Tropico 3

We’ve seen a huge number of strategy, political and warmongering titles released on the PC, and any new addition to the genre runs a very high risk of being white noise in the cacophony of governmental games out there. This latest addition to the Tropico series is a real return to form, and clearly takes the issue of emanating a strong personality to make itself stand out.

The game takes you back to the Cold War – or, at least, a version of the Cold War with enough wiggle room to take some serious liberties over the course of expected events. Tropico is a politically turbulent country in the Bahamas that both the US and the Soviet Union want control of – and while this has an impact on your game, it’s not your only concern.

Crafting just the right political personality to suit your agenda is your first task. The character creator goes a little overboard on the outward appearance, which has little effect on the game, but choosing your background is massively important and points the direction for your rise to power.

What’s particularly entertaining here is that you’re given a host of political stereotypes to choose from, which adds a distinctly satirical lilt to Tropico 3. You can have yourself installed by the self-serving CIA or KGB, which grants certain restrictive benefits further down the line. You can come from a military background that allows for a stronger though less appreciated governing arm, or you can approach your regime from a more scholastic angle should you want the country as a whole to prosper.

You see, in Tropico 3 there’s actually no obligation to ensure your country flourishes; your concern here is more to do with your own success, based on criteria you set for yourself. An election is an opportunity to win the people over, or to win one over on the people. Sound familiar? It is, and that’s precisely what’s so sardonic about Tropico 3’s abundant personality – at times the gameplay is practically sarcastic, to the point at which any contemporary politician playing this game would find themselves angered at the embarrassment they’d feel when a stereotyped political self-server provides them with a stark, virtual mirror to stare into.

But the governmental strategy quotient is still able to compete with the most serious and involved examples this gaming genre has to offer. Building hospitals, schools, housing, farms, an export business, a loyal army (meaning a well paid army, in keeping with the spirit of the game) and all manner of supporting infrastructure is there to occupy your time.