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Tropico: Paradise Island
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Graphics & Sound:
How do you add to a game like Tropico's already stunning visuals? Is it possible to make it look any better? Well, PopTop kept the same prettiness there and added over a dozen new splendid buildings. Were you thinking that your paradise island was missing a golf course? Well, try building the perfectly-rendered miniature golf course. I also liked the farm-like 'El Presidente's Childhood home.' It looks as if any up-and-coming dictator lived there as a young lad. Maybe tired of feeding the chickens, the lad thought 'I will be dictator one day.' Tropico: Paradise Island definitely is one of the best looking add-ons out there, and with the edition of the new buildings and two hilarious tourist types (eco-tourists and spring breakers), it's as pretty as it's always been. Perhaps the biggest new graphical feature is the ability to fully rotate anything 360 degrees. This becomes particularly useful when building tight knit communities, and you want to see behind a particular building. Neat huh? Hey, it wasn't my idea. Overall, the graphics haven't been changed, but what has been added is surely as beautiful as Tropico: Paradise Island can be expected to be. Before I get into the dapper task of describing the flawless sound, I really want to iterate how awesome the music in this game is. I don't know if I've ever played a game where the music was so perfect for the game and so much fun to listen to. The composer for the first Tropico was award winning, and having expanded the soundtrack for TPI, awards surely will be re-reaped. The Latin imbued rhythms and samba-esque melodies left me shaking my body so violently that my wife brought me a blanket, mistaking obvious pleasure for chills. As a stable sidekick to the wonderful soundtrack, we have the sound effects. The ocean presents a constant whishing, and construction sounds abound as you build up your island. Vendors shout while church bells ring, and tourists bring their unabated voices to every corner your island may have. The seas boil when any of the new disasters strike, and you'll hear hurricanes so realistic that you'll turn your TV on and listen for that Emergency Broadcast System test tone. |
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Gameplay:
This one is pretty simple. Tropico: Paradise Island is an add-on expansion to Tropico. This means that you have to have the original to play this game. Briefly, the original has you as a new dictator to a tropical island. Your goal is to build that island into a commodity by bringing in tourists and immigrants wanting to work for you. You can be lenient, or even more so than the original Tropico, flex your dictatorial muscle and keep tabs by using military force. Of course you don't want to overdo one thing, as your citizens will tire of your nonsense and riot. With new edicts such as Capture (which lets you imprison troublesome citizens), an Army Base, and enhanced military abilities, you can bet your machine gun that any curfew you impose on your citizens can and will be enforced by the military. Some of the other features that have been added for this great little expansion are more edicts, more tourism opportunity and random natural disasters. The thing that impressed me most was that the construction time of buildings was increased. This was the only thing that irked me a bit with the original, but alas burdensome no more. You can play a Sandbox Mode that lets you build without regard to money, economics or leadership choice's consequences (you don't want to make USA or Russia mad at you, but good luck pleasing them both). You also can play any one of the original, and I mean original, scenarios. If you found that the scenarios in Scenario Mode were so good that you beat them all, then Paradise Island will make you smile. Over two-dozen new scenarios have been added, and they're every bit as fun, funny and entertaining as the original scenarios. Quick hint: Watch the spring break tourists, as they will riot if you let them congregate and get drunk too often. Don't worry, that's why you pay your army so much, right? |
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Difficulty:
This is an absolute gem as far as I am concerned. Anyone can find a game setting that is just right for them. There are so many tweakable options at the start of the game, you will be blown away much like a piece of paper dancing in a windstorm. You can tweak things like the economy, tourists' willingness to spend, harvestable land, natural disasters, etc. Another little feature is that while you tweak any option, a little difficulty meter increases or decreases numerically as you manipulate each and every setting. You can go from twiddle-thumb easy to vein-popping difficult. Have no fear, as the tutorial is magnificently programmed to tell you what to do and it's enjoyable to listen to. I actually went through the whole thing twice without getting the least bit bored. The guy's voice that narrates the tutorial is actually alright to listen to. The controls are every bit the same as the original Tropico. And, if all else fails, you can use the same codes from the first game to get you exactly what you want.
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Game Mechanics:
The camera view is your standard 'sim view.' You see things in an angled, third-person view. You can now rotate any structure, so any standard angle you may want to see is achievable. The game is mouse driven, but you can set it up so that you can use the keyboard, if you prefer. I had a blast reading the manual as it explains all the new additions in detail, and is every bit as fun as the first manual to read. Again, the controls are as smooth as a waxed iceberg. The ease in controlling Tropico: Paradise Island only makes the game that much more fun. Perhaps deserving mention again is the game's soundtrack. I don't know how it would seem to be part of the game's mechanics, but the music adds a whole another dynamic dimension to Tropico: Paradise Island. Riot Rundown: I'll make this real fast. If you liked, loved, tolerated or thought about Tropico, then you need to get this add-on. If you've never heard of the game before, then thank you for reading the review, and go out and buy Tropico and Tropico: Paradise Island. Again, my thanks. |
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-Sydney Riot, GameVortex Communications AKA Will Grigoratos |
Minimum System Requirements:
Windows 9x/ME/2000/XP, Pentium II 200MHz or equivalent, 32MB RAM, 4x CD-ROM, 800MB Hard Drive Space, Direct X 7.0 compatible 4MB video card, Direct X 7.0 compatible sound card, Keyboard, Mouse, Original Tropico. |
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Test System:
Windows XP Pro, Athlon Duron 1GHz, 320MB RAM, 46x CD-ROM, 800MB Hard Drive Space, Xtasy GeForce4 MX420 Video Card, Hercules GameSurround Fortissimo II soundcard, Keyboard, Mouse, Original Tropico. |
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