Tropico 4 Review

Speaking of Tropico 4, one cannot fail to mention the third part, which we saw two years ago. Transitioning to full 3D, the game revived a series forgotten by many and offered to experience all the hardships of life as a banana dictator. The game was a success. It was loved at least because fans of city-building simulators had almost no choice, and there was simply no other series about small states in the Caribbean. And the game itself was good. Good in terms of graphics, atmosphere, gameplay, balance...

And the developers decided to release a sequel. The most notable innovation was the side missions, which help earn money and boost the economy. The missions are given by comical characters, making the player, among other things, try to do without deforestation, suggest exporting tons of fish and building a couple of hospitals. There are many missions, and each gives either respect from a particular organization or state, or some money to the treasury. Sometimes such missions give a blueprint for a building important for development, which, however, can be bought.

You can earn money by attracting tourists to the island, building zoos and hotels, exploring ancient temples, or simply exporting products and other goods created by the honest labor of the island's inhabitants.

Among the new buildings, the most important is the ministry, without which many laws cannot be passed. Ministers can be either educated Tropicans or invited specialists from abroad. Certain laws are tied to them, most of which came from the previous part.

Visually, the game has not changed. The same island, the same residents living their lives, the same pier where a cargo ship constantly arrives. But it is played differently, and all 20 missions presented in the game are connected by a plot. Our created dictator travels between islands and solves various economic and political problems of the state. Political relations have become much more important, and now, in addition to superpowers, there are several more countries with which friendly relations can be established, but the main ones are still the USA and the USSR. They give us blueprints, transfer money, and help us stay in office as president. Elections this time are much more difficult, and you cannot win over voters only with a beautiful speech, you will have to take additional measures, such as issuing a decree on free housing or rigging the results, which can easily be uncovered.

Over time, there are more and more people, and each needs to be fed and provided with the necessary level of healthcare. At the same time, if anything, particularly dissatisfied citizens become criminals and rebels. You can slightly ease the task by declaring an amnesty to the latter, but they will return to the ranks of peaceful residents when the standard of living of the population increases. However, uprisings can also be suppressed by the army. If at least a dozen soldiers are gathered, then no antisocial elements are scary to you.

But even if the Tropicans are enjoying life and sipping cocktails with a happy face in a local bar, watching the leisurely swaying palms, near which wealthy tourists are sunbathing, troubles can fall, literally speaking, from the sky. No one has canceled tornadoes and volcanic eruptions, and a "accidentally launched" nuclear missile can fly towards the island.

***

It is simply impossible to please everyone, some demand to build sawmills and factories, others strive to protect nature at all costs. The game forces you to make important decisions for the development of the state, which often have far-reaching consequences. There is no time to be bored, but still, those who played the original constantly have to find a reason to return to the game. Still, Tropico 4 is more of an add-on than a separate part. Perhaps next time the developers will start from scratch, but for now we have a decent city-building simulator that will undoubtedly interest fans of the genre. We thank user Phenix for the provided review.