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Tropico 5

SCORE: 73

I am picky when it comes to which simulators I will play. I have played months of Animal Crossing games, and Tropico games. I can not stand the Sims. Absolutely despise that franchise. There has been massive excitement here at Family Friendly Gaming over the release of Tropico 5. So much so that we were even willing to play it on the PC. And a download only version too. Way outside of our comfort zone.

There are a couple of things families need to know about Tropico 5. The humor in this empire building game is hilarious. They stopped poking fun at certain stereotypes, and instead went after their own people. Like researching planks for example. They used them to hit one another in the head to see how long it took to acquire an idea. The number was seven. So Tropico 5 does not take things too seriously.

There are adult only concepts and jokes in Tropico 5. There are jokes in Tropico 5 that different people may find offensive. Especially if someone in your family had a problem with alcohol or tobacco. There are also references to sexual deviancy. If you are sensitive to certain things being mocked then you will want to steer clear of Tropico 5.

Graphically this franchise has never looked better. I love how Tropico 5 takes us through different eras (Colonial to Modern). We continue to grow and develop our island for the tasks put before us. Export so much meat, then you build ranches. Need bananas for a trade route, then build a plantation.

The tutorial can be a big help to newcomers. The campaign mode is also a nice tutorial in its own right. It teaches you without letting you it is teaching you. When you are ready you can go into the sandbox mode. This is where you pick the settings for the game, and go to town building your very own dream empire.

Tropico 5 lets us choose what kind of government we want to run. There are constantly choices in Tropico 5. Workers are striking. We can pay the workers, send in the army, or negotiate. There are pros and cons to every single choice in Tropico 5. If you stop sending rum into the US during prohibition then you get better relations with their government. You also lose money. I think this is why I like Tropico 5 so much. It is like real life. Make this decision and these people are happy. At the same time this other group is unhappy.

There is violence in Tropico 5. Rebels will attack you. You need military of your own to deal with these, unless you want a game over. Illegitimate heirs are a major part of Tropico 5. This gets into the adult only content I mentioned previously. Heirs can be very useful in certain situations in Tropico 5. Like negotiating with other countries.

There are a few quirks to the controls in Tropico 5. Mouse and/or keyboard controls are available in this dictator run video game. Rotating the camera around is just painful. It makes me yearn for the home console version (coming out later in 2014). Make sure you get buildings connected to roads or you waste your money building it. This can not always be seen if you are zoomed in too far.

Also be aware of addiction problems concerning Tropico 5. Hours would vanish while I was working through levels in Tropico 5. I was shocked how quickly real world time vanishes while playing Tropico 5. In game time is pause, play, and fast forward. I miss those multiple fast forward buttons.
- Paul

Graphics: 65%
Sound: 75%
Replay/Extras: 85%
Gameplay: 75%
Family Friendly Factor: 64%

System: PS4/PC(tested)
Publisher: Kalypso Media
Developer: Haemimont Games
Rating: 'T' for Teen
{Alcohol Reference, Mild Language, Tobacco Reference, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence}
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