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The Political Machine 2008 Review for PC

The Political Machine 2008 Review for PC

A Cog in the Machine

It’s been a long and winding road leading up to the 2008 presidential campaign thus far. Though the end is in sight, the coming months should bring plenty of surprises, opposing points of views, and all-out political slug-fests, as the campaign season builds to a chaotic crescendo. The nation finally has two clearly delineated presidential candidates to rally behind for Election Day on November 4, 2008, and the serious rhetoric is growing so thick it’s almost physically tangible. As the politicking reaches a fevered pitch, it’s a great time to inject some humor and lightheartedness into the process. Stardock has just the ticket.

The Political Machine 2008 screenshot

During the 2004 Presidential Election, Stardock released The Political Machine; a cartoonish strategy PC game that simultaneously poked fun at the idiosyncrasies of the election process while providing players with a solid and humorous campaign simulator. The release of The Political Machine 2008 seems appropriate and well-timed. The game offers a few updates to the original and give new players and would-be political aficionados the chance to toy around with the outcomes of the election – even if it’s only in the virtual sense. There may not be quite enough new content to justify another purchase for those who picked up the first title, but for $20, newcomers will find ample amusement in being the mastermind behind the inner workings of a candidate of their own choosing.

If you’ve ever secretly fantasized about getting behind the steering wheel of your own campaign, then The Political Machine 2008 is your chance to do some damage. After picking from a slew of potential presidential candidates – include those past and present – you’ll have 41 weeks to influence voters in all 50 states, capture battleground territories, and maximize your hold over the Electoral College. This is primarily accomplished by jetting around the country to deliver crucial speeches to influence public opinion, constructing campaign headquarters and other key political outposts, launching advertising campaigns, holding grip-and-grin fundraisers, winning national endorsement from special interest groups, conducting television interviews, hiring spin-doctors to generate positive press and smear tacticians to sully you’re opponent’s image, and myriad other strategies at your disposal.

The Political Machine 2008 screenshot

Like a board game, the political race plays out in turns, though both candidates take action simultaneously. Each week, your candidate’s stamina and the level of funds available to them will determine what he or she can accomplish. By keeping a close eye on the data spread across various menus for individual states and the overall nation, you can somewhat determine how your campaign decisions are impacting the overall election and make decisions on where to focus your efforts. Also, charts showing anticipated and actual voter response to your public speeches make it easier to lay out your platform in a way that doesn’t alienate your constituents while attempting to make headway with undecided voters. You can adjust your position on any particular issue at any time – waffling is something politicians do best. Humorous media reports pop up at the end of each week and intermittently throughout the campaign. At the end of the election, the winner of each state is announced one-by-one as the electoral votes tally and a final winner is declared.

The Political Machine 2008 screenshot

Four main campaign scenarios are available. Each is quite unique in both its setting and the issues at hand to be debated. The 2008 Campaign, set in present-day USA, features issues of current concern including global warming, our failing economy, energy conservation, and the War in Iraq, among other hot-button topics. The Race of 1860 plunges your candidate in the midst of an embroiled conflict between Northern and Southern states.

The Political Machine 2008 screenshot

The Nation of Europa is a rather goofy interpretation of European politics where two-day work weeks, whether you’re pro or anti-chocolate, and giving money to the homeless are among the hotly contested items of debate. Even stranger, The Emperor of Drengi is an intergalactic election where you’ll be building your campaign around such measures as galactic conquest, slave pit reformation, and terror star development. Each can be played in Campaign Mode, which pits your candidate against various opponents in a series of elections or Quick Play, which offers scenarios that can be adjusted and customized.

One of the more noticeable changes from the 2004 edition is the game’s slightly newer graphics. The cartoonish character renderings have been replaced with creepy bobble head candidates and the map itself has an updated 3D look. Menus and other interface elements have also been updated slightly, but much of the foundation in The Political Machine 2008 is about the same as its predecessor. The feelings of déjà vu will be hard to stave off for players who enjoyed the first game, but the newest version does have merit.

Part of what makes the game so enjoyable (aside from being able to flick the bobbling heads of presidential candidates) is the flexibility to create completely off-the-wall combinations. For example, despite a massive campaign fueled by mud-slinging, fake smiles, and smear politics my Bill and Hillary Clinton ticket failed miserably. They were unable to both sway the popular vote and amass enough electoral votes to take down the tag-team duo of Ulysses S. Grant and Rudy Giuliani in the Campaign Mode on the first go-around. If you’re down for some present-day realism, the Barack Obama versus John McCain simulation is an interesting exercise, but the real fun comes from concocting your own presidential races. Additionally, the game’s built-in character editor lets you construct your own candidate from scratch – complete with robotic limbs, goofy props, cool sunglasses or other oddities of your own choosing.

As silly and entertaining as it is, The Political Machine will not appeal to all players. There’s definitely a learning curve, particularly for those who are unfamiliar with the election processes. Also, the board game-style gameplay is excellent for medium length sessions, but the game’s repetitive nature and the closeness to the first title makes for limited appeal the second time around. Whether you have a passing interest in politics or are hardcore about your choice of candidate, The Political Machine 2008 is highly enjoyable regardless of your political leanings. Folks whose interest piques upon hearing the words “political simulator” and missed the original would do well to give the 2008 edition a shot.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 3.8 Graphics
The bobble head candidates are a gas. 4.0 Control
Simple mouse controls and easy to navigate menus. 3.5 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
A mixture of fun sound effects, presidential sounding music, and laid back jazz. 3.7 Play Value
Just the right length for some humorous political espionage, but it is mildly repetitive over the long term. 3.8 Overall Rating – Good
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • Get behind the helm of the 2008 presidential campaign.
  • Play as the campaign manager for a host of candidates including Barack Obama, John McCain, Hillary Clinton, historical candidates, or design one from scratch.
  • Choose your campaign battlegrounds and head out on the campaign trail to face a host of challenges including fundraising, talk show appearances, hiring spin-doctors, and winning endorsements.
  • The game is won on Election Day by the player who gets the necessary electoral votes to become President.

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