14 DAY TRIAL // 
If you don't know who Hugh Hefner is and why his name is surrounded by an aura of success and eroticism, then my advice to you is stop reading here, and make better use of your time.
And if you do know who this celebrity is and you would find a game that allows you to get into his shoes interesting, then wait till Playboy: The Mansion 2 (or however the producers will think of calling it) gets out.
Or, in case you can spare three or four hours to appreciate the 3D graphics level for reproducing siliconed (or not) models, then you will really find the game interesting.
Is it really that simple being Hefner?
In my humble opinion, the biggest problem of the game is that it lacks challenge, therefore, finality. Indeed, at the beginning of the game, young Hefner's palace only has a few rooms, his account only bears 100,000 dollars, and his business only holds a single secretary, meant to help him succeed in the complicated mission his life (or, better yet, Cyberlore's programmers) prepared for him.
Undeniably, very little... But, since Hefner is a smart guy, he'll soon realize that the media market lacks exactly that magazine that he, with his charm and social skills, is able to produce.
Thus, in the simplistic vision of the Cyberlore guys, if you have 100,000 dollars and don't know what to do with it, the first step is to set Playboy in motion.
Obviously, editing a magazine is not the easiest task in the world, so you need to hire editors and photographers to create all those articles that make us read "Playboy". If possible, you hire the best professionals available, and then all that remains to be done is give them something to write about.
The "genial" catch of the game is that you don't have to send your people to look for events, you (Hefner, future magnate of the erotic mass-media) just create them.
And then you start inviting interesting people to your parties, you convince them to appear (or pose) in your magazine, and so your editors will have what to write about, and the magazine will sell, and you use the money to make yourself a bigger home, and throw more glittering parties and have more famous guests.
The end of the game
Really, if you read this far, then you already know what there is to know about this game, and the rest is just trivia.
But what about the playmates, the beauties you bring to live with you, the fabulous funds the magazine brings you? If you really care to find out... I recommend only to those really determined to play the game to read further.
Women, glory... and furniture
There are two ways in which the game can be approached. The first is based on missions, at the end of which you're rewarded with certain "prizes", such as access to various areas of the residence (which can function as pictorial sites). The first missions can serve as tutorial as well, so if you want to really get this game, it's advisable to start from here. The second way is reserved for pros; you won't be limited in any way, and if you find it interesting to be a virtual Hefner till the end of your life, of your PC's life, or till the next add-on or version comes out, it's really OK.
If Sims is among the games you played, then you'll notice in a matter of minutes that as far as graphics and the reaction patterns of the characters go, Playboy: The Mansion could have been called Sims: Playboy Add-On, or Hugh Hefner The Sims.
Hefner has a few ways of interacting with the characters and, even if he doesn't convince them from the first shot to pose in the magazine, to give an interview or do business with him, he'll convince them on the second, third or fourth try. The secret is: don't give up!
As for the decoration of the mansion, whatever you do, only Hefner's machine gun... err, sorry, style, comes to surface. The player's tastes and preferences remain a desiderate for the second episode, the involvement of the player in the ambient appearance being quite limited.
As for sex...
... I suggest a subscription to the printed or electronic edition of the magazine. That would be money better spent. Well, yes, indeed, in-game you could... pose as the photographer and create the famous pictorials and covers of those fabulous women in the splendid settings. The problem is that, after the 20th-some photo session (even though the game models look pretty good), you'll realize that's too tedious and you'll be happy that there is an employee to do the whole job.
Especially since, no matter how good the picture is, and how naked the model, the magazine will sell equally well. It doesn't matter if you created an erotic chef-d'oeuvre or just took a picture of the model's elbow. Yeah, a good brand sells everything, doesn't it? As for the Playboy articles, all you have to do is instruct the editor on what to write about and he'll do his job. And if you have enough money to keep the luxurious residence and throw parties, you may as well stop printing the magazine (not for too long, but enough for funny situations to come up, such as the Christmas issue being a big hit in March).
Above all this, some players would be thrilled to find out that the "Have sex" command is available. The grand Hefner will convince one of the beauties at the party to spend the night/day with him (and it's not that hard to do, given its reputation), it's just that the sex scenes between the pixilated characters are enough to not make you want to try the second time. I understand the producers' embarrassment, but anyway, I think they could have done muuuch better!
And still...
The Cyberlore intention deserves to be welcomed and encouraged. In theory, everything is OK, but when it comes to putting it into practice, we have a problem. Maybe a second version will amend much of this version's angularity, since, all in all, the concept is interesting. The soundtrack is remarkable, as it can fit any musical taste.
Minimum requirements:
System: Pentium(r) III 800 or equivalent RAM: 256 MB RAM Video memory: 32 MB VRAM HDD: 1500 MB Others: Windows Media 9 Player and later
Graphics: 6 Soundtrack: 8 Gameplay: 7 Concept: 6 General impression: 7
SOFTPEDIA RATING: 6,5
