Here’s my gaming metaphor of the day: Tropico is like that one friend you have – you know the one – who you see at regularly reoccurring events and don’t speak much outside of that. Whenever you do manage to catch up with them, though, it’s like you’ve never been apart.
Tropico used to come around every 2 to 3 years with a few new features, the core idea always intact. You take control of a dictator tasked with leading their island nation – and their own wallet – to glory. How things play out is dictated less by you and more by the demands of the factions that represent the different interests of your people. Ignore their demands for too long and you risk a rebellion.
Under new developer Limbic Entertainment factions are the main feature the sixth instalment raises the ante on. Rather than gentle nudges from one or two factions to keep up with things, you now eventually deal with all eight available factions simultaneously. It’s impossible to make everyone happy, as every demand you fill for one group will cost you standing with another. To turn Tropico into a thriving paradise you need to keep things in balance, traditionally the last thing you expect from a despot.
