Masters of the World - Geopolitical Simulator 3 Reviews

Masters of the world - An amazing concept, if only the final product was as good. One of the few political simulators on the market; MOTW:GPS definitely has potential - but a lot more work needs to be done. Especially considering the dev team are asking for £39.99 to own a copy. This is much a message to the dev team as it is a review. If you truly love political sims you could look past the graphical glitches, or the horrifying voice acting and enjoy what this game has to offer. But if you expect something seamless and polished along the lines of the Tropico franchise - you'll be in for a shock.

Pretty terrible. Besides basic graphical elements missing like mouse scrolling of the map, the economic modeling/decision making is aweful. Interest rates and trade contracts? Really? That's essentially it? Sure it's fun to buy essetentially useless tanks and power plants for a decade while you watch your economy/budget freefall every time. Even the IMF is unrealistic--as Turkey they forgave me 300m in debt just because I was running a budget surplus. Their message was basically here's your reward for balancing your budget...what? The IMF in reality will only forgive debt they know they're never get back anyway. If you can pay, they'll take every bit they can get. Lastly, political instability is a joke. Playing as several African nations in sequence, I was overthrown by the healthcare syndicate (WTF?!?,) forced out of office while I had 100% popularity, had two military coups, and was conquered by Ethliopia (granted playing a Somolia) ALL WITHIN THE FOR 30 DAYS OF GAMEPLAY!!! Well, wasted $50 here writing this only so others can avoid the same thing. Go buy a Paradox Interactive game for a lower price and get a polished, fun game...and not have a bunch of doctors run you out of office when you have all the guns...

Ok, first things first, this game is fun. Since political simulation games are a rare species, and this is one of the few of them, I normaly would recommend it to everyone who likes this type of games. You really have to work to have your plans work out, no matter if it's economic grow, demographics or military expansion. Especially the latter is hard to achieve, since you have to fight bad publicity both internationaly and intern. The gameplay is very deep and it's very challenging to achieve your goals. The graphics are decent. Not good, not bad, but still enough for this type of game. As for sound, that's ok too. I dunno if it's a bug, but I hear the music of other games while playing this one (Distant Worlds). The only reason why I don't recommend it is the simple fact that it has DRM. So you're not only limited to buy it on Steam here, but also have limited activations and... hell, I just hate DRM. Way to go, thank you Eversim. Unfortunatly I haven't read it, else I wouldn't have thought about buying it. So, summerized: Decent Game, a little buggy, but fun. I'll give it a 7/10, because I like the genre and since this game is a rare specimen... and subtract 7 points for the DRM. That's 0/10 for you, until the DRM is patched out. As soon as that is done, I'll make a recommention.

[h1]Short review[/h1] "Masters of the World" is a complex and thought-provoking game that undoubtedly caters to the strategic minds of players who revel in the intricacies of global politics and economics. As someone who thoroughly enjoys simulations and simulations-based experiences, I found this game to be a captivating endeavor, offering a unique opportunity to immerse myself in the world of geopolitics. However, this game is plagued by bugs and I can't recommend it right now considering it's price and the bugs. The idea behind this game is great but the execution just doesn't follow. It's a shame... [h1]Long review[/h1] In Masters of the World, just like in its predecessors, the player's goal is simple: to control a nation at will. Presented with a wargame-styled map (slightly more beautiful and detailed than in the past), the player can legislate as they see fit, choosing, for example, to tax financial transactions, deforestation, or even pets. This allows funding for various projects related to research, education, sports training, construction, and more. As was the case in the past, the possibilities are immense, and the player can embody the president they desire, even going as far as arranging meetings with terrorists to achieve their goals, selling weapons on the black market, arresting members of other parties or troublesome organizations, exiting the European Union, privatizing the media, shutting down nuclear power plants, launching a space exploration program, legalizing same-sex marriage, and so on. In short, almost everything that is possible in reality is possible in the game. However, be aware that while it's possible to propose laws, not all of them come to fruition. The Assembly cannot be easily bypassed, and many projects fall through. Nevertheless, this third installment brings some new features to make things easier: now it's possible to group reforms into a single law that will be voted on as a whole, or to resort to a referendum that, coupled with a televised speech, can change the game. In general, this installment is quite generous with novelties, starting with sliders that modify the terrorist threat, the likelihood of natural disasters and wars, as well as the people's reactions. Additionally, the game introduces credit rating agencies that influence interest rates on loans and, therefore, impact debt, new constructions such as pipelines between countries, civil airports, and more. There are also new scenarios like the third world war, a war between Israel and Iran, a few additional playable countries, elite commandos capable of discreetly striking, a research tree, and the ability to control multiple states simultaneously. The game's attention to detail is commendable, with various regions accurately reflecting their real-world counterparts in terms of cultural, economic, and political factors. As you take the helm of your chosen nation, you'll find yourself challenged to navigate through nuanced decision-making processes, weighing the consequences of each action carefully. This level of intricacy keeps the experience fresh, as every playthrough feels distinct based on your chosen path. Nonetheless, while the depth and complexity of "Masters of the World" are its strongest selling points, it may also act as a double-edged sword for some players. Newcomers to geopolitics simulations might find the learning curve quite steep, with a plethora of information to digest and an overwhelming amount of options to choose from. Some may be deterred by the amount of time and effort required to fully grasp the mechanics and enjoy the game to its fullest potential. Another minor drawback lies in the game's user interface, which could be more intuitive and streamlined. The abundance of information on the screen can sometimes feel cluttered and lead to a slightly disorienting experience. However, with patience and perseverance, players can eventually become more comfortable with the interface and appreciate the depth it offers. The main problems with this game are the bugs... I found too many bugs during my playthrough. Going from freezes to crashes to some countries getting weird things like a lot of growth coming from nowhere. It's a shame really, the idea behind this game is amazing. In conclusion, I can't recommend this game while it still is the buggy mess it is right now. I doubt they will fix these issues because it's sequel is out and it is also buggy...

I highly recommend this game for anyone who is a political geek. The game is extremely in-depth. It goes from well-known laws like freedom of speech/demonstration/religion to tiny aspects you'd never see in a geopolitical simulator; blood toxicity level, driving age, maximum age for school, and speed limits on trunk roads, city roads, and highways. It also has a very realistic atmosphere to it. Setting aside the fact the map and characters look like 90s era games, it gives the game a feel no other geopolitical simulator has given me; realism. It goes from setting meetings with political figures and world leaders, to having small talk and influencing well-known figures in your country to vote for you or support your bill publicly. When a law doesn't pass through, a reform can be made. Adding laws into this reform that is bipartisan will increase the chances of it being passed. More features include asking nations for authorization to build a pipeline through their territory, building pipelines for oil or gas, detailed trade agreements that allow you to set the price, quantity, and duration of the agreement (Example: Russia's Natural Gas Agreement with China that will last for 20 years), the game also allows the construction of various buildings or transportations like oil and gas pipelines, high-speed trains, nuclear power plants, oil rigs, gas and oil fields, and even increasing the number of hospitals, homes, schools, or solar fields. The game also has a very complicated economic system. I have been having trouble with it, but I did have some success as Jordan earlier. Continuing on, the game is very recent. It isn't like SuperPower 2 where it was created just before the NATO expansion or the break-up of Serbia and Montenegro, but it was released in 2013, meaning it has the world's youngest country, South Sudan. The game features terrorist groups in every country, ranging from the Mafia to Total Jihad groups (Al-Quaeda). You have the options to infiltrate the groups if they live in your territory, to funding them with weapons, money, and 2 semi-trucks with rockets and explosives if they are in other countries to help them take down that country's government. But if you do this, you have the chance to be caught red-handed. And this will transfer into the news, and Parliment will impeach you. I suffered that while playing as Russia and funding New Zealand terrorists. The game offers so much detail to their options, like adding more medical staff and adding more police staff. You can also investigate politicians and well-known citizens to reveal a scandal to use against them, to spying on heads-of-state or countries to find evidence that will gain the approval of the United Nations Security Council and allow military action against the country. Which brings me to the Organizations of the game. The game has made Organizations possible, which bring various or all world organizations into the game including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, European Union, and North American Free Trade Agreement. It then gives you the option to create your own Organization, allowing an Economic Market (NAFTA), Producing Countries (OPEC), Monetary Union (EU), and Political-Military Organization (NATO). This then allows you to choose members states, the budget, the voting system, the secretary general's holding of the seat, and who the secretary general is. You can then meet to set the prices of the product, make changes, etc. Like with OPEC, you can propose to change the average oil price. You can also launch reelection campaigns, even visiting the Olympics, military barracks, and universities. Instead of a SuperPower 2 style diplomatic relations, there are two types of relations. First is economic. Just because the country does not favor you does not affect trade relations. Second is military, allowing certian permissions like allowing air, ground, and naval bases in your/their country while considering the amount, allowing you to edit this at any time via meetings with head-of-state. Diplomatic relations come with various things, like managing embassies, allowing nationals to enter or leave, and forcing ethnic Israeli's living in Lebanon to return. Lastly, the game makes it perfectly with this. As all military and geopolitical games have, the feature nuclear weapons. Naturally, this game has them. But for the first time, you need to go through politics when proceeding with a nuclear attack. First, you must authorize the use of nuclear weapons. Second, you must make a meeting with the Chief of the Army. Third, you must ask him to authorize the use of nuclear weapons. Forth, you must ask him for the code for the nuclear weapons. And the game never remembers it, You actually need to write it down. Lastly, enter your code when firing nuclear missiles. But in this game, it features something never seen in any game I have played - Chemical and bacteriological weapons. You can actually use the weapons hated internationally. Though it is almost difficult to use them, you need to have a high standing with the chief of the army. Authorize the use of chemical and bacteriological weapons, ask him to authorize their use, and if he allows it, you can freely launch chemical attacks against anyone. Beware - Using nuclear, chemical, and bacteriological weapons are EXTREMELY frowned upon domestically and internationally. If used, you will be thrown out of office, and if not that, the UNSC will send a resolution to authorize military intervention. Overall, the game is very fun. So far, I have not run into any major bugs like crashes or gameplay interventions. Only bug I have notices was on the Newspaper where it was supposed to say the President of Russia's name, but showed random lettering or coding. I rate it 8/10. If you love geo-political games and have major interests in politics, this game is perfect. Besides the 90s looking interface, no game has ever gone so in-depth. Many offical reviews say the same.

Game concept is great. Game execution not great. Anything more than $5-10 Game price: Not worth it. Now that I won it, I'll keep playing it, but it is really not as polished as it should be. I bought the add-ons. Examples: South Korea has a Vietnamese city called Saigon. US outstanding Debt is about half that of Germany. In reality US is about 17 trillion to Germany's 5-600 billion. The AI for war/conflicts is horrendously bad. Never leave the direction fo your troops to your general. Even when a country no longer exists your AI thinks the conflict is continuing. If a NATO member is attacked (i.e. Russian invasion of Poland), NATO doesn't mobilize. The number of interactions capable with leaders/advisors is extremely limited. Again, this is a great concept for a game. If it was polished and had more features I would rate it 4.5 out of 5 or higher. As it is right now it is like a 1.5 out of 5. The concept keeps you engaged, the gameplay doesn't. STRONGLY suggest you don't buy.

This is my review of the game after being first scared off and close to not trying it. I enjoy it alot. This is a Marvellous game for those people who are interested in Geopolitics, aren't looking for a quick Command and Conquer-styled game and enjoy running a simulated nation from top-down. It is important to emphasise [b]that this is more of a simulator than a game[/b]. People who enjoyed Superpower 2 or are interested in a geo-political simulator will enjoy this game, but the game has a steep learning curve, and having an education helps. [u]Overview[/u] Masters of the World - Geopolitical Simulator 3 [i]is a simulator first and foremost[/i]. Whilst the simulator can be a game of tactics, it is much more than that. In this game, knowledge of the world and how government's run will help you understand how this simulator works. In the simulator you can play as any country in the world and run its affairs. The game has the nations as of 2013 and 2014, and the governments that run them with comical mimicks of the real-life leaders. Once you enter the simulator, you will have to face that country's problems head-on. The game has 5 major areas: Politics, Economy, Military, Diplomacy and Trade. Each part is interesting and has different challenges and positives. You really need to balance each of them as each strain is interlinked with the other. [u]Positives[/u] There are heaps of positives in this game that make me enjoy it, but here are my favourite 3: - [i]Depth of the simulator[/i]. The developers really made this so you have to think about the simular from an educated perspective. The simulator has 5 major areas has alot of you to go through, lots of details and statistics. For example, in the Economy you have to manage taxation, debts, budgets, and trade in order to make a better economy. Each of these are in even more depth, from tax on alcohol to organising trade contracts with different countries for profit, and to the economy split into Industry, Services, Agriculture, etc so as to represent your country's production. This is replicated in the areas of Politics, Military and Trade, but not really in the diplomacy field. You change these statisics by the actions you take. - [i]Simulated world events.[/i] The news really gives you an overview of what is happening in the world. The simulator simulates the status of the world's economy, politics and wars and this is always interesting in my opinion. I find even protests within country's I control represent to me issues that the nation faces (welfare dependency, police numbers, etc). This is a very interesting dynamic to the game. - [i]Cause and effect.[/i] Everything has cause and effect. For example, raising taxes makes more money but affects your popularity, the purchase power of your people, unemployment and other factors. Going to war can allow you to colonise, annex or integrate a country, but costs heaps of money (transporting soldiers, or sailing navies in reality isn't cheap!) and relies on positive public opinion. There is much more, but those are my favourite three. [u]Negatives[/u] There is quite a few downsides to the game that need improvement. There has been alot of criticism for Double DRM in this game, but I never had any problems with it (as I can play it offline and no issues c/f Ubisoft games). Double DRM exists in heaps of games, where Steam protects the game from copying but the game producers also try to have it. This issue is a wide-ranging issue but I haven't had any issues with it. The other widely-criticised issue is only being allowed to install the game so many times. This isn't too much of an issue if you don't delete your games, and has been around for ages. If you have any problems, its been said that you just have to contact the company for remedy. To be honest, much of the criticism of the game Re DRM and other hasn't been an issue at all for me. In terms of gameplay, here are the worst bits: - [i]Learning Curve[/i].One of the hardest things for people in this game is the learning curve. My first 7 games were tragedies, I was either assassinated, kicked out of government or fled overseas because my people hated me. This, if you read the other reviews, is why others have then rated this game badly. Just because you might play a few games and fail doesn't mean its unplayable, it means you need to understand things better. But this difficulty, while a reflection of the reality of making difficult policy decisions, is also something that may scare some people off who just want a quick game. - [i]Conflicts[/i]. Unlike other games, there are conflicts that erupt all the time across the globe. 90% of these conflicts are just skirmishes (North Korea bombing a South Korean island, city, etc) that doesn't erupt into a bigger war and stops at the skirmish. The other 10% is a major war, which results in either the colonisation/annexation/integration of another region, or a ceasefire. For example: I was in a big war besides USA, France, Mexico and Brazil v Venezuela. Venezuela blew up a US Nuclear Reactor on US islands in the Mediterranean. After much military manouvering and many failed US landings, 5 months later a ceasefire was signed. This part of the game is 50/50. While it produces alot of fun to watch/be part of a war and brings a combat dynamic into the game most of the time, it can be quite tricky and doesn't really correctly simulate how often conflicts erupt. - [i]Broadcasts[/i]. The game could do without it, but it adds a comical feature to the game. Events allow your leader or others to give you briefings, tell you about events, United Nations speeches, etc. This is fun to listen to your advisors/other world leaders, but can be a bit repetative. You can turn this off though. - [i]UI[/i]. The Game's UI isn't very good. It is manageable, but because the game has alot of depth it can be difficult to easily switch from normal view to military view, to zoom in and to get the information you want on your screen quickly. It just takes a little more time and hence patience in my experience. [u]Conclusion[/u] For a game made by indie developers, this is a great game. It is not made by a major developer, these guys have a small team but bring quite a big simulator that is overall enjoyable. Sure it isn't Europa Universalis 4, but it is a geo-politica simulator that does what in my opinion, is a good simulation. The geo-political simulator that is alot of fun,and very interesting It is especially enjoyable if you know your stuff (such as the Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008, what made the Global Financial Crisis happen, what a tax actually is, etc etc). Definitely, coming from a university background, this game makes alot of sense and allows me to enjoy a global simulation where I can be any country. This game is more for the grand strategy gamer with some intellect, rather than the "where is my artillery and explosion" gamer. I came to this game very skeptical, and was close not to buying it. I read the negative Steam reviews and thought, well, why should I try it if its -so- bad? I contacted the developers and told them that I'm uncertain about the game. I decided to buy it and haven't regretted it as someone who is interested in geo-political issues and likes grand strategy games. As one of the original purchasers of Superpower 2, this game reflects the fun I had in that game. Furthermore, success in this game is in the eye of the beholder. One of my most successful games was playing as Australia, where I was able to make a budget surplus, and start to pay off my debt. With surplus I built stadiums, theatres, airports, and a larger army that I used to take over different Pacific islands and colonise them. Overall, I would give this game 8/10. Contact me if you have any questions :) It isn't the best game out there, but in a limited market for these types of games its good.

This game has several game breaking bugs that can just stop you from playing a game, forcing you to start again. For example I was kicked out of my country for having a defecit, when i was still shown as having surplus, my income was more than my expense, yet I was kicked out. Several other people have similar problems. The devs seem not to care about their fanbase at all. Price is too high for the quality of the game, and the price was not dropped in time like most other games. If you have 50 dollars to throw around, I would buy this game, as it is still the best domestic and internatiol political simulator out there, but dont expect to get too much out of it.

The game is awesome, probably the best strategy game i've ever played. One of the probles on the game are the bugs, for exemple: When the high speed train arrives in 46,000 km, when i'm going to cunstruct more, the game crashes, or when the game arrives in 23:00 p.m the game crashes too. I lost 2 in 2023 and 2025. Another problem is the lack of updates, we are already in June and there isn't any update, to fix any bug that is since 2013. I woud recommend the game to my friends if doesn't had so many bugs that spoils the game.

Considering this game was released March 2013 I dont see how they can justify the price of £39.99, despite the updates this game has recived (even though they were quite spaced out), there are still many flaws and odd bugs that will crop up during gameplay. If your into political / management games then its quite fun but dont even think about attacking anyone as your country will automatically hate you and you will lose the game. The game still feels unpolished and slow especially when having played a country for 3+ years and as I said odd bugs will creep up like France having 99% of the worlds GDP? This game does have it charms, I like playing as Equatorial New Guinea and trying to claim Africa but the games forces me to stop and start from scratch, It is fun when its working properly but those moments come rarely. Wait for this to come cheaper, 75% off before you buy then try it. Otherwise just give it a miss, which is a real shame as I love these kinds of games. I got my fingers crossed for Supreme Ruler 1936 to be nice and polished for release this spring.