Tropico 4 sees you return as El Presidente, the tyrannical (or benevolent) dictator of the island paradise of Tropico. The world is changing and Tropico is moving with the times; its geographical powers rise and fall and the world market is dominated by new players with new demands and offers - and you, as El Presidente, face a whole new set of challenges. If you are to triumph over your naysayers you will need to gain as much support from your people as possible. Your decisions will shape the future of your nation, and more importantly, the size of your Swiss bank account...

Tropico 4 is the latest construction and management simulation from Haemimont Games and Kalypso Media. If you've bought any of the previous games in the series, then you'll know what to expect. If you're new to the genre then you're in for a steep learning curve. This is not the easiest game to get to grips with, but if you invest your time in it you'll reap some serious rewards.

There is a four-part tutorial that's part of the game, but you'll really need to keep the instruction manual handy in the initial stages, because the amount of things you're going to have to remember is quite difficult to get your head around. But once you get used to the controls you'll be on your way to controlling your people and industries in no time.

There are so many areas that you need to keep on top of. There's keeping your people happy (or controlling them through fear) ensuring you get the balance right between your industries to ensure your import and exports are to your financial benefit.

The graphics are well detailed, but where this game scores high is in its sense of humour. Bordering on mild racism, the game throws up just about every foreign stereotype in the book. But, with tongue firmly in cheek, it just manages to pull it off without being offensive.

If you enjoy this genre then you'll find this a challenging and enjoyable offering.

8

Nick Smithson