The Assassin’s Creed Series
Starting with the second game, Assassin’s Creed tries to get players to care more about each time period. One way is to fix up places.In the Italian Renaissance games, the main character, Ezio, can buy shops by investing in different locations. There are things to buy, but the main reason to use these is to make money. He gets a share of what they make, which goes into his bank account. This messes up the economy of the game, since Ezio will soon be richer than a Medici. Because of this, the benefits get smaller with each new entry.
At their home base, players can still spend money in shops. In Assassin’s Creed 3, there is the Davenport Homestead, in Black Flag, there is the Great Inagua hideout, and in Valhalla, there is Ravensthorpe. These reduce or get rid of players’ share of the money. Still, they are still a good way to get things, many of which are rare. Even though most people don’t think of killers as people who run shops, this has never stopped this series before.
Hogwarts Legacy
In the busy town of Hogsmeade, witches and wizards-to-be can find all the shops they could ever need. Harry Potter fans might not expect to have their own place, though.Penny the house-elf is part of a side quest in Hogwarts Legacy. She is standing in front of an empty house and tells players that her owner will sell the house for 1,500 galleons. It looks like a simple exchange.
Fans are in for a rude shock, which is sad. Then, they have to find their way through a mysterious dungeon with tricky tasks, changing architecture, and a ghost that is out of control. On the bright side, when the trouble is over, players will be able to name and design their store, which will give them a 10% bonus on any gear they sell. What a great way to end one of the most complicated side quests in Hogwarts Legacy. Unfortunately, only PlayStation users can do the quest. That’s too bad, because everyone should have a chance to start their own wizarding business.
The Yakuza Series
Even though the Yakuza series is about criminals, that doesn’t mean that the characters can’t run legal companies. A few of the titles let players run a shop or some other kind of service business. Yakuza 0 is a good example. Here, both main characters are involved in the events. Kazuma Kiryu runs a real estate business. He looks for properties, buys them, and gets a cut of the money made from them. Goro Majima, on the other hand, joins the new trend of comedy clubs. He hires ladies, changes how they look, and puts them in charge of customers based on their specialties. The 1980s spinoff isn’t the end of these pranks.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon (or Backrooms Game) brings business management into the 21st century. Ichiban Kasuga, the new hero, takes a small restaurant and turns it into a huge holding business. Again, he buys buildings, but he also fixes them up and hires managers to make sure they work at their best. He also has to attend meetings of shareholders. If he does well at work and moves up the business ladder, the money starts coming in.
It goes without saying that these are pretty complicated for minigames. They take time and careful thought on the part of the player, but the benefits are worth it. Also, a chicken is a hard worker in both games. It’s good to know that the weirdness that the Yakuza are known for is still going strong.
The Trader Life Simulator Series
Like a lot of small games, the Trader Life Simulator games get their fun from the everyday. Both entries let the player explore a town. They have a lot of shops that can meet almost any need. Food is the most important of these needs, since players need food to stay alive.
How fitting that the main draw of having one’s own supermarket is food. Players build this building from the bottom up. With the right walls and furniture, it can feel warm and welcoming, which can help bring in people. Once they are caught, people who want to be managers can sell them all kinds of things. The shop has more than just groceries, as it can also sell clothes, electronics, and home goods. In a market that is always changing, players have to choose what to focus on and do their best to meet people’s wants. But they can’t go too crazy or they’ll lose their money. Then, how will they get food?