Stardock The Political Machine 2008 review

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Verdict:

Review Date: 18 Sep 2008

Price when reviewed: inc VAT (download only)

Reviewed By: Alec Meer

Our Rating 4 stars out of 5

Review
Specs

Decide the upcoming US presidential election for yourself in this disposable but charming turn-based strategy game.

You can pick a contender from a roster of current and past candidates (anyone from George Washington to Dick Cheney), or create your own political mutant. Then it's a break-neck tour across the states, drumming up support in weak areas, sabotaging your rival's efforts in their own hotspots and raising and spending frightening amounts of cash.

The nature of a presidential campaign makes the ideal basis for a strategy game. You could be over in Ohio, arranging TV adverts or building a new campaign headquarters, but both Florida and California are in danger of falling to the other guy. You've got limited moves, so which state do you head to? Or do you spend your energy drumming up more support in Ohio instead?

The Political Machine 2008 is agreeably cynical about the whole affair. Your character doesn't pick an issue or stance and stick to it, but flip-flops spectacularly, depending on what each state wants to hear and what will best undermine his or her rival. It paints a scarily accurate picture of US politics, while at the same time roundly lampooning it. It's certainly not dry or overblown, either. It's a fun game in its own right, with its characters depicted as perma-smiling bobbleheads. There's even the option to get a Martian despot into office.

The race becomes remarkably tense in its twilight hours, as crunch time approaches and victory hinges on certain key states; you really don't know whether you've won until you've finished. This game is at its best in the enjoyably vicious multiplayer mode, as solo play can wear thin after a few games. It's cheap, it's a clever idea, and it's great to play a strategy game that isn't about tanks or spears.

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