Tropico-3 posts

When publisher Kalypso Media bought the rights to the Tropico game franchise from Take Two Interactive, some were skeptical that the long dormant "island dictator sim" game series could be revived. However in 2009, Kalypso and developer Haemimont Games proved the naysayers wrong with the release of Tropico 3.

The game got solid reviews along with an expansion pack, Absolute Power, in 2010. Later this year Haemimont Games and Kalypso bring us a new stand alone title, Tropico 4, where you will once again rule the Caribbean island nation as its "El Presidente." Big Download got a chance to chat with Boian Spasov, the lead designer of Tropico 4, as he tells us more about the game and how Chuck Norris figures into it.

Steam's big holiday sale continues today with a new batch of price cuts for PC games from now until 1 pm Eastern time Sunday. In addition to today's Steam deals, GamersGate ends its daily sales event with Men of War Red Tide for just $5.49. Also the streaming PC game service OnLive has put several games on sale for as much as 75 percent off from now until January 2.

The games on sale today on Steam today are as follows:

Batman Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition - $7.50
Splinter Cell series - Save 50 percent off all games in the series or save 60 percent off of Splinter Cell Conviction if you own Splinter Cell Double Agent.
Red Faction series - save 75 percent off all games in series.
X Superbox (all games in the X space sim series) - $19.99
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 - $29.99
Dragon Age series - save 50 percent off all games in series
Monkey Island Special Edition 1/2 - $3.75
Altitude - $2.49
Shank - $7.49
Flatout series - save 90 percent off all games in series
Civilization V - $37.49
Tropico 3 Gold Edition - $6

The PC game download sites are starting up the post-Labor Day sales a little early this week with Direct2Drive, Steam and GamersGate all holding mid-week sales:

• Direct2Drive has two titles on sale until Wednesday. CitiesXL is on sale for $19.95 while Tropico 3 Absolute Power has a price cut today to just $9.95.
• Steam has put Puzzle Quest 2 on sale from now until Thursday $13.39, which is 33 percent off its normal price.
• GamersGate has put three Electronic Arts games on sale until Wednesday. Both Mirror's Edge and Dead Space are priced at just $7.98 while Need For Speed Shift is on sale for $14.97.

For some summer vacation is already over but for many are still waiting for Labor Day weekend to get in one last bit of vacation time. The folks at the Direct2Drive PC game download site have got the Labor Day weekend covered with not one but two special event sales. One is an "end of summer sale" where they will have prices cut on two games for just 24 hours. Today those games are Hearts of Iron III for just $5.95 and Civilization IV Complete for just $19.95.

In addition Direct2Drive celebrates its sixth anniversary this month by having new sales every week in September where all the games involved are priced at just $6. The games involved this week are Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Jedi Knight Bundle, Achtung Panzer, Champions Online, Defense Grid: The Awakening, Tropico 3, Tropico Reloaded, Football Manager 2010, and Penumbra Collection. A new set of $6 games will be revealed next Wednesday.

Kalypso Media's revival of the Tropico franchise with 2009's Tropico 3 seems to have been successful enough for the publisher to get another entry in the island dictator sim series. Today the publisher announced plans for Tropico 4 which will be developed once again by the team at Haemimont Games.

Due out in the second quarter of 2011, Tropico 4 will once again have you as the leader of an island nation. However this time you have the option of turning your nation into a true global super power. Look for a new campaign over 20 missions and 10 maps, 20 new buildings, six new disasters and more. The PC version will allow you to send Twitter messages from within the game, send screenshots from the game to your Facebook page and compare your ranking with other players.

[Via email press release]

When an expansion to Tropico 3 comes around offering Absolute Power, you have to be a little skeptical. After all, how much more power can a player get than to become a tyrannical (or benevolent) ruler of an island nation? As it turns out, there's quite a bit of power to be had... just never enough. Although the expansion doesn't offer a huge twist in gameplay, the new edicts and buildings help players gain a better sense of control instead of constantly falling to the whim of opponents. However, many of our complaints about the core game still exist, so it can be sometimes be a real struggle to become the ultimate ruler we've always imagined being.

Download the Tropico 3 demo (1.1 GB)
Check out all Tropico 3 downloads

Getting over 20 games and DLC products in one shot was apparently too good to pass up for many Steam users this week. The $89.99 bundle of Sega PC game titles was the number one best selling product on Steam's latest weekly top 10 best seller list (according to revenue). The bundle topped the $15 Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package add-on when went down to the number two spot while the main game was in the number five position.

Battlefield Bad Company 2 gets the third spot this week while a 75 percent sale on Tropico 3 put that game in the number four position. The full list is below.

1. Sega Bundle - Sega
2. Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package - Infinity Ward/Activision
3. Battlefield Bad Company 2 - Digital Illusions/EA
4. Tropico 3 - Kalypso Games
5. Modern Warfare 2 - Infinity Ward/Activision
6. Left 4 Dead 2 - Valve
7. Killing Floor - Tripwire Interactive
8. Torchlight - Runic Games
9. Civilization IV Complete Collection - Firaxis/2K-Games
10. F.E.A.R. - Monolith/Timegate/Warner Bros Interactive

In a bit of a surprise, Kalypso Media has just made the Tropico 3: Absolute Power expansion pack available for purchase and download via Steam, Direct2Drive, GamersGate and other PC game download outlets. This expansion does require the original game be installed beforehand.

Just a quick reminder; this $19.99 expansion to 2009's island nation sim game from developer Haemimont Games gives you a bunch of extra options as the leader (or dictator; your pick) of a fictional Caribbean island land. There is a new 10 mission campaign in the expansion with new buildings, disasters and more. You can even put in new tourist attractions to bring in people and money or help out a new Loyalist faction that are devoted to you and your leadership.

The upcoming Tropico 3 expansion's title, Absolute Power, might be a bit overdramatic but it will provide some great content for fans to further customize their island nations. New content includes monuments, carnivals and marinas to further increase the appeal of your benign dictatorship. The expansion is expected to release in July, so players still have some time to work on their campaign speeches.

"Tropico 3 Absolute Power is the first official expansion pack to the critically acclaimed city builder/management simulation -- Tropico 3. Absolute Power invites players back to the island paradise of Tropico to experience unprecedented power as the benevolent (or malevolent) ruler 'El Presidente'. The expansion adds new campaigns, new missions, new islands, unique buildings and new presidential powers to maximize the length and success of your term in power."

Download HD Tropico 3: Absolute Power Trailer (32 MB)

Say you are a dictator in an island nation but you still want the outside world to check your island home out. What do you do? You create cool tourist attractions, that what. This week, we learned that the upcoming simulation expansion pack Tropico 3: Absolute Power will allow you to create the kinds of locations that people will want to visit without being under armed guard.

The expansion, due out in May from developer Haemimont Games and publisher Kalypso Media, lets tourists fly above your nation in a hot air balloon, ride on a big ferris wheel or bring a big expensive yachts to the marina. All of these attractions bring in money for your nation but as usual they can have some negative aspects as well. But you want to show everyone what a cool leader you are, don't you?