There are a handful of developers in the game industry who have been elevated to near rock star status. Personalities who are bigger than the companies they represent, and who's names have become part of our general lexicon. Peter Molyneux is one such character, an industry legend most deserving of his place in the gaming hall of fame. As the man behind a long list of innovative classics - hits like Populous, Syndicate and Dungeon Keeper (the original, not the miserable free-to-play version) - we were programmed to expect greatness from the 'Neux. So, when the head of Lionhead Studios started rattling on about his upcoming god game Black & White, expectations were sky high. These days we know to be a little more cautious. Over the years Mr. Molyneux has proven to be something of a hyperbole-slinger, over-amping his new concepts so highly that it all starts to sound a little far fetched, and then justifying our cynicism when the final product doesn't match up. Project Natal, anyone? But in the days of Black & White we were naive and easily impressed, hence the near unanimously high ratings for the overly ambitious but muddled and unpolished strategy title. Critics harped on about revolutionary design, the groundbreaking creature AI and an intricate narrative. Gamers followed suit, eagerly singing the praises of this rough diamond like it was crafted by a higher power. But a rough diamond it was - with emphasis on rough. Brave detractors would risk the wrath of the faithful to point out a clumsy control system which had would-be virtual gods accidentally flinging hulking boulders at their worshippers or plopping cows into the sea willy nilly. They would point out that the combat was an unrefined click-fest, and that the creature development system and AI were nothing near as complex as we were assured they were. It was an incredibly highly rated title which introduced a new generation of gamers to the genius of Peter Molyneux, but also to the unfortunate side-effects of his apparently endless capacity for rampant exaggeration.
Game-obsessed since the moment I could twiddle both thumbs independently. Equally enthralled by all the genres of music that your parents warned you about.
