Computer Gaming World: Port of Booty Call

Wenching, drinking, gambling, and slavery—Senator Lieberman would have an aneurysm over Tropico 2: Pirate Cove. Sequel to the acclaimed island-building sim that gave you the chance to be a dictator, Tropico 2 promises to make the political murders and imprisonment that characterized its predecessor look like child’s play.

We’ve been playing a preview version of the game, and so far, we like what we see. The game’s developer is now Frog City instead of PopTop, but Frog City’s experience making economic strategy games (Trade Empires and Imperialism) will come in handy, because Tropico 2 boasts an entirely new economic system.

As a Caribbean pirate king during the Age of Sail, you won’t need to work for a living in Tropico 2. Tossed overboard are the cheap cigars and commodities from the original. Instead, your entire economy will be based on illegitimate means. Starting with a handful of captives, you must build up a logistics base to supply your pirates and build their ships. Once your buccaneers have their cutlasses, you can loose them to terrify the seven seas. If successful, they’ll return with gold for your chests and captives to expand your fields. Though you won’t have direct control of the ships in combat, you can set their aggression level and general combat tactics.

All the while, you have to keep your pirates happy by providing them amusement. Tropico 2 adds depth in this area by forcing you to balance the pirates’ love for lawlessness with the desires of your captives. If you’re too lax, your captives may flee or even revolt. Too strict, however, and your pirates will grow unhappy and desert.

With its irreverent attitude and the simple pleasures of pillaging and piracy, Tropico 2 will be a welcome breeze to chase away the stagnation of city-building games. Expect to start terrorizing in April.