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Absolute Power doesn't change up how the game is played, but subtly offers more choices in how handle different situations. It isn't until the new radio DJ, Betty Boom, starts preaching to the people about revolting that you get a strong sense that there's new content added. For the most part, strategies that got players through the early parts of the core game still apply here. It still takes an extraordinarily long time and money to develop from an agricultural nation to an industrialized one, especially when Construction Offices take forever to reach worksites, even when there's only one or two buildings in queue.

It isn't until about mid-game that the new edicts and technologies introduced in Absolute Power start to make an impression. One of the more prominent additions include a new Loyalist faction, which goes beyond the fervor of the Nationalist faction by practically worshipping El Presidente. There are different ways to gain loyalists, ranging from character creator decisions to building a grade school and having it indoctrinate young minds with a pro-Presedente attitude. On a similar note, if factional disapproval goes far out of control, players can enact an edict to outlaw them altogether at the consequence of creating a greater rebel presence. Of equal note is an edict called Shoot DJ Juanito, which permanently stops the radio personality's quips and discourages rebel activity for a temporary period of time.

Although the expansion adds a host of features, it doesn't improve on any of the existing ones, which produces a general sense of sameness. For example, players now have the option to build a nuclear missile silo to permanently discourage all foreign invaders from attacking (as long as there are funds to support the program), but the most advanced power plant still use either coal or natural gas. There's no way to upgrade garages to support more cars, and likewise there's no way to upgrade farms with better tools for a higher yield. Surprisingly, although there are a handful of new tourist attractions, there are no new apartment structures to support more local tenants, which makes shantytowns a major issue as the population continues to grow.

Another big problem carried over from the main game is rapid wage inflation. You can increase worker productivity by offering higher pay. It stands to reason that as long as you're above the average compared to other Caribbean islands, the citizens are otherwise content, and both rent and food prices stay steady, citizens should be happy with their pay. However, that's not the case. The benefits steadily decrease and wages eventually outpace what the job is worth. It becomes a catch-22, since you can't demolish a farm that's providing the island with food or a Construction Office that's building infrastructure. The pay game's pay cap makes the situation even worse, so in spite of the fact that Absolute Power is supposed to make the player's reign much more prosperous, the game sabotages itself against long play sessions.

Despite some of the gameplay flaws, we did enjoy playing the new campaign missions, which is made up from a number of different challenges players have to overcome. On one island, the citizens are completely resistant to industrial development. Another has players working to build an ultimate weapon to quell the rebel insurgencies. One of the more creative scenarios involves a science experiment gone awry, and we had to rebuild Tropico with practically no technology. Each scenario comes with its own challenges that spring up from time to time. For example, a rebel bomber will agree to forgo destroying your facilities for a year if you legalize gay marriage. The main downside to some of these scenarios is that the goals can be a little vague. In one instance, we had to generate a power quota before time runs out, but we still lost even though our power plants produced more than enough energy. Other times, the goals seem almost impossible, like building up strong relations and allying with a superpower in twenty-five years while trying to develop the nation.

It's evident that the Absolute Power expansion is designed to extend Tropico 3's gameplay instead of reworking any aspect of it. That's fine, because even though the game has its flaws, it still provides a fun and enjoyable experience. If you don't have the original game yet, we recommend waiting until the two are bundled together and offered as a single discount package. Otherwise you're better off waiting for a sale or the price to drop before picking the expansion up.