Retail Company Simulator Review (PC)

I’m certainly not one for making executive decisions on which turtleneck sweater compliments which polka dot necktie or what have you, but the fact that I’m able to physically force my clientele into sporting such apparel gives me a sort of power trip that I probably wouldn’t find anywhere else. Like Two Point Campus, perhaps, I have no real experience with revolutionary academic programs or mind-boggling curricula, nor do I have the skills necessary for transforming the humble roots of a shoddy school into a bustling haven for prosperous students — or anything of that nature, for that matter. However, like a lot—most, if I’m being honest—simulation games, it appears that even the most narrow-minded ne’er-do-wells can make short work of otherwise unrealistic goals, and the same applies in Retail Company Simulator, apparently. That’s right, even unfashionable folk like myself can somehow govern a clothing brand. Go figure.

Of course, as with the vast majority of sandbox sims that provide you with the tools to create businesses with branching networks of infinite possibilities, Retail Company Simulator isn’t one for testing your knowledge in the art of design or spearheading vast amounts of trendy apparel. No, like its adversaries, it aims to allow even the most marginalized of folk tread waters that, quite frankly, would require a much sturdier paddle to swathe through in any real world scenario. And to be fair, that works a treat for me, because honestly, I have little to zero experience with clothing, much less the world that orbits various merchandising opportunities. But, in Retail Company Simulator, none of this really matters, for what I say goes, and even at the expense of my reputation, items like turtleneck sweaters will be worn, and they will be sold. I’m the boss, and I will succeed.

If the Glove Fits

Retail Company Simulator lays the foundations for a rather generic blueprint, in the case that, as an avid overseer of sorts, you have the power to transform the barebones of an old store into a functioning empire that’s not only profitable, but also somewhat worthy of sustaining its reputation on an otherwise obsolete high street, too. Of course, with all of this ambition comes a rather simple chain of stepping stones: you build the walls of your future business model, and you explore various merchandising opportunities to help your company grow and your customers become more likely to invest in your product. And if you think that sounds all rather straightforward, then you’re wrong. Well, you’re not wrong, but you’re not exactly right, either, for even retail can be a bit of a ball-ache to learn — doubly so, given the fact that, like in reality, trends change, as do customers.

As the saying goes: if you’ve played one business simulation game, then you’ve probably played ‘em all. As it turns out, Retail Company Simulator doesn’t deviate all that far from this rather basic truth; in fact, it plays it almost too safe by implementing most, if not all of the same mechanics and progression elements: build, research, prosper — rinse and repeat. It’s giving me Supermarket Simulator vibes, if anything. I say that, because if you was to remove the boutique layers from the mix, then you’d essentially have the same setup—a procedurally generated combination of stocking items, investing in product, and acquiring enough cash to make even greater purchases, etcetera etcetera. And that, really, is what Retail Company Simulator is: a slightly more fashionable iteration of Supermarket Simulator, only with a few additional bells and whistles and, rather conveniently, a few extra card transactions, to boot.

Bagging Fees

The gameplay loop in Retail Company Simulator is as simple as they come: stock shelves, ascend levels, and broaden your horizons to obtain merchandise of a higher quality and value. To start out, you have little more than the textureless borders of a small store—a bland husk of sorts, one in which you have the luxury of gradually expanding and upgrading over a series of shifts either behind the counter, or from behind the scenes as a managerial tycoon with admirable hopes of spearheading a successful brand. Like its peers, you begin with a few rails, as well as the simple task of transforming generic items into additional pockets of revenue and experience—two assets that, if spent in an appropriate manner, can elevate your status in the marketplace and provide you with even more options to explore.

Sure enough, if you can do enough work in Retail Company Simulator, then you’ll eventually reach even grander heights—a feat that will pretty much grant you exclusive passage to certain features, such as AI workers, and automated stock trading and what have you. However, with all of these prolific features comes a natural grind that yearns to be accomplished—a relatively tiring but oddly rewarding stepping-stone system that, while still heavily predictable and dare I say dull, has the potential to keep you entwined with the prospect of becoming the greatest founder in retail history. Suffice it to say, it’s finding the patience and the desire to evolve, that’s the issue. Simply put, if you despise the idea of stacking shelves for small change and bite-sized incentives, then there’s a chance that you’ll struggle to bear with the process long enough to reap the fruits of your labor.

Branded For Life

There is one thing in particular that I have to touch base on here, and that’s the lack of branding, or simply, the small margin of product that you’re able to produce and sell in your store. Despite its inclusion of the word retail, the game itself doesn’t actually allow you to stretch beyond the basic hangers and rails of a traditional clothing store, which means, if you did have high hopes of expanding your reach to include various other produce or accessories, then you might want to consider an alternate shore, for what Retail Company Simulator does have stowed away in its casket isn’t much more than the average bog-standard tee and other generic apparel items. And that’s fine, I guess, though it is worth mentioning that, although retail should involve numerous factors and branches, there is really only the one portion that matters in this particular market.

The good news is, developer Business Tycoon is so on the ball with its customers and their wishes that, even though the game has a number of errors relating to its animation and UI, there are multiple fixes forever working to iron out the creases and elevate its overall performance. Having said all that, I for one didn’t stumble upon anything majorly defective during the four or five hours that I poured into the grind, minus, perhaps, the odd client mindlessly strolling through a clothing rack or into some form of transparent glass. But even then, that was a minor issue, and something that didn’t exactly spoil the overall immersion. The point is, I could still stock my shelves, sell my product, and upgrade my store — so nothing was really holding me back from doing what needed to be done. Can’t complain there, to be fair.

Verdict

On one hand, I’m inclined to say that Retail Company Simulator is a great deal of fun to play, but on the other, it’s also a little dull, and it doesn’t help, either, that there isn’t a huge amount to do outside of the generic responsibilities of playing the rightful hand of a cashier and aspiring outlet tycoon. But again, the game itself doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not; on the contrary, it makes it abundantly clear right from the get-go that, in order to progress deeper into its world and unlock its network of rewards, it does require some amount of blood, sweat, and virtual tears. Of course, provided that you have some kind of experience with such duties, this probably won’t strike you as being too much of a pain in the backside.

I’m not going to say that Retail Company Simulator is an absolute blast to play, because, when all’s said and done, it’s still retail that we’re talking about—a line of work that, quite frankly, the vast majority of humans would rather steer clear of than throw themselves at. If, however, you’re the sort of person who enjoys simple tasks and a do-good attitude, to boot, then you’re probably going to enjoy scraping the barrel of this universal trade.