Tropico 5 and 6 are such a disappointment, after playing lots of Tropico 4. They could have expanded upon 4's features and given the player more ways to govern, but instead they replaced 4's features with the "era system" that makes the entire world revolve around your island; the global powers and world technology only changes when you complete a period-specific quest, and there aren't any history events anymore either. The world feels so much more artificial and lifeless.
On top of that, this game gives you fewer edicts, fewer decorations, fewer buildings, and less fine-detail control over your buildings. Although the ability to decide which individual goods are imported is a welcome addition, and being able to bridge across islands is cool, but those two improvements don't make up for everything that got taken away.
And the DLCs each just feel like the devs said "What wacky novelty or gimmick can we use for a DLC idea?" instead of asking "What meaningful additions can we create which would make sense for a Caribbean island dictatorship?"

The game feels less like being in charge of a banana republic in the middle of an unpredictable world, and more like a generic city-builder that just so happens to take place on some islands.

There is no career or dynasty mode, just sandbox and missions. Don't waste your money.

Tropico 6 offers a delightful and engaging experience, replete with varied choices and a charming soundtrack that splendidly complements the game's atmosphere - just like I love it. However, I cannot help but note a distinct lack of evolution since Tropico 3; the graphics appear dated, and the overall gameplay feels regrettably stagnant. While the game endeavours to capture the whimsical allure of dictatorship, its novelty wanes quickly—within an hour, the absence of meaningful progress over the past decade becomes rather tiresome.