Ever wanted to rule your own banana republic as a charismatic dictator? Tropico 6 has you covered yet again. It’s the 6th term for El Presidente and yet again you strive to keep your nation under your thumb while the world around you evolves. The development team might have changed for this series’ entry, the gameplay remained solid as El Presidente’s reign over Tropico.
Islands in the sun
The Tropico series has steadily grown in fanbase over the years by producing a stable city-building sim. Tropico 6 is a logical step from the previous entries. Not much had to change in my opinion because the formula just works. The only downside previous entries had was some lack of space to expand your empire. Decisions needed to be made based on limited space which sometimes meant your ideas had to be tweaked to match the island’s capacity. Tropico 6 introduces more space with extra islands that can be connected with bridges. With more islands comes more things to consider. Keeping the citizens of your main island happy and neglecting the others will be a recipe for turmoil in your nation.
Factions have more influence
Since the objective in Tropico 6 is to stay in charge of Tropico, listening to your citizens will be key. Providing health care, safety, housing and fun things to do to each and every one of your inhabitants will make sure you keep on being re-elected. While handling the basic needs of your citizens seems basic, Tropico 6 throws some curveballs with demands from the different factions. Factions have influence when it comes down to being re-elected. Catering to one faction often means neglecting some others. All this results in conflicts that need to be handled. Bribing, pressuring and even killing members of a discontent faction is always an option. Being diplomatic in your choices might also prove to be a great strategy to keep yourself firmly into the reins of Tropico.
Different eras
In Tropico 6 you need to guide your nation from the colonial age to the modern age. Each new era introduces new buildings, new inventions, and new possibilities. Each entry of a new era begins with a new election. Failing to survive such an election means game over. Making sure your nation thrives during each era or potentially destroying your opposition will get you serving another term in a new era. Each beginning of an era lets you choose how you which to continue your nation. Going full-on military-style or choosing to switch from capitalism to communism are all among the possibilities, making playing Tropico 6 an ever-changing city building experience.
Deep menu
Since everything you decide during your reign will directly or indirectly influence other aspects of your island, you’ll spend much time checking stats. Once and hopefully after much consideration, you’ll make some decisions as how to go forth based on the vast amount of stats available in Tropico 6. Checking the crime rate and taking into consideration the potential trouble areas will lead you to find the best suitable place for a police station. All things about placing buildings in Tropico 6, is done from a radial-type menu which works ideally for consoles. Tropico 6 is also available on PC where extended menuing won’t offer any problems.
Conclusion
Tropico 6 is a funny looking game with really thorough city building mechanics. Every sim fan will feel challenged by the gameplay offered in Tropico 6. New players might feel a bit daunted although the game has many tutorials to learn you the ropes of dictatorship. The graphics and sounds aren’t the best I’ve seen from these types of games but I’ve definitely seen worse. The gameplay is as solid as ever so I didn’t mind blocky citizens and ugly waterfalls from time to time.
