Tropico 5 Reviews
Not a dramatic reinvention, but still an enjoyable game of construction, economics and election fraud.
It's a tropical vacation, always pleasant and relaxing… and one that you're always ready to leave behind.
Tropico 5 features a number of improvements to its long-standing formula and there's a lot here to like. The humour and in-fighting of your aides provides a lighter tone missing from other management sims, and there's a degree of satisfaction to be found progressing through the distinct eras. It also looks more vibrant than any previous entry. It works well for now, then, but Tropico 5 is clearly more concerned with introducing new concepts atop the old than it is with overhauling its base mechanics. Looking ahead to the future, this long-running series would benefit from having the fires of revolution lit beneath it.
On the PC there are too few new features to satisfy existing fans, but on the PlayStation 4 the joys of being an island dictator still feel enjoyably fresh.
Tropico 5 cuts out the fat of previous entries and builds upon its strongest features. While the new dynasty system is disappointing, the narrative context provided by eras and world events is outstanding.
With disasters, elections, and new tasks to complete at every turn, Tropico 5 provides a structured and entertaining city building experience
Tropico 5's irreverent wit and smooth difficulty curve make governing your own banana republic an easy and enjoyable experience.
Tropico 5 made me feel powerful in the worst way
The bottom line is Tropico 5 is a good entry-level sim and strategy game. If you love SimCity and Civilization, this should be up your alley. Of course, you could just keep playing a board game, but I digress…
While Tropico 5 isn't the game-of-the-year masterpiece of a generation, it's a more-than serviceable sim and strategy title that can satisfy a grossly under-served genre within the console community. If you love SimCity and Civilization and are dying for something similar on your PS4, then there really is no reason not to have and enjoy this game to its fullest extent.
While there might be a few snags, the start of El Presidente's fifth term is looking to be a worthwhile one.
Wait. Patches or expansions may tweak its motivational balance in the right direction.
A fun and surprisingly deep city-builder.
Tropico 5 works in a lot key areas. The controls and interface are familiar and rock-solid, and the spicy music and comical cast keep it fresh. A near-endless supply of customization options adds a necessary strategy element to the title. Dated graphics and a hopeless multiplayer section damage its overall appeal, but fans of the Tropico series and its competitors won't be disappointed by the newest offering.
There are some bum notes both tonally and strategically, Tropico old hands will find the bones of the things over-familiar, and despite having tons of things to fiddle with ultimately it's hard not call it a lightweight game. I really think it has to be, though.
Tropico 5 isn't revolutionary in any of its changes. But with deeper gameplay and some smart tweaks to the formula, it is deserving of at least another term in office
Tropico 5 is a stop-gap measure, another coat of paint on a series designed for a specific audience that's looking for a specific experience. The freshly streamlined interface may court some new blood, but a lackluster campaign and a failure to branch out from the micromanagement-heavy core sim experience makes this a tough sell for outsiders to the genre.
Ultimately, Tropico 5 features a number of improvements in an attempt to separate itself from the previous games in the series. The humor of the series remains and the addition of progressing through eras give a feeling of accomplishment. The core gameplay mechanics are largely unchanged though, but there is definitely a lot to like here and just enough change to give it a shot.
Overall, Tropico 5 makes a solid entry into a genre already populated by great games. It has some drawbacks, but it gives you a good construction game while offering enough variety of play to offer many hours of fun games and great replay value.