Tropico 3

Tropico 3 for PC and X360 is the third installment of the characteristic series of economy strategy games. The new installment was developed by Bulgarian studio Haemimont Games (Celtic Kings: Rage of War, Imperium Romanum) and published by Kalypso who bought the rights to the franchise from Take-Two.

Mechanics

In the game, the player assumes the role of a leader of the so-called banana republic, a small nation located on an island during the Cold War. The player can decide whether he will create a democratic paradise or a strong and ruthless dictatorship which doesn’t tolerate any political opposition. The player can impact many economical-strategic and diplomatic factors. He must not only take care of his suspects (who can riot if they’re unhappy) and gather resources (including the very important oil), but also maintain relationships with the heads of many other countries and international powers. There are more than a dozen of missions to complete that create a long campaign.

The third installment introduces many novelties. Most of all, for the first time in the series the player can directly assume the role of the dictator – he can decide how he looks and what skills he has (for example negotiations skills) and move him through the island (for example he can send him to the beach, to the casino or make a long speech). The presence of such personality in a building impacts its functionality – for example a factory works more effective during such visit. One can also strongly impact the island itself – it can be freely shaped. For those who don’t want to shape the island there is a random mode available in which everything’s set and the player can move directly to the game.

Technical aspects

The new graphics engine of Tropico 3 for PC and X360 is worth mentioning. The island looks very good. The game has a strongly humoristic style. Online options are an interesting supplement to the singleplayer mode. One can share the island nation he created and download the creations of other players and assume the role of theirs dictators. An advanced editor that allows creating maps and campaigns prolongs the life of the game.

Last updated on 22 October 2009