I've been a fan of Tropico since the first one came out many years ago for the PC. Tropico 2, with its pirate kitsch, was an annoying distraction, but Tropico 3 made up for it. Tropico 4...? The best way to describe this installment is as "Tropico 3 with a lot of extra features." Is it an entirely new game? Not really, but how could it be and still be Tropico? The new features are universally good; there are none I was forced to look at and think "Why did you do this to my game?" Smooth controls, which are surprising for a console builder game, and a reasonably smart menu system make the game easy to play for hours. And hours. And hours and hours until your boss calls and asks where you are. Kalypso has also been good enough to port the expansion packs that have been released, which add considerable content to the game. New buildings, edicts, and all kinds of amusing stuff which fit seamlessly into the Tropico mold. Overall, this is an amazingly good builder on its own; add in the fact that it's this good on a console, and it's outstanding. There is one serious downside, though, and it's this flaw alone that dings my rating. I've had serious problems with corrupted saves once an island has been running for a significant length of time (about 30 years). Perhaps one day a patch will come out to cure this, but I'm not optimistic; the same problem plagues Tropico 3 on the Xbox. Still, tons of fun to play! (Just cross your fingers while saving!)… Expand

Tropico is a fun game, and you can drop the controller whenever you want, and continue just as easily. It is relaxing, entertaining and filled with positive and humorous vibes. While Tropico tries to be funny no doubt, you don't seem forced to laugh at it's ironic and stereotypical jokes, that comes naturally. The gameplay doesn't differ much from the 3rd and previous installment of the series, but why change something that works perfectly. The new features are much welcome, and it is no doubt an improvement. If you're new to the franchise and don't know what to expect, the tutorial is helpful and you understand and get to know the menus completely after your first, maybe second mission. What I missed was more maps, as the campaign will have you play on the same 6-7 islands twice or maybe even trice throughout the 20 mission story. That gets rather repetitive, but at least there are new objectives each time and you therefore build the island differently than the first time. Much like Tropico 3, this is a fun and clever game that you don't play for too long at once.… Expand

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On one hand, this is a good game. If you enjoyed the previous Tropico games, chances are that you'lll enjoy this one as well. It has all of the same selling points as its' predecessors, and quite the better graphics. When that's been said and done.. it's pretty much old material in a new wrapping. Nothing groundbreaking, but enjoyable if you're into the Tropico series.

Being the first Tropico game I have played I cannot comment on how alike or unlike the previous games it is. However after playing other games that are similar to this I can honestly say this is up there with my favourites. I played the demo first and this then prompted me to rent it, I'm now contemplating buying it which doesn't happen very often. This game is challenging but at the right level, so that it is never too hard or too easy. The objective system is implemented cleverly giving you a range of optional and forced objectives. This is great as you can complete the forced objectives to win the level, however you can also complete the optional objectives to enrich your experience. There are also objectives which occur because of your actions (edicts, constructions etc...) I think these are some of the harder objectives but they can help a lot. I would say that this game is great, but i would reccomend renting or playing the demo before buying.… Expand

While I do not usually approve if a company slaps a new coat of paint and a few tweaks to a game and sells it as new, this is not the case with Tropico 4. On the surface it appears to be an "updated" Tropico 3. The game has taken a complete overhaul on the Xbox 360 with almost every aspect working way better than before. The roadways build correctly, the quick-build option can help immensely, and the new buildings completely change the game. The old structures function largely the same with a few notable improvements, such as roadway access for some buildings or the ability to upgrade Tenements with A/C. The improvements to the game are vast but you are likely to not notice at first. Do yourself a favor and buy Tropico 4. In about 3ish hours when you get done with your game, you'll be thanking me.… Collapse

As a fan of the previous installments i feel insulted that Kalypso would make a "new" Tropico game and call it the 4th installment. This games in-game menu's, building, characters, design is almost identical to the previous game. Download the glicthy demo if it is still available and see for yourself.