Tropico 4 Review

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to run your very own banana republic? While it is pretty easy to rig elections, eliminate government protesters and line your own pocket with the help of a Swiss bank account, it is a lot more difficult to avoid assassination. Thus is the story of Tropico 4, a city/nation building simulation game where you play as El Presidente, the leader of a society where the president is above the law.

While this is the fourth game in the series, I have never had the fortune of playing a Tropico game before. Thankfully a very useful tutorial guides you through everything that you need to know and advisors will give you hints in regular missions even after you complete the tutorial. After all, this is a mission-based game, even if it is as simple as building a certain building, attracting a certain number of tourists or hiring various ministers.

The coolest part of the game, of course, is the ability to make your own city. This is basically a stripped down Sim City, except instead of using zoning, you get to actually place whatever building that you want. These vary from government buildings such as schools to entertainment facilities and hotels. Those are not the only needs that your city has, though. Economics and politics play a large part in Tropico 4.

As an island nation, you will have to take into consideration the overall economy. This includes international trade where you can impose embargoes on various goods or sign deals to export your own goods to foreign countries such as the U.S. and the Soviet Union. You have to be careful in this game since pissing off either super power could mean that they will invade your island. The “minor players” in the game include Europe, the Middle East and China, who do not have the ability to invade you.

Politically you may rule the island with an iron fist, but you can also be a generous and fair leader. While it is possible to rig elections, this draws the ire of political opponents and makes it more likely that you will be the target of a coup. I personally would rather win an election legitimately. Not only is it the right thing to do, it is also the easier way to stay in power. If you do not have the political support to remain in power by the ballot, you might not have the political support to stay in power period.

Unexpected events like earthquakes can take place, catching you off guard. The international community often responds to these events with money and offers of assistance. I thought it was pretty funny when China offered to rescue trapped miners with a drill that they offered, but it was cheaply made and caused another earthquake. You don’t have to accept another nation’s assistance, but your decisions do often have unintended consequences.

Other disasters also take place, including tornadoes and tsunamis. Man-made events like an oil tanker crashing add a very real-world twist to the game. Tourism is dependent on pristine waters and a lack of pollution. It’s obviously important to minimize damage from events like an oil spill and to have pollution controls on industry that are on the island.

I found Tropico 4 to be a comically pleasing city-builder/economic/geo-political simulator. The graphics are quite good even though most computers will be able to support it on its basic settings. An Xbox 360 version of the game is available, but I highly recommend the PC one. These types of games are meant for a mouse and keyboard, not an analog stick. Overall, Tropico 4 is a solid buy at a discounted price. Whether you rule your island like a tyrant or like a benevolent president, Tropico 4 is sure to be a pleasing experience.