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Tropico 3 plays very much like the original game and while there are times I might berate a new title for lacking anything unique or being overly derivative, in this case the return to familiar territory provokes a warm nostalgic glow. The campaign side of the game takes place on a series of island maps. Each one holds a different challenge from developing tourism to mining iron and as you progress you’ll be expected to develop your own blend of developments for the good of your people and the financial success of your state.
You take on the role of a leader and you can choose from a list of real life possibilities which includes people as fundamentally opposed as Che Guevara and Augosto Pinochet. You can also create your own leader by constructing an avatar using the simple editor and then choosing your background and path to power. The system also retains one of the greatest features of the original: you can choose a couple of character strengths but if you do then you must also select flaws. It is worth checking out each mission and selecting a leader with skills that will help you reach your aims, though they can also be used just for fun in making a more colourful character.
The world of Tropico is set during the Cold War and as a small tropical island state your affections are coveted by the two great superpowers. Depending on your political leanings and policy in government you can cozy up to the USA or the USSR. Both will bring their own unique benefits and the support of either comes at a price. While they will provide you with aid cash each year, the closer you get to one, the more distant you’ll be from the other.
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The bulk of the gameplay is about building up your island and developing an economy which allows you to cater for the desires of the people. You can develop farms, industry and tourism and you’ll need to explore each new island to see what your most exploitable resources are. Your citizens are divided into groups with various political beliefs and you can see what they think of life under your rule by clicking on them directly. You can also use overlays to examine the state of various elements of your society from crime rates to religious satisfaction.
You can give speeches from your palace and issue edicts. The laws you pass have an associated cost and benefit and they tend to determine your relationship with the superpowers. You will inevitably have opposition on your island and you will have to hold elections periodically. How honourable you choose to be in your dealings with rebels is up to you, but you need to maintain a military force because there will be the odd uprising.
