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As games continue to look and sound more and more believable, it has become clear that the undiscovered country in game design lies in the development of superior artificial intelligence. It's one thing to make a realistic setting, but it's another thing to make characters or opponents that respond in a lifelike manner. A scarce few games each year exhibit truly impressive AI. One of these, the winner of GameSpot's Best Artificial Intelligence of 2001 award, is the most noteworthy:
Black & White
Publisher: EA Games
Developer: Lionhead Studios
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Among Black & White's many memorable features are a robust 3D engine capable of creating gorgeous terrain, gameplay that blends elements of strategy and role-playing, and an innovative interface that, oddly enough, is completely invisible. However, the most notable part of the game is undoubtedly the uncanny level of intelligence in Black & White's gigantic creatures. As a god, you are able to teach your creature to mimic pretty much any of your own interventions. The game's sophisticated behavioral artificial intelligence makes it fascinating and very exciting to watch the creature learn any number of things, which range from what it should eat to how it should treat the tiny human villagers. Through both positive and negative reinforcement, you are able to raise your creature from infancy to adulthood to fill any role you want: farmhand, hunter, entertainer, and so on. Even external forces, such as villagers and other creatures, have an effect on your creature's upbringing and actions. To put it plainly, Black & White's creature AI boasts a level of sophistication that no other game this year has come close to displaying.
Other Nominees:
Battle Realms
Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns
Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis
Return to Castle Wolfenstein
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