Tropico 3 (Windows)
common sense media says
Sophisticated, deep city builder lets players be tyrants.
parents & educators say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Tropico 3 is a city building simulation game in which the player takes on the role of a Caribbean dictator who can be either a real personality -- such as Fidel Castro or Che Guevara -- or a character of their own creation. While the game has a whimsical tone and lets players be as benevolent or tyrannical as they like, it tends to push toward the latter, if only because it’s easier to quell rebel uprisings with guns than diplomacy. It’s worth noting, though, that the gun-play is about as mild as such a thing can be; it’s viewed from an elevated perspective and there’s no blood or gore. Wounded soldiers simply fall to the ground and disappear. Parents should also note that tobacco and alcohol are referenced in relation to the types of buildings players can construct (distilleries, tobacco farms, and pubs), and that the dictator creation module allows players to choose traits such as “womanizer” and “alcoholic.”
Educational value:
Players will come away with a pretty good high level understanding of what it takes to rule a small island nation as a dictator, from the sort of deals that must be made with foreign companies and governments to issues of civil and economic unrest.
Positive role models:
Players take on the role of a dictator and can make him as tyrannical or compassionate as they like. That said, the game certainly nudges players toward the former. While players have to sate citizens’ thirst for things like jobs, education, and health care, they also have the goal of padding their own Swiss bank accounts, which takes money out of the hands of their people. Plus, it’s often much easier to simply kill off opposing parties than try to work out political or diplomatic solutions. If you choose the trait of womanizer, the description for that trait states: "You can't sleep with all of them, but you must at least try."
Ease of play:
The tutorial acquaints players with little more than the basics of control and menu navigation. Players will need to come to grips with the ins and outs of their nation’s economy, military, and diplomatic capabilities through trial and error during the actual game. It’s not easy, but it players familiar with city builders shouldn’t have too rough a go of it.
Violence:
Players use police and military forces to quell rebel uprisings, typically using guns. These shootings take place from an elevated perspective, and the player is not in direct control of any of the characters involved. No blood is seen; characters simply fall to the ground and disappear when killed.
Sex:
There are no sexual acts in the game, but players can select the trait “womanizer” in the character creation module, which makes that your dictator interested in sleeping with as many women as possible.
Language:
Not applicable.
Consumerism:
Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
Dictators are seen chomping on cigars in the character creation module, and players can choose to grow crops of tobacco. Players can also choose to build distilleries and pubs, and an optional dictator trait is “alcoholic.” If that trait is selected, the game will talk about AA meetings and addiction to alcohol.
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holyblackman
teen, 15 years old
teen, 15 years old
good for 7+
PROS: many biuldings, cool graphics at spots, custamizable presidents and islands, real life cituations,
CONS: impossible to read words, games camera at points sucks, some people are never happy, the farther you go in the game the harder it gets (ex-after awhile you have to change what you produce meaning you have to buy more biuldings), people will ask for certain structures but once you build them they wont work in them
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benboyrocks
teen, 14 years old
teen, 14 years old
Lots of smoking refferences and violence.
Tropico 3 is a complex, complicated game. But once you get to know it better, its fun. There is violence, but its not that bad (though the people are seen dead). There are tons of tobacco refferences, and the messages are mainly "Keep the citizens happy through all means"
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gbboone
teen, 15 years old
teen, 15 years old
Don't let your kids grow up to by dictators.
OK, but the easiest way to win is usally to be evil.
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