So I Tried... Tropico 5

With each edition of So I Tried… a GameGrin writer takes a small look at a game they've never played before. The game in question has exactly 30 minutes to sell itself, and that decides if we keep playing it or not. Today, I take a look at the PlayStation 4 version of Tropico 5.

What I thought it was

At first glance, I got the idea of Tropico 5 being a Civilization-esque clone with elements of Command and Conquer while taking large focus from Sims-style humour. I believed it would offer me a relatively fun - yet forgettable - experience which I would enjoy for the time that I played it but would soon become bored and decide that other games are worthy of my time, far more than Tropico 5.

What It Actually Is

Oh Boy, I was so wrong. Tropico 5 is a wonderful god-sim which puts you in the shoes of a despotic leader who is planning on seceding from the established British Empire. In order to leave the rule of the - often maniacal - British monarch, you must accrue a certain amount of wealth by trading with pirates and smugglers and complete ridiculous goals for the king in question. These have included, harvesting crops for an underwater mansion and obtaining a certain amount of resources in order to build ludicrous statues of said monarch. Tropico 5 has a brilliant sense of humour which centres around your personal adviser and the interactions which you have with the in-game citizens of your despotic nation. It has a heavy emphasis on resources, relationships with other nations and a ‘take all’ attitude towards trade.

Will I keep playing?

Now that I have experienced the beauty of Tropico 5, glimpsed it’s luscious landscapes, interacted with its curious people and acclimated to it’s - often strange - mechanics, I can say that I am 100% interested in carrying on through the campaign and finally becoming the richest, most powerful and cultural nation on the planet.

What’s that you say, the king isn’t happy I’m trading with smugglers and have decided to abstain from giving him a birthday present?

Sorry readers, I have to go, I have a lot of money to invest in my military which can only be obtained by trading with those guys who ransacked my pier five minutes ago, ah dictator life.