El Presidente is back, but now he has more to learn when it comes to keeping his citizens happy while maximizing the economy. This latest DLC requires us to navigate the plurality of Tropico’s factions as corruption spreads and causes discontent.
The first thing we notice is that there are a few new maps to choose from, which is always welcome. We can also see that we have the new Lobbyistico scenario that highlights the corruption features. Unsurprisingly, corruption tends to eat away at our money, making this a very challenging playthrough for our island industries.
We can also customize El Presidente with a couple new outfits befitting a corrupt leader. Clothes make the man, but we also get two new traits: Polarizing and All for the Folk. Polarizing is risky, because as the name implies you will either receive a vote or lose a vote whether approval is above or below 50%. All for the Folks eliminates the amount of corruption that comes about from you spending Swiss money.
Let’s get corrupt. Essentially El Presidente needs to surround himself with cronies or lobbyists, and we go about this by using 3 new buildings: The corruption agency, The El Presidente Club, and actual homes for your lobbyists. These don’t become available until the World Wars Era. There is a polarizing effect when it comes to who can be a lobbyist. For example, you can’t court the communists and the capitalists at the same time.
You can have up to 3 of these lobbyists, and these characters can provide certain buffs/perks for your Tropico establishment. Like with actual lobbying, you can enact policies on their behalf and that causes corruption. Also, when your lobbyists live in those official residences, their tax money goes into your Swiss account.
A drawback to corruption is discontent, rebellion, and a desire for liberty. We are already used to malcontents and yearning for liberty from the base game. Corruption is like lighter fluid, getting the worst parts ready to burst seemingly out of nowhere. You don’t have to be a corrupt politician and waive its benefits, and there is a sort of reward that comes in the form of foreign aid. The agency lets you choose which direction you want to head toward, but at the end of the day it turns into a balancing act.
Lobbyistico is a good DLC in my opinion; it breathes a new life into the game by adding extra realism to the island’s politics and demographical changes. The new mechanic adds a welcome challenge and its rewards are very el presidential. It takes some time to adjust when transitioning from the original Tropicos, not because it radically changes the gameplay but because of all the money you will end up burning when you least expect it. I think a fair rating for this DLC is a 10 out of 10.
Check Out the Tropico 6 Lobbyistico DLC Trailer:
The Tropico 6 Lobbyistico DLC is available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
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