...ought to be forced to play this game for an hour with a trackball, and not be allowed ibuprofen afterward.

I am an avid computer gamer, and a lot of the games I play require a lot of cursor movement and keyboard controls. Nothing gave me hand cramps like this game.

I use a trackball. I realize this is a personal choice, though part of the reason has to do with personal ergonomics. I find them much more comfortable to use in the long run.

The . . . shall we say . . . unique method of moving around in this game makes trying to navigate with my trackball almost impossible. I have a Logitech trackball where the ball sits between the right and left click buttons. Having to hold down the button with the thumb or ring finger while simultaneously using the index and middle finger to move around is more finger calesthenics than I can handle. I have excellent finger dexterity -- I played piano for several years -- and BLACK & WHITE is almost impossible for me to play.

The power of moving around, the ability to look in any direction or zoom in based on a rather counterintuitive combination of mouse movements and button holds. To look left, you need to hold down a button and swing the cursor right. TO look up, hold and move the cursor down. I kept getting turned around. Its very power leads to an extremely confusing movement interface. Success in any game, as well as your ability to enjoy the experience, often depends on the ability to make game movements without really thinking about it. Although I might be able to get used to this eventually, other aspects of game play are maddening enough that I doubt I'll bother (not to mention the killer hand cramps I get).

Probably the worst movement is dealing with your creature. To reward or discipline your creature, you need to put your cursor on the creature, hold down both buttons, while moving the cursor side to side (to slap) or up and down (to stroke). Try this sometime with a trackball. It's very difficult to do. As a result, I often "lost" the opportunity to do either. I would try to punish my creature and ended up losing hold of it. This meant my creature ended up learning to throw villagers because I could never punish it in time for it to connect "throw villager" with "get slapped".

I started a new game after my first creature got seriously ruined by my inability to punish or reward it, figuring I could get the hang of the movement eventually. I was able to start back at "select creature" but it went right through the same dull tutorial stuff with the angel and devil. Although you can click to speed them through their conversations, there is no way to turn them off. If I have to go through this every time I start a new game, I'll pass, thanks.

Well, I didn't make out much better with the second creature, although he threw trees instead of villagers. Again, couldn't keep the movement of holding down two buttons with my thumb and ring finger while moving the trackball with my other two fingers.

I also own a laptop, and without a mouse it would be equally difficult to play. As hard as it is to chord the right and left buttons with a trackball, imagine trying to do this with a track pad. Ouch.

I could go out and buy a scroll mouse, which seems to be what this interface was built for and around. However, I'm not going to buy one just so I can play this game. It has enough other annoyances that I don't want to invest more money into it.

I usually like these kinds of games, but this one's counterintuitive movement interface combined with a total disregard of play with a trackball makes me believe I'll probably shelve BLACK & WHITE.

Recommended: No