Tropico 4

Written by, Josh Cook.

Do you dream of a salt mining game? Games such as Tropico are considered niche. Most scoff at the mention of salt trading or management of wages and unemployment and the "Call of Duty" generation would refuse to even contemplate the purchase of the banana republic stimulation.

Yet here we are at the fourth Tropico, something must be working if it’s survived for 4 installment, someone must be buying it. It’s franchises like good old Tropico that prove PC gaming could never become obsolete.

So how does Tropico 4 fare compared to its predecessors? Well, for the most part it remains unchanged and for the first few hours I thought of Tropico 4 as nothing more that just a large DLC for the 3rd installment, however the current incarnation feels like every action has been refined with nothing left to want for such as the inclusion of parliaments and juntas, although there has not be much added in the way of buildings this is more than made up for with it's vast economic simulation and island management.

The main source of income is the exporting of goods by managing an island’s natural resources to both feed your Tropicans and sell to countries across the globe, with it comes the necessary massaging of the populace’s happiness either through careful attention to their needs or ruling with a iron fist with your loyal army.

The biggest success of Tropico 4 is its gradual expansion of each city, turning an hour’s play into a late-night session. The majority of game play occurs throughout its missions (which I ended up only completing a few) Set in the Cold War era. You might well expect more from Tropico 4’s story line as your small Caribbean island must court the favor of the US or the Soviet union, making friends with one will have benefits such as more profits on tobacco or salt, however this puts you at risk from other nations how dislike your allies and places your tiny island at risk for all out nuclear war.

This means a string of questions and decisions will be sent your way that include objective-based tasks, or forced events. With the latter you’re given a situation and a choice of options; in most cases the decision you make will have a negative effect on at least one faction, and in this sense toying with politics is a nice touch and adds depth to a already deep game. Tropico 4 never really manages to capitalize on this feature since politics affect little more than who you can and can’t trade with. The truth is, however, upset one faction and it’s likely you won’t even notice its effect, especially considering the ease with which favor can be gained.

 7/10