Tropico 5 review: Building a modern island nation
El Presidente returns to the seat of power with the fifth installment of the island nation building sim, Tropico 5. We break down what El Presidente's fifth term looks like.
Times are Changing
As in previous games, the player takes the role of a leader that has to balance a dozen different tasks. The starting basics are generally the same. El Presidente has to make sure there's enough food, shelter, and entertainment available to keep the citizens happy. As the population grows, Tropico has to become an industrialized nation that trades with other countries. Then it becomes a matter of keeping foreign superpowers at bay while you build up your own might. Tropico 5 adds a new twist to the familiar formula with by dividing the game into five distinct eras. Players start as a small-time governor, serving at the pleasure of a king, until they can amass enough military might or wealth to declare independence. Further complicating matters is how you have to research the technology needed to write a Constitution within the time limit of your governorship, being careful not to do anything that might get your fired from your post. It's the kind of early game stress that's usually limited to the campaign, but it's present in sandbox mode too. So, instead of patiently watching your town grow into a nation, you have to rush to succeed. Following the Colonial era are the World Wars, the Great Depression, the Cold War, and then Modern Times. Each come with their own unique political and social challenges, but there are also numerous opportunities. You can trade with different nations around the world and set up lucrative trade routes with the world's superpowers, granted that you maintain good relations with them. This includes imports and exports. So, if you can import a low-priced commodity and resell it for profit, you could turn Tropico into a major trading port. It also introduces some interesting decision points. Will you pursue lucrative trade contracts with the Axis powers knowing which side will win the war? Or Russia during the Cold War? Or will you try to play the long game and maintain strong relations with the US? The downside to all of this is that you'll need cargo ships to maintain trade, and until you reach a specific era/technology, each of the very large and expensive docks supports only one freighter. So, your whole beach could be covered in docks, with little room for much else, to maintain a profitable trade system. Changing eras also impacts Tropico aesthetically. It's a joy to watch the island shift from one time period to the next. Although the buildings remain more-or-less unchanged until you modernize them, the citizens change clothes and the cars look different. All of it helps Tropico feel like it's an island that does change with the times. These changes are more remarkable in the campaign, where you switch between different islands to complete each chapter. Jumping back and forth between islands sets up a nice juxtaposition, because they keep all the buildings and upgrades you made during your last visit. So, revisiting an island can sometimes feel like taking a step back in time. The continuality also helps alleviate the feeling of exasperation that comes with always having to start from scratch and rebuild Tropico from the ground up for the sake of a new story chapter. Other new features include a Dynasty system. Every once in a while, you'll get a chance to recognize a new family member and bring them into the ruling class. Although you can't edit their physical characteristics outside of wardrobe, you can assign them special traits like Administrator (cheaper buildings) or Celebrity (more efficient hotels), which can be upgraded with money. Then, when election time comes around, you can switch out your candidate for one that better fits your goals for the era. Otherwise, they can be used to manage buildings or embark on diplomatic missions. The great thing about family is that they don't abandon you. Dynasty members and their upgrades are carried over from mission to mission in the campaign. Although a Dynasty is a nice thing to have, it's not quite a game changing feature. It's one that tends to fall into the background until reelection time or when the occasional diplomatic mission pops up.
Your lush island nation
Bureaucratic Breakdown
Gameplay-wise, Tropico 5 received quite a few welcome updates. You start with plantations and they take up a pre-defined amount of space, unlike the farms from the previous game that would spread out into strange patterns. Parking lots replace Garages, and they now take up a nice small sliver of space. Police Stations double as Firefighters. These might not sound like much to uninitiated players, but land space is at a premium when you're developing a small tropical island. But as with many empire building sims, the systems that keep your empire operational have a tendency to degrade over time. The Tropico series has never been an exception to this, and Tropico 5 doesn't escape it either. Unless you're very attentive, there inevitably comes a point when you realize that the apartment complex you zoned out twenty minutes ago isn't being built. Nor are the handful of other buildings queued up behind it unless you manually set them to high priority. Putting up an additional Construction Office doesn't seem to help much. At about the same time, you begin to realize that there aren't enough high school graduates around; the money you put into maintaining a factory isn't going as far anymore; the people are starving; your approval ratings start to dip; an earthquake hits, and before you know it, civil unrest becomes a full-blown rebellion. Although Tropico 5 makes a point of making it modern times, not everything about the game feels modernized. The military, for example, is still a joke even after you throw down a multitude of army bases, barracks, and guard towers, then upgrade them with the best technology available. The military can take forever to respond to a rebel uprising, even when it happens right outside a base.
The military sticks to its posts
Conclusion
Tropico 5 itself seems like it's transitioning between eras. After experiencing everything that Tropico 4 and its long list of DLC packs had to offer, the sequel can sometimes feel like a downgrade. Or, at least, the kind of game that needs DLC to get better. But despite its drawbacks, Tropico 5 still managed to pull me in and eat up whole hours without notice. I especially like the campaign and the customizable difficulty system, which lets you separately set how challenging the economy and politics are. The game definitely a lot going for it. Its new graphics and revitalize the look of the series, and some of the updated building make better use of the limited island space available. Additionally, the eras help take away the sense that Tropico is stuck in a time stasis bubble. Mid to late game empire management can get crazy, but that's nothing new. Still, it's hard to shake off the feeling that there's a lot missing, especially after putting in so many hours into the predecessor. Tropico 5 might not be everything I hoped it would be, but it definitely has the potential to be something greater. While there might be a few snags, the start of El Presidente's fifth term is looking to be a worthwhile one. Final Score: 7 out of 10.This review is based on a downloadable Steam PC code provided by the publisher. Tropico 5 will be available digitally on May 23rd and in retail stores on June 3rd for $39.99. The game is rated T.
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replySteven Wong posted a new article, Tropico 5 review: Building a modern island nation.
El Presidente returns to the seat of power with the fifth installment of the island nation building sim, Tropico 5. We break down what El Presidente's fifth term looks like.-
I love the Tropico series. I wonder how it will play on the PS4 with a controller?
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Can you comment on the multiplayer at all? It's the one feature above everything else I've been anticipating about the new game (ability to play co-operatively / competitively with friends) but very few people seem to be really talking about it in detail. How come your article didn't have anything about it?
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I've read 5 reviews for it today and not one of them had a single detail on MP outside of what has been advertised as features beforehand. I take it that there has been a shortage of people to play with, and the medias don't want to wait until there is, since the competition is centered around quick publishing and thus gaining max page hits, not quality. In general, the reviews have been short and just reeking of way too little time spent with the game to review it. I'd be willing to bet that if Tropico was a very popular franchise, it wouldn't get a treatment like this.
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Now I found this:
http://www.gamesradar.com/tropico-5-review/
It has some impressions. They thought it took away the "chill" that makes Tropico so great. I'm kind of worrying I'll agree in the end.
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If you don't review games that would score below a 5 the 7 & 8 are where most games end up. Unless you want to break the standard distribution curve to hand out 10's like candy.
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There are a lot of games out there which suck a whole lot more than even your worst AAA games, but they don't get reviewed too often. Still, there needs to be room on the scale for those games as well, or the scale isn't very logical.
Any decent reviewer will ask themselves the question "how many points is this game worth out of 10 points?" Not "have I given some score too many times in the past, maybe I should select another number..." -
Is there anything you won't complain about?
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THUNDAHDOME! YOU VS ABRASION! TWO MEN ENTAH! ONE MAN BITCH SOME MORE LATER CUZ HE GOT BLOOD ON HIS SHIRT AND THIS WEAPON WAS ALL WRONG AND THE SUN WAS IN HIS EYES AND I MEAN TINA TURNER WAS PROBABLY OVERRATED RIGHT I MEAN SHE HAD A GREAT VOICE BUT DOES PRIVATE DANCER HOLD UP I MEAN MAYBE YEAH AFTER THINKING ABOUT IT MORE SHE'S PRETTY GREAT THOSE LEGS WERE PRETTY GOOD I MEAN IF YOU LIKE LONG SHAPELY BEAUTIFUL LEGS IM MORE OF A STUBBY HOOF GUY MYSELF.
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I give this question a 7 out of 10.
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They also use the entire alphabet when writing their reviews. Ridiculous!
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