Tropico 5 Reviews
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 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.
Tropico 5's irreverent wit and smooth difficulty curve make governing your own banana republic an easy and enjoyable experience.
That's by no means a bad thing; despite its similarity to its forebears, it's still a welcome escape from other city-building franchises, and is a deep enough experience to keep players engaged for quite some time. One can't help but feel like it's shackled by its presumably-slim budget, though, as its lack of radical improvements and its mediocre overall production value will make it a hard sell for people who were indifferent to previous Tropico games.
Until the rest of the game is released in the form of DLC, at least, it's hard to imagine a good reason to go with Tropico 5 instead of Tropico 4 unless the addition of a tech tree gets you excited.
While there might be a few snags, the start of El Presidente's fifth term is looking to be a worthwhile one.
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 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.
In technical respects Tropico 5 feels more like an expansion rather than a successor in the series. Many parts of the gameplay feel similar to past titles, but the inclusion of the era system, an overall campaign that is brimming with choices and consequences, as well as a plausible maiden attempt at multiplayer gives long time fans something new to try out. With touchy political subject matter that is completely mocked and music that makes you move in your seat, it's hard not to play Tropico 5 without a smile on your face.
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.
Wait. Patches or expansions may tweak its motivational balance in the right direction.
While the great entries to the Sim City series, the Civilizations of the world, even Ubisoft's Anno series and Galactic Civilizations II all give more back the more you put into it, Tropico 5 is unable to do that. And a lack of longevity in a game that should last so very long is just, ultimately, disappointing.
The continued popularity of the Tropico series has something to do with the relative lack of old-school city and country management games on the market and the inability of the teams at Maxis and Electronic Arts to re-launch SimCity in any meaningful way.
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.
Tropico 5 will inevitably keep you going and the dynamic nature of it's gameplay will keep you on your toes. Along with gorgeous graphics and a quirky charm Tropico 5 is a must have for RTS fans.
Not a dramatic reinvention, but still an enjoyable game of construction, economics and election fraud.
Fives games in and the Tropico series has really found its feet, creating a cheery and relaxing ambience that sets it quite apart from other city-builders out there. From the music to the bright and colourful graphics and the irreverent wit of your various staff, it's got a very unique character that makes the simple gameplay very addictive.
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.