''CyberJudas'' is a presidential simulation video game for

MS-DOS MS-DOS ( ; acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System, also known as Microsoft DOS) is an operating system for x86-based personal computers mostly developed by Microsoft. Collectively, MS-DOS, its rebranding as IBM PC DOS, and a few op ...

-compatible computers, and is the sequel to '' Shadow President''. ''CyberJudas'' contains many of the same

cyberpunk Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting said to focus on a combination of "low-life and high tech". It features futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and cyberwa ...

/dark

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

elements of the original game, but adds themes of

espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information ( intelligence). A person who commits espionage on a mission-specific contract is called an ...

and

treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state (polity), state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to Coup d'état, overthrow its government, spy ...

Gameplay

The player takes the role of the

President of the United States of America The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

, and must handle an ongoing timeline of world events by making political decisions and engaging in diplomatic, economic and military interactions with other computer-controlled states. The player is attended by a cabinet of computer-controlled advisors, each with their own area of responsibility, who will offer advice on actions to be taken. The game features three modes of play. In the Presidential Simulator, the only goal is to remain in power by maintaining sufficient popularity to avoid

electoral An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operated s ...

defeat,

impeachment Impeachment is a process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In Eur ...

assassination Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...

. If popularity is maintained, the player's term as president can continue beyond the US' real-life limit of two terms, however terms must be consecutive: being voted out ends the game. In the Presidential Simulator, the player's cabinet work in the player's interest and deliver relatively unbiased advice. The second mode is Cabinet Wars, in which each member of the player's cabinet has their own political perspective and agenda, and will attempt to manipulate the player's decisions for their own ends. The final mode, and the source of the game's title, is the CyberJudas Gambit. In this mode, one member of the cabinet is an outright traitor, working directly against the player and the US. In this mode, the 'CyberJudas' will attempt to create catastrophic situations for which the player will be blamed. As well as successfully managing the day-to-day concerns of the US, the player in this mode must also identify and defeat the CyberJudas.

Reception

Tasos Kaiafas of ''

Computer Game Review ''Computer Game Review'' was a print monthly magazine covering both computer gaming and video gaming. The magazine was started in 1991. Also known as ''Computer Game Review and 16-Bit Entertainment'', and then later as ''Computer Game Review and ...

'' opined, "''CyberJudas'' does show its age, which may have a dual effect." He found it technically dated, but argued that its gameplay attains "a level that transcends today's viscerally oriented 3-D worlds."

References

External links

CyberJudas
at

Home of the Underdogs Home of the Underdogs (often called HotU) is an abandonware archive founded by Sarinee Achavanuntakul, in October 1998. Before shutting down the original version in 2009, the site provided reviews for over 5,300 games and offered downloads of so ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:CyberJudas 1996 video games Cyberpunk video games D. C. True games DOS games DOS-only games Government simulation video games Merit Studios games Single-player video games Video game sequels Video games developed in the United States Video games set in the 1990s