Kevin’s E3 Pick – Tropico 6

I love E3, I love it for the same reason kids love Christmas. No, it’s not the presents, although I received some swag for attending PlayStation’s E3 simulcast at the Pittsburgh Mills Cinemark. It’s the surprise of it. It’s finding an official Red Rider, carbine action, two hundred shot range model air rifle waiting for you behind the desk. And you know folks, that doesn’t happen at E3 as often as I’d like. That’s why I got so incredibly excited during the trailer for Tropico 6, not only from anticipation, but from the genuine surprise.

Playstation’s E3 conference was fine this year, except for some technical problems and a minor gaff. When I walked out of the theater I couldn’t help but be a little bummed by the general lack of enthusiasm. We all felt a little underwhelmed. Why? PlayStation showed excellent footage from God of War, the exclusive Spoder-man game, and earlier Ubisoft revealed a trailer for Assassin’s Creed: Origins. It’s going to be an exciting year for gamers. But we saw God of War and Spider-Man last year, and the new AssCreed has been leaked for what feels like forever.

When the Tropico 6 trailer began, Brandon Duncan and I slowly looked towards each other across a sea of weebs. We locked eyes.

“Tropico?” I said.

“Tropico?” he said. His tone of incredulity was unmistakable. On the screen, El Presidente sends out a social media update on his “Spitter” account, a speet, one might say. His profile picture is the Tropican flag. Together, off beat but zealous and with a pinch of Hispanic accent, the Glorious Ginger and I shouted to the rafters, “Tropico, Tropico, Tropico!”

Tropico 5 was offered up to PlayStation Plus subscribers for free last May, and it quickly rose to my most played game ever gotten through Plus. Even more than that, it’s become one of my most played games on that console. This quirky, satirical dictator simulator puts you in charge of an island to become a blood thirsty autocrat or a benevolent role model. It’s a city simulator that stands apart from it’s genre with a sense of humor that always delivers, and a sassy radio host that rivals the charisma and entertainment of Fallout 3’s Three Dog. The game’s satire is apparently on point enough to be banned in Thailand by the military dictatorship in charge there since a 2014 coup. How punk rock is that?

I can’t wait to Make Tropico Even Greater Again. The Tropico 6 trailer was packed with the kind of humor that made the previous game so charming. There are nods to upcoming gameplay mechanics, such as acquiring the Statue of Liberty and possibly dropping it into the ocean. Right now, all we have is a quirky cinematic, but it’s enough to masticate to, and the surprise I got to share with my friends during the reveal was a welcome return for what I want from E3. Surprise! We’re going back to the island.

Let us know what you think! What was your favorite moment of E3? What surprised you the most? Have you read this article about Dustin’s favorite pick or this one from Ben Smith? Are we ever going to get Kingdom Hearts III and when are we going to see more about Red Dead Redemption 2? Tell us what you think and you could get a shout out on Adventure Mode!

Kevin Lukacs is a historian, writer, occasional playwright, and a total console pleb. Find him on Twitter @kclukacs