Jianyang Tan writes:
"I'm not one for politics, but here's a game that totally drew me in. Oval Office is a game of political simulation, which works well to be both educational and fun at the same time. You play the role of a newly-elected President of the United States, and you're required to address the issues at hand, fulfill promises and do well at the polls. It's an excellent example of how games meant for education should work. You see, too many of such have fallen into the trap of simply being a textbook pasted over a pre-existing arcade game in the hopes that it'll teach well.
Oval office might have a very steep learning curve as the game is actually quite complicated to begin with. I'm just being honest - this game doesn't come in bite-sized pieces. But that's a thing to expect when it comes to most comprehensive simulation titles. After all, even your very first game is meant to be a holistic experience in itself. That's really not a bad thing. A game as incredible as this has every right to place the onus on the players to learn it right."
Pros:
• Comprehensive, detailed political simulation
• Educational in both concept and the text provided
• Incredibly fun if you can overcome the learning hurdle
Cons:
• Very steep learning curve
• A cut-down version of Democracy 2
The short take: Billed as a casual game, Oval Office is anything but. Regardless, it's still a welcome diversion, and one potentially packed with weeks of excitement. The title plays to a very specific audience though, and makes few sacrifices for sake of the neophyte. Provided you feel you fall into this particular niche, or just want to prove you really can give Bush a run for the money, however, it's definitely worth the cost of a small campaign contribution.
