Tropico 3

Critic reviews

• GameSpot

  Brett Todd · Feb 24, 2010

  6.5

  Even in this somewhat hamstrung form, Tropico 3 is still a good way to spend some time pretending to be a Caribbean strongman with delusions of godhood. This is one of those "just a few more minutes" games that can keep you up so far past your bedtime that you might as well grab some breakfast. It isn't the best way to experience the game, however; the PC version is clearly superior technically and otherwise. Just keep that news hush-hush for now, in case the phones are tapped and El Presidente is listening.

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• Cheatcc

  Jonathan Marx · Feb 16, 2010

  7.6

  Tropico 3 is a good translation of a quality strategy game. Even on the Xbox 360, there are hours and hours of fun to be had, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the series evolves now that it has ventured away from the PC. What Tropico 3 seems to be missing is PvP, online matches. While most LIVE gamers likely aren't patient enough to slog through hour after hour of turn-based strategy a la the Civilization franchise, putting players in control of a number of factions on the same island with some strategy-lite game modes could be great fun.

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• IGN

  Steve Butts · Feb 12, 2010

  8.2

  Tropico 3 combines a very good city building game with an intriguing political game. In that regard, it's fairly unique in the 360 catalog. The city builder portions are driven by lots of logical choices and consequences that leave the player feeling free to explore their own paths to success. This isn't a game where the associations are so rigid that you end up building the same city again and again. On top of that, the political system gives you a motivation to succeed on your own terms without locking you into any specific strategy.

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• Game Informer

  Adam Biessener · Oct 22, 2009

  8.8

  The expected sandbox mode complements Tropico’s excellent campaign, and it’s exactly what you’d expect. All told, one could happily spend as much time here as with any top-shelf simulation or strategy game. Anyone who is willing to deal with the game’s imposing impenetrability will be well rewarded. The Caribbean in the mid-20th century is an unusual setting for a city builder, but Tropico 3 uses its setting to project charm to go along with its excellent gameplay.
• Cheatcc

  Derek Hidey · Oct 20, 2009

  8.4

  Gamers should find that Tropico 3 is one of the better city-building RTS games to come out in a while, and although it may not be much different from its predecessors and its online "features" don't amount to more than social media "lite," what it does offer is simply solid and polished gameplay. Newcomers to the series will love the depth of Tropico 3, while veterans may be disappointed with the lack of new features, meanwhile appreciating the visual upgrade.

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• Euro Gamer

  Ellie Gibson · Dec 21, 2009

  7.0

  So Tropico 3 can't be recommended as an introduction to the genre. Nor can it be said to match up to the PC version, thanks to the lower-quality graphics, slightly poorer mode selection and inferior control system. All that said, it's impossible not to like this game. Maybe it's the classic, solid city-building gameplay. Maybe it's the unique style and sense of humour. Maybe it's the fact that, despite all the niggles, the game is still so absorbing you can spend hours on it without realising just how much time you've wasted.

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