I love "The Office." I love the British version, I love the American version, I love "The Office" pencils and pens my friend bought me from Target as a Christmas present. I don't, however, love "The Office" video game. I knew the premise before I bought it but that did not deter me from having more "Office" merchandise. I should have followed my intuition.
The premise of "The Office" game for your PC is basically this: Diner Dash meets Dwight Schrute. While Dwight Shrute, great-great grandson of Dwide Shrude, is hilarious to watch on television, I doubt it would be as hilarious if you had to go to work with him every day. That is what this game is like: work.
The game has the Diner Dash logistics, only with office products. There are a bunch of people sitting around who need folders. After you bring the different folders to the people, they then need various things like copies or files from the file cabinet. You know what to get them by looking at little bubbles with pictures of what they need over their heads. Underneath their desks are different numbers of boxes, varying on the length of their project. You, as Jim, basically run around getting this stuff for them, as you compete against different Dunder-Mifflin employees, like Ryan and Andy. There are bonuses along the way. Pam sits at the reception desk, and as time goes by, a prank meter fills, which after detonating, your opponent is side tracked into some hi-jinx by Michael or Dwight. There is a vending machine which you can give to an employee to overturn a task that your opponent completed to a task that you get credit for. There is also a coffee machine that speeds you up just long enough to be annoying when you're not fast anymore.
As the levels pass, more employees from the show get unlocked, like Kevin and Kelly. Even Karen. As each level begins, you get to choose employees to do projects for. Each employee has a different bonus, like extra points, or an extra prank. That can be a major help.
From time to time, Jan will visit, and all game play stops. There is a little mini-game where you have to get the office supply Jan needs in a determined amount of time for extra points.
"The Office" characters are all bobble-heads, which, if you're a fan, you understand the significance of. If you're not a fan, rent Season 2, Valentine's Day episode. There are little rewards for when you achieve certain milestones, like completing all of level one. You have a desk that reveals more inside jokes from the show, like Dwight's stapler in jello, after achieving these things.
I just can't get into this game. I mean, even though it is like Diner Dash, which I adore, it has the dull monotony of going to work at a job that you really don't like. It does not transcend the endless drone of your life grinding away slowly in some dead end company that is becoming obsolete. It's much more fun to watch the show, and sympathize in that way, not play a video game that feels like punching in at a time clock every time you sit down to play. Gamer...save your money.
