Tropico 3 follows in the footsteps of the original 2001 title by PopTop Software, placing the player in control of a generic cold war era banana republic. The game is a city building and economic simulation with an interesting political layer that adds a bit of depth to what fans of the city building genre might otherwise consider to be a fairly standard implementation of gameplay.
The game starts out with the player having to choose their avatar. A number of the pre-created selection are modelled after famous and notorious cold war era leaders such as Fidel Castro, Evita Peron and Manuel Noriega. One can also design their own avatar. Each has a number of positive and negative attributes that have an effect in the game world. For example, a revolutionary war hero will gain more respect from the nationalist political faction, but he may also have a gambling problem, which will have to be subsidised by the governmental coffers.
Once the game begins, the player is given a few basic buildings to get the ball rolling. In general, the objective is to nurture the fledgling Caribbean island through its formative years, and establish it as a powerhouse of industry and tourism. The basics will have to be well taken care of, as citizens without food and housing are likely to revolt against their ruler. Once a solid agricultural economic backbone has been established, the player can begin to focus on other socio-political demands. Religion, entertainment, industry, press and television, a strong military and tourism infrastructure must be developed if the island is to grow.
The 15 mission single player campaign will provide plenty of challenge for one to hone their governing skills. Winning each mission will require accomplishing varying goals such as a population level reached, the export of a certain amount of a particular commodity, or simply clinging to power until a set date. Beyond the campaign missions, the sandbox mode is guaranteed to provide plenty of tropical city building bliss, and one can even download custom created challenges designed by fellow Tropico 3 players.
There are a number of political factions on the island, each with their own agenda, such as the religious, nationalists, militarists, intellectuals, capitalists and communists. The player will have to strike a balance between keeping the various factions happy if they want to secure votes come election time. Of course, one can always rig the poll, but that can lead to civil unrest. To help the political process along, el presidente can issue a number of policy decisions and edicts that will have a variety of effects, such as improving social conditions, or pandering to one particular faction. All the while, the US and USSR will be keeping a watchful eye on the developing nation, and may even decide to invade if they don’t like the direction things are going.
A random event system adds a further element to the political decisions one has to make. In one case, an American tourist gets hammered on cheap Caribbean rum and runs amok, eventually crashing into the presidential limo. El presidente is asked how to handle the situation. The decision is not without consequences however, as it will later emerge that the tourist was the son of a US diplomat, and it might not have been so wise to sling him in jail after all.
The tutorial system is rather lacking unfortunately, and those unfamiliar with city building games may initially find themselves at a loss having only the basics explained. Even veterans of the genre may become perplexed as to why certain arms of industry appear to be producing no goods. The manual that comes with the game doesn’t provide much more insight, and one may have to resort to consulting the Internet to discover, for example, that not enough teamsters are available to transport the finished goods from the factories.
The interface is sometimes a bit ungainly, especially when trying to place buildings and roads, but this can be overcome with a bit of patience. The road placement issue is probably the most infuriating, as the game sometimes refuses to lay a road in a perfectly suitable location for no apparent reason. Certain areas of the map are inaccessible to roads unless the most patient undertaking is made to find the slimmest of sweet spots to allow a road to pass.
The various data screens contained within the el presidente’s alamanac provide a wealth of socio-political information to help manage the city. It’s not the prettiest layout, but it gets the job done. Adding to these minor gripes are a few infuriating bugs. For example, during the review process the game randomly crashed and corrupted the save game data. Whilst this can be fixed by backing up the save profile, deleting it, starting a new game, and then replacing the relevant files in the new profile with those in the backup, it’s a serious flaw for the game that hasn’t been resolved as of the latest patch.
The visuals are top notch, with good attention to detail when investigating the island close up, and a stunning vista to soak in when zoomed out. Golden light bathes the island as the tropical sun sets on the horizon, setting the ocean ablaze. Violent storms also lash the island on occasion, reducing visibility as one would expect. The style comes across as realistic yet colourful. The graphics engine seems well executed, and won’t place too much strain on mid-range systems, while still maintaining smooth visuals.
The sound effects are well rounded and developed. The island buzzes with the sounds of the citizens going about their daily business, and the machinations of industry, all punctuated with the expected caws of island birds and the soothing lapping of the ocean on the shores. Throughout the game, a lively Tropico radio host dishes out news regarding developments on the island. Whilst sometimes humourous, they are often a useful insight in to the various attitudes and issues that are prevalent on the island.
Accompanying the game is Latin American flavoured music. Whilst the rumba may be appealing for a few hours, the soundtrack soon repeats itself and becomes irritating. Luckily the Tropico 3 lends itself perfectly to having one’s own choice of music playing in the background, as it doesn’t require a vigilant ear on the sound effects to enjoy the gameplay.
Tropico 3 is a solid title in the spirit of the original (and not like that silly Tropico 2). City building sim veterans will find all the usual gameplay elements solidly in place, with the political layer adding an interesting dynamic to the gameplay. Those new to the genre will be well served by Tropico 3, and many hours of Caribbean delight lay in store.
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