Release Date: June 2008
ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+
Genre: Simulation
Pros:
- Make your own candidate
- Uses real-life personalities & issues
- Historical campaigns
Cons:
- Few changes from 2004 version
- Limited replay value
"The Political Machine 2008" Features
- Run for President of the United States with 41 weeks to go to Election Day.
- Make a candidate or pick on based on a real candidate, such as Hillary Clinton, Barac Obama, John McCain, and Mitt Romney.
- Play the 2008 or a historical campaign.
- Go on tv, run newspaper ads, and give speeches.
- Choose which issues you focus on in each state.
"The Political Machine 2008" Review
"The Political Machine 2008" has you pick your candidate (or make your own) and your opponent. Some candidates are actual candidates who were running for President. Others are well-known politicians such as Bill Clinton. There names you'll know. Each are given ratings based on the real person. Pick a person, an opponent, and you're off with 41 weeks to become President. No primaries required.
The next 41 weeks are yours to as as you wish. Endorsements need to be won, fundraisers, television interviews, radio shows, newspaper ads, commercials, leaking rumors and of course, speeches are all possibilities. The issues candidates can run on (you can focus on different issues in each state) are timely, yet not too much different from the 2004 version. The war in Iraq, social security, gun control, immigration, etc, are all mentioned. Control is given for the type of ads the campaign develops and your responses on talk shows.
"The Political Machine 2008" does well giving statistics on each state and knowing where the majority stands on important issues for the current times and past elections. Historical elections is the strong suit for the sim. A couple through with the current candidates and you'll find not much changes from game to game. The real reason to purchase "The Political Machine 2008" would be for the challenge and history lessons that come with playing past elections. Other than that the gameplay is stale and doesn't make want to rush back to my computer for another gaming session.
