Tropico 3

There's something appealing about a good, old fashioned dictatorship, so long as you're the dictator. It's a tempting kind of fantasy, whether you feel like being a despotic tyrant, the architect of a tropical utopia, or more likely, a fumbling idiot yanking ineffectually on the reins of power as the cart of society plunges into the ravine of tortured metaphor -- which is fun in its own way. Tropico 3 delivers on those fantasies better than any game in recent memory, but that's sort of an easy thing to say, given that city management sims have long since taken the trophy for World's Deadest Genre, and none of them ever bothered much with giving us banana republics to run into the ground. But I don't want to damn the thing with faint praise. Tropico 3 is a great distraction, if a bit dated and minimal-looking. Even with all the bells turned on, Tropico 3 isn't going to blow anyone's eyeballs off with its graphics. Not that graphics are usually why anyone plays a game like this -- there's enough detail, and you can zoom in close to admire the crumbling tenements or the graffiti on the high school walls, but far more time will be spent trying to figure out whether to make your money off tourism or tobacco exports, in between fending off assassination attempts from people who caught on that you were rigging the elections.

The third time's a charm for this Latin dictatorship simulator.

"The original Tropico was an inventive management and building sim with a satirical bite, a warm and inviting art style and addictive gameplay. While the sequel veered off into pirate territory, Tropico 3 has returned to the series dictatorial, banana republic roots. Get ready for an absorbing blend of politics, economics and city building wrapped in a colourful, witty veneer. "

Quiet, peasants! David Brown, your glorious leader, wishes to speak

I'll admit, I've never had the burning desire to be a Latin American dictator. Something between the ten hour rants and the constant military garb is just off putting. However, it seems to be a f...