Tropico 5 Mad World DLC Review

“One for the sales more than one to grab right now…”

The only thing that Tropico 5 was really missing when it came to being off the wall was El Presidente being genuinely mentally disturbed and, well, mad. The Mad World DLC pack fixes that however, so it you ever wondered what it would feel like playing the game as a dictator who genuinely isn’t all there, then this one is for you!

The Mad World DLC pack once again adds a new mission and a new unique structure to the game which allows you to mix up the way you play (along with a funnel hat for your dynasty members, a new playable map and some more new music). The new mission this time around is much more challenging than the first DLC pack released for the game, The Big Cheese, which felt a little easy. With that in mind and the fact that there is likely to be little other sense in a game entitled Mad World, let us continue.

So as we already established, in the Mad World DLC mission, El Presidente has lost it. In his mind however, he projects the disturbances of his mind onto the people of Tropico as vices. Your aim then is to discredit the people who El Presidente sees as vices around the island and thus free his mind. You do this via the DLC pack’s new building – the Asylum. The Asylum provides mental healthcare to the people of Tropico and gives you the option to discredit citizens without the usual negative effects by giving islanders the illusion that you are “helping” them.

One thing that the DLC does have going for it then is that it creates a competent package. Whilst this is a positive however, the more important consideration for those considering making a purchase will be whether or not the new mission is any good. Well, it’s ok, but it doesn’t quite feel like it has the usual Tropico charm. It is longer than The Big Cheese DLC’s mission was, but more because it is drawn out than because it is actually better. It costs so much to discredit the required number of citizens to complete the mission that the mission takes longer than it really needs to, and when every time you discredit a vice a disaster seems to happen it will take you even longer still. So whilst this is a unique and testing challenge, it isn’t the most fun one…

The new Asylum building looks really good, so well done to the designers there. What it isn’t however is as useful as The Big Cheese DLC’s Creamery turned out to be. In fairness, that probably depends on how you play the game. Personally, I didn’t discredit that many citizens in the first place so the removal of the negative differences of this action made little difference to me, and so I hardly use the Asylum outside of the dedicated mission which requires it. If you do use this function heavily however, I imagine that this will make a welcome difference to you. An asylum seems like a sensible building to have in the game as well, and although sensible isn’t generally the name of the game in Tropico at least you can see where they were coming from.

The Mad World DLC for Tropico didn’t do it for me as much as The Big Cheese pack or some of the others which are available. The new mission does give you a unique and rather different goal, it is still entertaining, and the new building looks cool and will no doubt be useful for some. The mission however is drawn out and not as fun as others, and if you don’t use the discredit mechanic all that much in the rest of the game then the Asylum won’t make all that much difference to how you play. One for the sales more than one to grab right now then, Mad World is worth playing if you a Tropico fan, but don’t feel the need to leap on this one immediately.

The Good:

• A unique new mission and mission style offer something a little different.
• The Asylum building is nicely designed and will be useful for some players.
• Another new hat and map for those who appreciate that little bit extra.

The Bad:

• The new mission is a bit drawn out and lacks the usual Tropico fun factor.
• The Asylum is not all that useful in the wider game if you don’t often use the discredit mechanic.

Disclaimer:All scores given within our reviews are based on the artist’s personal opinion; this should in no way impede your decision to purchase the game.