God Complex | Tropico 3

Imagine yourself a ruler of an island nation. Stuck somewhere in the tempestuous waters of the Caribbean, your stellar rise to power puts you to steer a country born out of necessity. The locals, whose fates and happiness lie entirely on your benevolence call you El Presidente. While the powers-to-be - the United States of A and the Union of Soviet Socialist R compete for influence in hopes that your country might one day become a bastion of their incorruptible ideology.








Set during the Cold War, Tropico 3 runs like a regular city simulation game that you can zoom in and out to learn of its hidden wonders. However, unlike in the Sim City Series where you build roads, zone vast tracks of land for development and run a city like a true mayor. (who cannot get voted out of office) In Tropico 3, your island, its people and its inexhaustible resources are yours to exploit.

Build plantations to feed your comrades. Export cash crops such as Coffee beans to the Starbuckses of the First World. Construct tenements and block apartments to house your citizens. Build churches, clinics, schools and entertainment venues to improve their well being. Attract tourists to your unspoiled beaches. Allow them to discover the long forgotten inland civilizations (and rebels who occupy its monuments) and suck up their dollars to put them to your coffers, and finally, grant favors to competing factions so they vote for you in the upcoming elections. But wait! I almost forgot. You are the El Presidente! The elections depend entirely upon the visions of your most favorite psychic!








While Tropico 3 boasts stunning graphics and Samba-like background music, my addiction to it lies not with its city-building and micro-managing features. It's not about running the economy and making your people happy (or suffer depending on your mood) It's about the great deal of character its programmers had invested on your chosen leader.

Not to mention the humor.

So I had Muguezio Galentinni as my El Presidente. He was a green-thumbed hippie installed by the CIA to run the island of Tropico. He used to be a Global Trotter who explored the world. However, his alcoholism and his penchant to say propaganda stuff during the State of the Island Addresses earn him not only the ire of his people but also the eternal gratitude of pay-per-view channels who profit from his speeches.

My El Presidente was still lucky. I could have chosen him to be a Kleptomaniac or a Paranoid (which had an adverse effect on the political stability on the island) if I'm not thinking of the tourists that I am planning to bring to my little outcrop of Paradise.








This entry may sound a little different from the ones I usually post because as some of you had read on Twitter, Tropico 3 has put me back into the wondrous world of simulation. This attempt to squeeze my time and write a review about something I'm most passionate about was born out of the need to complete my quota for the month. Don't ask why, for I am running out of words to explain.

So there. It's back to playing the game again.