by Adrienne Brunner

Created on: August 16, 2008   Last Updated: August 17, 2008

Oval Office
4/5

Ever dream of running the country? Making policy changes, affecting the poor, the rich and the famous all at once? Then Oval Office, by Zero G Games is for you!

When you begin the game, there is a very comprehensive tutorial that walks you through each category to explain how the game works. Although it seems a bit long, once you start the game, you are thankful that it went into such detail.

This game begins with current situations around the country that you need to fix or change. The game screen is divided into categories and you make situational decisions on each turn. Each turn is equal to a quarter of the year, or three months.

Although there is no real animation, it is a very complex and intriguing strategy game. For anyone interested in politics, this game would be very fun and interesting. For example, you can lower and raise taxes and see how it has an effect on other areas of the country, including homelessness, poverty and your approval rating. The game basically consists of clicking on icons, graphs and charts, and then you make decisions based on what you see.

As you play the game, you find yourself wishing for just a bit more animation in the graphics department, but the sound is very patriotic and harmonious in the background. It does not overwhelm you as you play, and there are special sounds such as fireworks and cheering when you enact a policy change that pleases the people.

Oval Office is a very creative and innovative political strategy game that is unlike most games out there today. Policy changes can take up to 48 months to take effect, so it is very realistic in the time it takes to solve situations and make policies that improve the economy and other things in the country.

This is a very fun game, but unless you are very interested in politics, we definitely recommend downloading the trial version of this game before purchasing, simply because of the unique properties of this specific game. You will most likely either love or hate this game, so giving it a trial run is a good idea. This game receives a high rating of 4/5 because of the creative and innovative ideas behind this style of game. Oval Office is a must purchase for anyone who loves politics and many other gamers looking for a new style of game play.

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