Filipe Amaral

Power corrupts, absolute power... is pretty neat. Tropico 4 is the magnum opus of the Tropico franchise. It has the best gameplay, graphics, story and characters of the whole franchise. This game took the torch from Tropico 3 and made everything absolutely better. The soundtrack is amazing and gives you the Caribbean immersion you need to rule the proud nation of Tropico. The interface is clean and to the point, and the game communicates very well to the player what he is supposed to do, and the colour palettes in this game are gorgeous even by today standards. Also the jokes are hilarious and never get old. The player's avatar has a full customization and I recommend all the DLCs (even if I never cared for the Modern Times feature). El Presidente has a progressive system of skills that grant bonuses for various traits, like -10 for the cost of buldings or +20 skill for factory workers. Some of the traits can also upset factions, with the womanizer granting rapport with the frugal women on the island but not so much with more intelligent ones. Gameplay-wise, Tropico 4 has many more buildings and they all function in a more fluid way and with better proportions than in its predecessor (especially the garage receiving a much needed downsizing). The most important feature added in Tropico 4 is the fast build. This command can single-handedly save your rule and get things on its tracks in a blink of an eye. Each Tropican walking on the map has an easy to follow dossier readily available with his data and preferences displayed in a very user-friendly manner. This game introduces the best character in Tropico: PENULTIMO! The most loyal follower of El Presidente and the advisor guiding the player throughout the game. Penultimo and Sunny Flowers are the hosts of TNT, Tropico News Today, the Radio that plays the music and also discusses what is happening in-game (and God, they are so much better than Juanito...). Each faction has a representative, like General Rodriguez for the Militarists and El Diablo for the Nationalists. The bipolar Cold War with the Americans, represented by Embassador Crane for the US and Agent Sasha for the Soviet Union, is augmented by the inclusion of minor powers: the European Union, China and the Middle East. Each power and faction reacts to especific actions, and pleasing one always pokes another - forcing the player to improvise. Another brilliant idea implemented in this game is the addition of mini-challenges throughout the gameplay, making it very dynamic as you always have something to do; this is particularly fun during the campaign. Tropico has a 20-mission campaign in 10 maps and, unlike its predecessors, the story is a continuous journey with recurring characters and a poignant ending. You start under tutelage of Generalissimo Santana, a well established "old timer" dictator in the vicious Caribbean political arena. The first missions are basic tutorials to get the player used to the basic flow of the game: making farms, mining, understanding the factions and how to deal with the Tropican people. Along the way you get to work with allies and to win disputes with antagonists, like Brunhilde Van Hoof of the United Nations. The stories and dialogs are hilarious and go very well with the game and its atmosphere, with some missions so fun you just have to play them again - but the bread and butter of Tropico 4 remains in its sandbox format. Rule as much as you want, anyway you want it. The fun with this game is garanteed.

Hitman: Codename 47 is the game that started a whole franchise and presented one of games' most recognizable characters: Agent 47. This game has great ideas impaired by technical limitations, both from the technology of the time and the budget, but counters it by having fun gameplay and a flawless story. After the briefing you have the mission map and the equipment list of what you want to bring with you in order to complete your mission. There is always one strategy that was clearly the one intended by the developers and level designers; if you are having a very hard time in a mission, or if you take much longer than 10 minutes, chances are you're on the wrong track. Missions take around 5-10 minutes to complete, provided you know what you have to do. You might be able to complete missions in a different way, but it will usually be a much, much harder way. This game is not hard if you're well informed but it's punishing; its main flaw being the faulty AI, with an awereness problem and very thick skin. The guards' AI has only two modes - idle and combat - and sometimes they simply "know" 47 is bad news. The shooting mechanics are clanky and get forced on you from time to time. The main strengths of this game are the story and the atmosphere. The soundtrack made by Jesper Kyd is simply amazing and conveys a perfect immersion to the different settings - action, suspense, fear. My favorites are the Hong Kong and Colombian settings, with their exotic themes. Maps are quite big and populated. The henchmen in each mission are also expertly done and genuine: they range from Chinese Triad members to Colombian drug soldiers, biker gangsters and masked gunrunners. The NPCs are also diverse, with bartenders, hotel staff and sex workers. The presentation is near flawless with unique signature kills and different approaches to make the perfect hit, giving Agent 47 a solid entry into the assassination business.