an evil god first. it just happened... I sacrificed people by throwing them into the sacrifical bowl. I needed Mana.  XD
But the spiky temple and bad weather, plus that evil music annoyed me that much, that I changed my attitude and became a good god.
That meant: Good weather with rainbows, charming music and a white temple, that grows like a dick to the sky. Hurray. XD

Did you play the game yourself? Or would you like to play this old game?
Tell me in the comments.  :)