I downloaded the game from TotalGaming.net. I didn't take part in the beta so this was a new experience for me.
First TIP: PRINT THE MANUAL. This game was a very different experience for me than my other strategy games. Once I got the hang of it, the game is incredibly easy to play but rich in strategic options. I made the mistake of playing the game without reading the manual and really didn't understand what I was doing.
I played one quick game as George W. Bush on the easy level. Once I started using the endorsements some the game because quite a bit easier to win for me. I don't know much on politics so I made use of the game view that shows how many electoral votes I need and then I used the strategy view to figure out which states I needed.
I LOVE THE OPERATIVES. The operatives make the game. You've got 5 of these guys you can buy who have different powers. The first one is just a consultant who beefs up your awareness in a state. Awareness is the key to victory because you only have 40 turns before the election so having more guys who can power up your awareness is good. There is also the intimidator who kills your enemy's awareness in a state. There's then the smear merchant who makes your opponents ratings tank in a state. I love this guy because as soon as he come in, you can see the state's color tint change dramatically. The spin doctor is the opposite of the smear merchant but doesn't seem quite as powerful. There is also the web master. This guy looks useless at first but he's very important because you will need to take out ads to win. I created a bunch of ads to try to win New York and then put a web master there who makes them cost only half as much to maintain. And lastly there is the fixer who kills enemy operatives.
Me and Kerry were going back and forth doing very bad things to each other. I also took out a lot of ads. I spent a lot of time trying to be the leader on the war on terror while Kerry was pushing the economy and outsourcing of jobs angle. I did end up losing my last game because I lost Florida and Ohio to Kerry. I think I could have won Florida if I had paid better attention. Kerry put in a big old Social Security TV ad in Florida early on. I just couldn't come back from that by the time I saw what was happening.
I have not had time to play the campaign mode or fantasy or multiplayer. I'll wait until I'm more set on the regular game.
Pros: The graphics are really good. A lot better than Galactic Civilizations. The game plays very smoothly. Good replay value. I really like how the operatives are done.
Cons: I want more settings. I want to be able to play to 100 weeks if I want or 20 weeks. Give me more options. I miss the metaverse. I want to submit my final score to the Metaverse! Any chance you guys can put that in? More options to set up the base costs of things.
I'm not into politics but had a ball. I bet if you even remotely like politics you'll love this.
