The story behind Politika's creation contains perhaps more political intrigue than the Tom Clancy novel from which the game gets its name.
Given the companies behind the game, Politika would seem to have a lot going for it. With a driving story and numerous role-playing options, however, it is rather depressing to see Politika's gameplay default to standard board-game fare.
In all fairness, it seems that the designers at Red Storm made Politika simplistic to facilitate smoother Internet gameplay. Truth be told, it grows extremely tiresome when played solely against an artificial opponent, and the struggle for dominance in Russia is made more interesting when played online.
The Politika CD-ROM comes bundled with Clancy's book, and for those still refusing to embrace the information age, the text makes no bones about advertising the board game. In the end, Politika is more an exercise in successful cross-promotion than it is a lesson in exemplary strategic gameplay.
STREET CRED
Smooth in the Crud Speedpass Gas
Politics of Gaming
