The Political Machine Critic Reviews

A political campaign would be nothing without dirty tricks, and The Political Machine gives you a whole arsenal of them.

Surprisingly more depth than there at first appears.

There's no denying that this is going to be another enduring feather in the cap of one of the most exciting strategy game developers since the heyday of Microprose and SimTex.

The game is simple to pick up and play, and simple to enjoy. The graphics are much like a cartoon, but they get the job done easily.

A fun, thinking person's game, if you have a taste for politics. Fast twitch skills are useless here. Who wouldn't want to pit Arnold Schwarzeneggar against Hilary Clinton?

It's part documentary, part board game, but totally fun.

Although The Political Machine isn't quite as fleshed out as I would have liked and dates itself by focusing heavily on the issues of 2004, it's still fun and surprisingly accessible.

Offers up a truly unique experience that is both fun and informative. Give it a try if you’re interested in fun or learning.

The game is a bit on the rough side overall, but it still has a simplistic charm and a somewhat compulsive replayability factor.

It may not be the most authentic simulation of American politics, but Political Machine does have some educational value in helping you understand the nitty-gritty of how 270 Electoral Collage votes are cobbled together.

A very well crafted game with great balance and a surprisingly large strategic depth. It offers a long enough gameplay to last well beyond the 2004 Presidential election, and because of the lack of violence and sex, it is accessible to people of all ages.

Stardock has created an easygoing, charming title with a lot of pick-up-and-play appeal. Give it a shot, and like us, you may be pleasantly surprised.

If you like politics, you will probably find this game is engrossing, if not fulfilling. It is the gaming version of snack food: it may not be good, but it is easy and you are likely to eat a lot of it when bored.

This title's humorous tone and engaging gameplay are charming, even if the game itself is a bit on the repetitive and shallow side (just like real politics!).

Where the game starts to falter is in its handling of the major issues your candidate must address during the campaign.

Makes light of politics in an entertaining way, but falls short on depth of strategy.

I just don’t see it being a game anybody would want to play more than a handful of times. It’s just too simplistic. I saw everything there was to see after one game, but I played it five times to be sure, and that was plenty.

Offers the player a startlingly accurate view of the blood, sweat, tears- and, most importantly, MONEY- that goes into running a successful campaign. However, don't expect much in the way of visuals: the graphics are minimal and your avatar is little more than a blob. The game can also get a bit repetitive, especially if you hit upon a winning formula.

It's not a matter of whether it's challenging or not--the difficulty level you select at the beginning of the game determines that--it's that, despite the juicy subject matter that Stardock could have taken and run with, there's less depth here than there is in the average puddle on Pennsylvania Avenue.

It’s more of a novelty, a third-party candidate – you’ll like some of what it has to offer, but it’s still pretty much just wasting your vote.