Stardock returns to the most blood-soaked arena in recent history: the American Presidential election.
Spiffy
Low price point; create-a-candidate mode; updated 3D candidate graphics; historical candidates.
Iffy
Restricted to modern American elections.
A review of The Political Machine 2008, a turn-based strategy game where players manage a presidential candidate on the campaign trail.
Stardock's 2008 PC strategy game hit, The Political Machine 2008 has been updated to include the new vice presidential candidates along with adding a host of compelling new features for users to create their own content and share with their friends. The Political Machine 2008 puts players in the role of a Presidential candidate on the campaign trail making speeches, buying ads, hiring spin doctors and consultants, raising money, and going on cable news shows. The game can be purchased at major retail outlets as well as Stardock's digital download platform, Impulse (www.impulsedriven.com) for $19.95.
The updated version of the title includes vastly enhanced multiplayer features including supporting match-making via Stardock's Impulse, allowing for better online play. It also includes features allowing players to print out bumper stickers and campaign pins from within the game: Players can create their own candidates, controlling everything about them in how they look, and then export them as an avatar for on-line use or use the new print shop to create a variety of physical media with their creations including campaign pins, bumper stickers, and more. The update adds the new vice presidential candidates, Joe Biden and Sarah Palin to be incorporated into campaigns as well.
In 2003, two hardcore PC gamers -- a freelance game journalist named Tom and a wargame expert/future brain surgeon named Bruce -- penned their first in a series of PC-gaming strategy columns for Computer Gaming World magazine and, later, Games for Windows: The Official Magazine. 1UP has collected every column and archived them on 1UP.com for future generations to study, ponder, dissect, and enjoy.
This week, Tom and Bruce will vie for the Presidency of the United States, creating themselves as candidates in Stardock's Political Machine.
