Tropico 4

Review

Common Sense Media says

City building game offers tyrannical options.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Learning2
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Tropico 4 is a city building simulation game that puts players in control of a small tropical island, which they must build into a thriving metropolis. Players can do so benevolently or through tyrannical methods, including assassinations, bribery, and kill squads. The violence is viewed from a top-down perspective and there's no blood (the player never directly controls the armies, but instead simply issues orders). It's mild, but there are screams. Alcohol, tobacco, and sex are referenced as part of the descriptions concerning non-savory dictator characteristics.  

  • Positive messages1
    It's possible to play the game as a benevolent dictator, but players can also be militaristic and cruel. Assassinations are nearly as common as the lies you must tell -- and rebellions arise from time to time. 
  • Positive role models0
    The rulers players create can be honorable men (or women) of the people, but it's much easier to play with fascist tendencies. You're encouraged to stash funds from the treasury in Swiss bank accounts and secret police can carry out covert assassinations and illegal surveillance to make it easier to accomplish goals. Pre-set character options include Fidel Castro and Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier. 
  • Ease of play2
    The tutorial in the game is fairly thorough, but there are a lot of moving parts, which could confuse people not familiar with the city building genre. 
  • Violence3
    Players can order their secret police to assassinate rebellious citizens. Political uprisings are also frequent and can be quelled by ordering soldiers to shoot rebels/protestors on the street, resulting in realistic gunfire and cries of pain (though no blood). The violence and shootings take place from an elevated perspective, and the player is not in direct control of any of the characters involved. 
  • Sex1
    While there's no sex or nudity, players can select the trait "womanizer" in the character creation module, which makes your dictator interested in sleeping with as many women as possible. This trait includes the description "You can't sleep with all of them, but at least you must try". 
  • Language0
    Not applicable.
  • Consumerism0
    Not applicable.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking3
    Players can accessorize their characters with cigars or pipes and are encouraged early in the game to grow tobacco as a cash crop and open a cigar shop. Players can also choose the alcoholic trait, which references AA meetings and parents who abuse alcohol. Construction options include constructing a pub or rum distillery.
  • Privacy & safety4
    Minor privacy concerns. Online functionality allows players to compare their scores via Xbox Live and browse and play challenges created by other users.
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What kids can learn

2

Kids can learn about economics and how businesses operate, as well as some of the basic principles of government (albeit in an exaggerated fashion). As dictators of a tropical island, players ensure that the laws of supply and demand are met and engage in trades and other deals with other rulers. The tutorial can be a bit overwhelming and many will likely skip it. While complicated, Tropico 4 can teach kids civic participation and how businesses run.

Subjects
  • Arts
  • Hobbies
  • Language & Reading
  • Math
    money
  • Science
  • Social Studies
    historical figures, power structures, the economy
Skills
  • Emotional Development
  • Health & Fitness
  • Responsibility & Ethics
See more details

What's it about?

As with other games in the Tropico series, Tropico 4 puts you in the boots of an island dictator. You can create your own or select a famous real-world dictator, such as Che Guevara or Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier. You'll have to build up your island's economy and culture by opening businesses, striking deals with other governments, and ensuring that your political position isn't threatened (which means dealing with a few revolutions along the way). Natural disasters sometimes come into play, presenting a different sort of hurdle to your progress. Over the course of 20 missions, you'll be forced to regularly reevaluate your strategy to adapt to changing conditions.  

Is it any good?

 

TROPICO 4 is a lot like Tropico 3 (which was a lot like its predecessors as well) -- so if you're looking for an innovative city-building experience, this isn't it. There's a strong argument to be made, though, that if something's not broken, then there's no need to fix it. The tweaks to the game, such as the reworked goal system and inclusion of natural disasters, improve on the formula and keep players engaged. The game's Achilles heel is the Xbox controller, which handles the enormous slew of in-game option choices adequately, but not admirably. Playing the PC version of the game is much smoother. 

The game is remarkably deep, but that might actually work against it with people who are new to this genre. It's intimidating -- and even with a good tutorial, it takes a while to get your sea legs. Worse still, the tutorial takes quite a while to work through, and some players will be tempted to skip it, which will ultimately hurt them. However, for those who stick with it (or those who are familiar with the series or genre), it's a solid addition to the Tropico line of games. 

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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about whether it is smarter to take the quick, evil route or the harder benevolent one.

  • Families can also discuss the impact of their decisions, both short- and long-term, and whether they can think of examples of the game's politics in the real world.

  • Can you think of other simulation games that you have enjoyed? How do they compare to this one?

This review was written by Chris Morris

What kids can learn

2

Kids can learn about economics and how businesses operate, as well as some of the basic principles of government (albeit in an exaggerated fashion). As dictators of a tropical island, players ensure that the laws of supply and demand are met and engage in trades and other deals with other rulers. The tutorial can be a bit overwhelming and many will likely skip it. While complicated, Tropico 4 can teach kids civic participation and how businesses run.

Subjects
  • Arts:
  • Hobbies:
  • Language & Reading:
  • Math: money
  • Science:
  • Social Studies: historical figures, power structures, the economy
Skills
  • Collaboration: cooperation
  • Communication: friendship building
  • Creativity:
  • Emotional Development:
  • Health & Fitness:
  • Responsibility & Ethics:
  • Self-Direction:
  • Tech Skills:
  • Thinking & Reasoning: decision-making, hypothesis-testing, strategy

What's it about?

As with other games in the Tropico series, Tropico 4 puts you in the boots of an island dictator. You can create your own or select a famous real-world dictator, such as Che Guevara or Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier. You'll have to build up your island's economy and culture by opening businesses, striking deals with other governments, and ensuring that your political position isn't threatened (which means dealing with a few revolutions along the way). Natural disasters sometimes come into play, presenting a different sort of hurdle to your progress. Over the course of 20 missions, you'll be forced to regularly reevaluate your strategy to adapt to changing conditions.  

How kids will learn

While it's possible to rule your people with an iron fist, it's more fun -- and educational -- to create a stable country and economy. This means balancing food and shelter demands as you tend to other needs. For instance, if players overspend on building up their military, they won't be able to sufficiently feed their population. (Also, simply invading other territories is a quick way to lose.) By trial and error, players must learn to balance their spending to meet their financial situation. 

How parents can help

  • Encourage kids to focus on essential services and learn to prioritize where money should go. 
  • Compare the game to your child's allowance and explain how saving for unforeseen expenses can be critical.
  • Play board games that teach about economics, such as Monopoly; or ones that focus on social studies, such as Settlers of Catan.
This review was written by Chris Morris
Kid, 12 years old
December 26, 2011
AGE
3
 
good
it is sooooo good
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (7) | Had useful details (5) | Read my mind (6)
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Kid, 11 years old
March 3, 2012
AGE
10
 
Love It!!!
I Love the game Tropico. The only downside is the ease of play. Its REALLY hard but once you get past the hardness of it, Its great fun! My charachter is chomping on a cigar and sometimes he smokes a pipe but other then that there is no bad smoking. Overall I <3 Tropico 4!!
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This review was written by Chris Morris
Platforms:Xbox 360
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Simulation
Developer:Kalypso Media USA
Release date:October 18, 2011
Price:$49.99
ESRB rating:T for Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
This review was written by Chris Morris

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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