At the end of the day, Black and White 2 only partially lives up to its potential. Your limited abilities make your command seem more like a mayor with superpowers than a god, really. Sure, you can throw people around and decide what careers they'll have, but there are missed opportunities for godlike mischief. The challenges you encounter are hit or miss, which is a real shame because the game's at its best when you are tasked with renewing the faith of someone or doing something really all-powerful. That is to say, the game has some funny challenges (like proving a woman's child is not your divine offspring) but others seem ho-hum (one mission tasks you with finding scattered statues all over a map). The campaign is long but neither multiplayer nor skirmish options are supported. The ability to play as the Aztecs, Japanese, or Norse would also greatly expand replayability of the game.

The Mac edition of Black and White 2 comes with the Battle of the Gods expansion pack. The expansion does little to change the fundamental gameplay, but does grant you additional miracles, creatures to choose from, and a new campaign against the resurrected Aztecs. On the Mac, the game performed seamlessly. I didn't experience any slowdown even when my city achieved metropolis status and the graphics were strong, considering the 2005 initial release date.

Macworld's buying advice

Having mentioned to several friends I was reviewing Black and White 2, I was intrigued by how different people's opinions were. Some people saw a great "everything" simulator that has its flaws, yes, but offers supernatural powers unheard of in a strategy game. Others saw it as a dumb-down city simulator with some bells and whistles tacked on. I found myself defending the game's obvious merits-great graphics (especially for 2005), some clever design choices and a whole host of things to do. But I also can't defend the lack of multiplayer, the inability to play as the other races, the frustrating controls, and the limits on your creature's abilities. Likely a game deserving of a cult following, Black and White 2 is a mixed blessing that will divinely inspire some and churn the hellish wrath of others.