Fun game, but doesn't last
User Rating: 6.2 | The Political Machine PC
Like pretty much everyone who picked up Political Machine, I consider myself a political junkie. I await the Presidential Elections with the same sense of anticipation football fans await the Superbowl or basketball fans await March Madness. Perhaps that's why I found Political Machine to be so lacking. First off, let's cover the basics. The graphics are kind of cartoony but fit the mood of the game well. The controls are easy to pick up, but if a state state gets a little crowded it can be a little difficult to click on the correct candidate or political aide. The amount of information provided is probably about on par with what the actual candidates receive. Consistently updated information (delivered via the map) about whether your candidate is winning or loosing a particular state, the percentage of liberals or conservatives in various areas, etc. The sound is probably the best part of the game. The music that plays in the background while you're running your campaign is very...well, "campaigny" for want of a better word. And when you make an appearance on "Barry King Live" or "Hardhitter" the intro music is perfect for those sorts of shows. The biggest problem with the game is a lack of replayability. I've run about a dozen campaigns in the game so far, and they go exactly the same no matter who my opponent is. You simply concentrate on the same states, and the same issues, and win the same endorsements from the same special interest groups. There should be some difference in how the game plays depending on who your candidate is. It should be harder to win the Christian Coalition's endorsement if you're a flaming liberal than The Environmental Movement. It should be harder to get the Union's behind you than the gun owners if you're a republican. Adds saying Ulysses S. Grant is weak on the war should have less effect than adds saying George Bush is pro outsourcing. Overall, a fun game for a little while, but gets boring and repetetive in the long run.
