Peter Molyneux is a genius. That's indisputable, even if you're not big on his work - which includes such experimental surprise hits as Fable, Theme Park, and that mobile title where everybody had to click on a box until the box opened and whoever clicked last won a fabulous prize - you have to admit that the guy has had some interesting ideas. One of his more underrated ventures was the early noughties PC title Black & White (and its follow up), which took the premise of his earlier "god game" Populus. This time, you weren't playing as a figurative god who created the Earth in your own image and then managed it like an overgrown Sim City. This time you were a literal god. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSIXZJFgBFA Your presence in the civilisations you raised was a floating hand, you had an animal familiar that could be sent in to either help or destroy the population, and that same population had to be kept in check. If they started worshipping some other digital deity, there would be hell to pay. They were fun games which lulled you into a false sense of security, what with all the power bestowed on you. Villagers could still die, despite your best efforts, and whenever they did it was accompanied by a ghostly voice whispering "death". Pretty creepy, right? Even worse was that, if you entered a common name at the start of the game, it would occasionally whisper your name in that same voice. THE CALL IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE GAME.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
