Title – Tropico 6
Platforms – PS4, Xbox One and PC
Release Date – March 29th, 2019
Developer – Limbic Entertainment
Publisher – Kalypso Media
MSRP – $29.99
ESRB – E for Everyone
Disclaimer – This product is being reviewed on the PC. A review copy was provided by Kalypso Media for the purpose of this review. This review may also contain spoilers for certain gameplay and story elements. Watch at your own risk, you have been warned. Gaming Instincts is an Amazon Affiliate and does gain financial benefits if you choose to purchase this product on this page.
Initially scheduled for 2018, Tropico 6 was finally released on March 29 of this year. Although fans of the prominent city builder series were both worried and distraught, the release was a success. People who preordered the game before January 10 were promised the game’s first DLC, scheduled for a summer release, for free.
Tropico 6 – Matching up to its predecessors
Tropico 6 certainly looks, feels, and sounds like Tropico. There’s no denying the game’s atmosphere is faithful to the older games. The music, the people, the look of a crowded little banana republic, everything in this game lets players know they’re playing the same Tropico they know and love.
Similar to the other games in the series, Tropico 6 has fans seize control of the Caribbean nation of Tropico as El Presidente. Unlike former games, however, they don’t actually have a dynasty with heirs following in their footsteps as their original character dies of old age. El Presidente is now immortal.
Just like in Tropico 5, the game advances through four Eras, which each increases the game’s complexity, as every era adds new mechanics. Unlike its predecessors, however, Tropico 6 allows players to build their country on more than one island, with new opportunities to manage logistics and transportation. Also, unlike its predecessors, Tropico 6 gives players the opportunity to customize their palaces, choosing its features from a bunch of preset options.
Building a nation from scratch
The gameplay itself is pleasant, giving fans the ability to lose hours upon hours trying to make sure their nation looked its best so tourists from all over the world would spend their hard-earned cash at nightclubs and fast food joints. The options fans are given as a player are numerous, and the choices they make during the game can change the future of their country in many ways.
The game itself works well, with citizens having excellent path-finding, getting from point A to point B efficiently, and using available means of transportation properly. The AI didn’t get stuck at any point during playthroughs, which, for titles like this one, is definitely a big plus.
Interacting with the various political powers of the world, however, is a lackluster experience. Every task they give players is either a straight-up increase in relations with them or a penalty. Upon reaching certain thresholds, gamers would either have the option to ally with a power, ask them for financial aid, or have them attack players outright. While these relations are important to progressing the game, since they are tied into era progression, the tasks the factions provide are random and nonsensical at times.
On a much more positive note, however, the game takes a decent level of planning. Gamers need to plan ahead for every resource they can find on their island(s) and, fortunately, the game’s Overlay screen is easy to use and understand. It’ll highlight any relevant resource players want to acquire at any point and this tool is a godsend since fans really wouldn’t want to demolish 10 different buildings just because they built a bunch of crocodile ranches on top of all their oil deposits.
Tropico 6 – The sights and sounds of the Caribbean
Graphically, the game appears average. It won’t blow anyone away, but it does the job it’s meant to do while maintaining the overall aesthetic of the series. The people of Tropico look exactly like fans would expect based on profession and social status, the vehicles, and the buildings have simple models, though, and there’s nothing impressive about the look of the game. However, there’s no denying that once players get to look back on the nation they’ve created from almost nothing, at the sprawling cities and bustling tourist attractions and wonders they’ve placed on their island, it’s a beautiful sight.
The sound design is definitely better than its graphics. The game sounds charming from the very beginning, with funny voice acting that’s intentionally stereotypical, exotic background noise and, as players advance, the sounds of a massive, crowded city, the voice of Tropico’s one and only radio broadcaster, and, of course, the sound of El Presidente’s charming and totally honest campaign speeches.
Of rebellion and warfare
The game, sadly enough, has some kind of military combat in it. Combat tends to occur without players realizing it. It’s challenging to be aware of when the Axis is attacking, or where their troops are. The soldiers of Tropico spawn from the military buildings, mopped up the evil Axis troops, then retreat back to the safety of their workplaces.
The game does have pop-up warnings that alert players that either something has caught fire (which is a common occurrence) or that they’re being attacked, but they offer little information when it comes to where the actual enemies are located. It seemed like the combat part of the game was an afterthought, which is understandable, seeing how the game is mainly a city builder.
To makes matters worse, if players upset one of the various superpowers around the world, they will issue an ultimatum, which will tell gamers they will either do what the superpowers want them to do, or they will invade. The issue is this invasion is a straight-up game over screen, with no shots being fired. This is a missed opportunity for the developers to have made Tropico 6’s military assets more relevant and involved.
Furthermore, the game also has a more advanced system of rebellion and internal politics, but the rebels themselves are disappointing, as they’re likely to either launch a military attack that never does much or set a random building on fire every couple of minutes. They’re an annoying feature to deal with, but nowhere near as bad as the game’s overall combat.
Tropico 6 – Final Thoughts
Tropico 6 was a highly anticipated game and probably the best game in the series, as the whole world feels much more alive than in previous entries. The game’s pricing is fair, at only $50, and for how many hours of enjoyment it’s going to provide, it’s definitely worth a purchase. Like any other game, of course, Tropico 6 could use some improvement, especially in how much political choices and tasks actually matter and even more so in its military and combat aspects.
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