A follow up to last year’s Geo-Political Simulator, Commander in Chief is the second title from developer Eversim to put you in control of one of the most powerful people in the world. This entry, however, hopes to evoke the imagery and role of President of the United States. Unfortunately, it is still a disappointment, with an unintuitive interface that is very difficult to navigate, and a gameplay system that doesn’t make a whole lot of logical sense. Even if you are looking for an opportunity to try your hand at the presidency, you’re better off skipping this one.

In general terms, Commander in Chief allows you to become the head of state for any nation in the world. Through the use of various spreadsheets and charts, the game allows you to check on your own country, as well as adjust its relationship with other countries throughout the world. You’ll perform a ton of different tasks in order to turn your nation into a true superpower, including balancing your country’s budget, trade agreements with other countries, control your country’s military might, and any number of domestic elements of your nation. There are many factors that you’ll need to contend with while running your country, and it can be quite daunting to say the least.

For newcomers or even established fans of the political simulation genre, Commander in Chief is an unintuitive experience. The interface is very cluttered and clunky, and trying to flip through a variety of screens for each of the many facets of your nation can be frustrating and confusing.

Another problem with the game is the illogical nature of the gameplay. The game’s campaign doesn’t really utilize the nuances and differences of the real world nations when putting them into practice for the game’s world, including the system of checks and balances in place in the US (an exceptionally glaring omission considering the focus on US government). From a military standpoint, the creation and stockpiling of nuclear arms has to be done in secret, which is an odd blanket feature to impose on all nations in the game. Couple this with poorly implemented dialogue and a general lack of polish, and you have a pretty disappointing experience.

Graphically, the game isn’t much to look at. While the game is pretty colorful compared to similar simulation titles on the market, the game’s aesthetic is mostly charts and spreadsheets. The music has a very generic feel to it and doesn’t really stand out.

All in all, Commander in Chief doesn’t only feel like a retread of last year’s Geo-Political Simulator, but also a pretty hollow attempt to cash in on the recent Presidential elections. Even if you’re a fan of this type of game, Commander in Chief is best avoided.

Gameplay: 5.0
The game’s interface is extremely cluttered and overwhelming to all but the most seasoned simulation pros, and the overall gameplay is slow and very unforgiving.

Graphics: 5.0
The game is somewhat colorful, but the countless spreadsheets and generally uninspired look will eventually become an eyesore.

Sound: 5.0
Nondescript background music that you’ll want to mute after a while.

Difficulty: Hard

Concept: 4.5
While the game gives you plenty of options for running your government, the unintuitive interface and illogical gameplay make it one.

Multiplayer: 5.0
The game has a multiplayer mode for up to 16 players, but still succumbs to the same problems online as off.

Overall: 5.0
Commander in Chief tries to give you a feeling of running a world power, but instead feels like a lame duck presidency.