It's not a happy meal
American Dream is another managerial style game which throws players into the real world and charges them with taking control of a business. It's not quite as serious as the likes of Transport Tycoon and sits nearer the Mad News end of the genre, but despite its best efforts, it doesn't prove itself to be anywhere near a classic. Here, the player is given half a million dollars and charged with creating an global fast food chain. You start out by choosing your location, factoring in things like rent and potential revenue, then you have to take care of all the little details that come with running a restaurant. You need to hire staff, buy ingredients, look after advertising and set prices. You also need to keep your premises in top condition, keep everything insured and make your plans for world domination. If you get successful enough, you can open further restaurants and then start delegating tasks to managers while turning your attention to new products and spying on your competitors. The whole game is presented with a distinct sense of humor that attempts to prevent it from being overly dry and boring but which doesn't actually work. The game is just far too simplistic and tedious to be enjoyable, with little in the way of challenge or lasting appeal. Once you've got the hang of things, which doesn't take long, you end up with very little to actually do, as your managers take care of everything. Although the visuals are quite nice, the poor gameplay means that this is easily skipped.
