As polarized as political discourse in this country has grown in recent years, things could still be worse. Just look at the scenario at play in 2K Games' Shattered Union for the PC and Xbox, which is now available at retail.

　　The Shattered Union plot begins in 2008 with a virtually tied US presidential election. The man who makes it in to the White House, by virtue of a Congressional decision, goes on to polarize the nation. Public protests lead to riots, which grow in to domestic terrorism. The president then declares martial law and establishes the Homeland Security Act; a Supreme Court ruling hands the unpopular incumbent the 2012 elections; and the 2013 inauguration party is certifiably pooped by a nuclear bomb detonating in Washington, DC. With the president and most of Congress dead, the country sinks in to chaos, and Texas and California secede. European peacekeepers sent to DC become embroiled in the fiasco, and the next thing you know, seven different factions are fighting for control of the United States.

　　Shattered Union comes from the strategy game developers at PopTop Software, veterans of the Railroad Tycoon series, as well as Tropico. PopTop took cues from the turn-based, hex-based gameplay of past strategy games and added in nonlinear missions, destructible environments, and multiplayer support both online and offline.

　　Shattered Union is rated T for Teen and retails for $29.99 on the PC and for $39.99 on the Xbox. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's latest preview.