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Motorhead stars in Victor Vran expansion
Haemimont Games is still working on its Diablo-style platforming dungeon crawler Victor Vran, but the game's first expansion is looking metal... heavy metal. Inspired by the album covers of yore, the studio is creating an expansion featuring an aesthetic and sound inspired by the band Motörhead. Haemimont CEO Gabriel Dobrev showed us some early footage of the add-on, which will have all new environments, sounds, enemies and style. The character of Victor Vran will be replaced by another character and the game will stand with its own story.
Tropico 5 launch most successful in series history
El Presidentes around the world have elected with their wallets to make Tropico 5 the most successful launch in the franchise's history, according to publisher Kalypso. The game reached sales of "over six figures," topping the Steam sales charts and showing impressive debuts in the UK and Germany. We mentioned in our review of Tropico 5 that we felt Tropico 4 remains a better experience, but it's still good to see players voting to play the sunny banana republic simulation series. The Xbox 360 and Mac versions of the game are planned for summer, with the PS4 expected to welcome the Tropico delegation this autumn.
Tropico 5 review: New presidente, same as the old presidente
Tropico 5 is another fine example of why the franchise is at the forefront of the simulation genre, but now, more than ever, the series has clearly gotten lost in its own iteration. For veterans of Tropico, the latest installment is a continuation of the evolution we've seen since Tropico 3, but newcomers to the series would be best served by Tropico 4, which had a clearer sense of self. The premise of the banana republic sim remains the same. You are El Presidente, glorious leader of the Tropican people, attempting to build a paradise of your design in a now-persistent island nation through various multi-hour missions. Pushing back against your ambition are the world powers (now from various eras). You will maintain control and prosper by having your citizens plant farms, herd cattle, create institutions of higher learning, revel in bureaucracy, mobilize a standing army ... and embezzle some cash in your personal Swiss bank account. Some of the key enjoyable components of Tropico remain. The writing is playful and brings a colorful narrative to a simulation game. Placing buildings is still a dream and cleaner than ever. It also continues to be a nice touch that if you play as La Presidenta (instead of El Presidente) there's a well-executed female voiceover. The mechanics are sound. If you're a casual fan of the series and all you're looking for is a fresh sandbox with salsa music, El Presidente's got your back. The inescapable itching irritation that becomes a burning flaw in Tropico 5's campaign is the introduction of time periods. An idea meant to ease new players into the world by creating a tiered progression, it gets in its own way with awkward results. Represented by the Colonial, World War, Cold War and Modern Eras, they act as artificial barriers to technology development. The addition of a tech tree not only makes systems convoluted, but is done with the elegance of a three-year-old using markers to draw a Frida Kahlo painting.
Joystiq Streams: Everybody wants to rule the world in Tropico 5 [UPDATE: Relive the stream!]
"What are we going to do tonight, Joystiq Streams?" "The same thing we do every night: TRY TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD!" Tropico 5, the latest installment in Kalypso and Haemimont Game's series of cultishly adored management/tyrant simulators, thankfully makes taking over the world an attainable goal. Out on Friday, Tropico 5's spin on the formula is sending you back in time to build a nation from its founding on through World War II. Joystiq's resident Tropico presidente, Alexander Sliwinski, is going to give a guided tour of Tropic 5 in a one-hour stream right here and on the Joystiq Twitch channel starting at 4PM EST. Not only that, Joystiq's giving out Steam codes for the full version of the game in the chat. Swing on by for a chance to snag one. Joystiq Streams broadcasts every Tuesday and Thursday at 4PM EST on Twitch.tv/Joystiq and at Joystiq.com. [Images: Kalypso Media]
70 minutes of Tropico 5
El Presidente believes in transparency in all things except for his personal Swiss bank account. Here is nearly an hour and 15 minutes of Tropico 5's gameplay. No voice-overs, just some of the devs playing the game. The game will be available to the masses next Friday, May 23.
Tropico 5 imports multiplayer trailer for false democracy
El Presidentes rule alone. The only power is absolute power. But, sometimes, it's in their best interest to work in partnership with someone for an objective. The part about betrayal and a firing squad come later
Tropico 5's latest trailer embraces piracy
Tropico 5 sees El Presidente experiencing a Lazarus existence, traveling through the many historical phases of the island, from pirate times to modern socialism (under dictatorial rule, of course). The latest teaser has El Presidente sparrowing no expense for Russian nuclear weaponry.
Tropico 5 trailer takes quick tour through time
Tropico 5 is all set to keep you safe from the sun this summer, as you rule a banana republic paradise through the ages from the comfort of your shaded domicile. The game's beta test is scheduled to begin this month.
El Presidente's trade embargo with PlayStation ends, Tropico 5 coming to PS4
Nobody puts El Presidente in a corner. If El Presidente wants to be on more platforms, El Presidente is on more consoles. Publisher Kalypso announced this morning that Tropico 5 will be the first installment of the dictator sim to arrive on a Sony console, making its way to the PlayStation 4. Curiously, there's no mention about when the banana republic adventure will make its way to PlayStation. Following up with Kalypso, the publisher told Joystiq, "The PS4 version will follow after the launch of the PC, X360, Mac and Linux version. We haven't announced a release date for any format just yet." The game's developer Haemimont had previously scheduled it for April 2014. We've asked Kalypso for an updated release window, but these tin cans with string we're trying to communicate on aren't very efficient. Kalypso has no confirmed release date.
Twenty developers you don't know, but should
Between consoles, PC, mobile and everything in between, there are so many games released today that it's impossible to keep up with everything that's coming out – and it's even harder to keep up with the studios behind them. Even with a gaming public that's grown accustomed to following big developers like Valve and small studios like Double Fine, countless other studios slide under the radar. In the interest of sifting a signal from the noise, the Joystiq crew has selected 20 developers that deserve your attention. These studios are making games you should play, and their future work should be highly anticipated. This list is by no means exhaustive, and we invite you to share your own favorites in the comments!
PSA: Tropico 4 'Apocalypse' DLC heats up the Cold War, out now
A new bundle of mutually-assured destruction Tropico 4 content has landed on Steam and the Xbox Marketplace, adding the thrill threat of nuclear annihilation to your quaint little island meritocracy for the one-time cost of $4.99. The Apocalypse DLC pack adds a Nuclear Shelter building type, a "Survivalist" trait that reduces the amount of food Tropicans require, a hazmat suit for El Presidente and a new mission entitled "How I learned to love the bomb," which requires that the player (and their country, hopefully) survive a doomsday scenario.
El Presidente releases Tropico 5 screens, citizens rejoice
El Presidente is set to create a dynasty when he returns for the multi-generational saga of Tropico 5 next April. Here is a gallery of screens from the game's "all new art," meaning that assets shouldn't be recycled for the latest game, like they were from Tropico 3 to Tropico 4.
Tropico 5's revolución begins April 2014
Banana republic (not the retail store, but the political science term) simulator Tropico 5 will be available in April 2014. Speaking with developer Today at Gamescom, Haemimont Games' CEO Gabriel Dobrev talked us through some of the changes in the game's latest installment. Much like Tropico 4 was an evolution of Tropico 3, the latest installment is taking a similar visual route and streamlining the management of the island nation. Building support is now handled by one slider to designate investment and factories can have managers help out and dole out bonuses (like extra production or siphoning more to El Presidente's Swiss bank account). Tropico 5 will also span the colonial era to the modern times, with El Presidente's heirs taking up the cigar once he's buried in the ground and feeding the tobacco crops. Players will be able to create a constitution for the island, choosing various bonuses depending on their style of rule. For example, players can keep foreigners out through a visa program or open the island to those yearning to be ruled for free. Tropico 5 will also feature greater transparency in its trading mechanic, which has also received an overhaul. Although there will be standard cargo ships as always, picking up import and export goods from the island, players can also purchase vessels and create trade routes for bonus cash with specific nations for political capital.
Tropico dev working on 'Victor Vran' for early 2014
Haemimont Games, developer and current custodian of the Tropico series, is trying its hand at a Diablo-style title with Victor Vran in early 2014. At a meeting today during Gamescom, Haemimont CEO Gabriel Dobrev showed us the survival action RPG that looks similar to the popular demon hunter series, but includes nice new touches like platforming elements. An example we saw was wall jumping up a broken structure to find a hidden treasure chest. Victor Vran will support both single and multiplayer, where players will always take on the roll of Victor Vran, with their companions reskinned. Vran's arsenal includes scythes, normal guns, lightning guns and much more. "This is our pet project," said Dobrev. The company will continue to work on the Tropico series, but Victor Vran is an independent project the studio has been working on for two years. Haemimont is seeking to involve the community in some deeper way in the development of Victor Vran, but hasn't decided on what form that will take.
Tropico 5 annexing Xbox 360, PC, Mac, Linux in 2014
People of Tropico, rejoice! Or rather, since we're the ones in charge of your little island nation, despair! Kalypso Media has announced that Tropico 5 will debut on Xbox 360, PC, Mac and Linux sometime in 2014, which means that you'll soon be as overworked and underpaid as we've always (mostly inadvertently) made you in the past. Tropico 5 will span centuries of the nation's development, from colonial times all the way through the present, so you'll be stuck with our shoddy leadership forever, essentially. The game's new "Dynasty" features also allow us to appoint our in-game extended family to positions of power, for better or worse. Furthermore, our use of Tropico 5's new maritime fleet-based global trading system will almost certainly result in the loss of all of your livestock, as well as the vast majority of this proud nation's natural resources. But hey, we'll have plenty of imported limes! Delicious, expensive limes! Meanwhile, the game's new cooperative/competitive multiplayer mode allows up to four people to build cities on the same island map, after which they can either share resources, or declare war on each other. In related news, we're pleased to inform you that all of your ramshackle apartments have been demolished in order to make room for several more completely unnecessary airports.
Tropico takes advantage of SimCity situation, on sale for 75% off
El Presidente knows how to capitalize on the mistakes of his enemies. The offline-capable Tropico franchise is taking advantage of the always-online SimCity debacle with a 75 percent discount on the entire series on Steam.The best deal in all the discounts is that the excellent Tropico 4 in its "Collector's Bundle," which includes every piece of DLC, along with the Modern Times expansion (which includes another full campaign), is only $10.The Tropico sale will last one week until March 15. That should be enough time for EA to figure out the SimCity servers. We really, really, really hope.%Gallery-128782%
Omerta has bootlegger demos available now
The demo for Omerta – City of Gangsters, the Prohibition era organized crime simulator from the team behind the Tropico series, is available now. The demo includes two levels from the game, mixing tactical turn-based combat and city resource management.Omerta takes over January 31 and February 12 in Europe and North America, respectively, on PC and Xbox 360.%Gallery-166481%
Tropico 4 'Megalopolis' DLC available for import
Tropico 4 Gold Edition launched this week, and what better way for El Presidente to celebrate the compilation than with an upsell? The "Megalopolis" downloadable content pack is available now for PC, adding a "new campaign, new avatar clothing and more" for $5. The DLC will be available for Xbox 360 later this year.The Megalopolis DLC adds the conventillo, which offers cheap housing with plenty of room before the ziggurat comes along. There's the new trait of bureaucrat to create residential buildings cheaper and with greater profit for El Presidente's personal account through the "building permit" edict. Finally, the game adds the Megalopolis mission, so the island is never lacking dutiful citizens bringing El Presidente a fresh pina colada (made from Tropico rum, of course).
Omerta delayed until early 2013
Omerta - City of Gangsters, from Tropico developer Haemimont games, will smuggle copies in crates of booze to retail in early 2013 for Xbox 360 and PC. Omerta was originally going to invite us to build some speakeasies this November. A representative for publisher Kalypso tells us that the company is currently "aiming for early February" as its new release window.Omerta departs from the simulation aspects of Tropico by also providing a turn-based battle system. A team of thugs is selected to carry out missions and help raise capital for your Prohibition era empire. Think of it as 1920s XCOM without the aliens.%Gallery-166481%
Tropico 4 Gold Edition plots a November 13 release date
Good news, El Presidente! The people are honoring you with a gold edition of your latest coup d'état du jour. Tropico 4 Gold Edition, which includes the core Tropico 4 experience and its lengthy 'Modern Times' expansion, will be importable November 13 for Xbox 360 and PC at a suggested $39.99 price.Although the game does feature a sandbox mode, it would be a shame if you picked this up and missed out on the ridiculous campaign. Tropico 4 is a milestone in the simulation genre, mixing the classic building aspects with an enjoyable over-the-top narrative: clone plagues and a zombie outbreak that can only be solved by plants, included. After this Gold Edition ships, El Presidente is taking a little siesta, but he'll be back.
