Yuppie Psycho: Executive Edition mini-review

Where the difference between the supernatural and the supermotivated is nearly indistinguishable

Beneath the façade of professionalism, corporate workplaces can be remarkably eccentric. Certainly, that’s the case at the Sintracorp, which serves as a backdrop in developer Baroque Decay’s Yuppie Psycho: Executive Edition. You play as Brian Pasternack, a good-natured but unexceptional recipient of an employment letter for Sintracrop. Like most satirical depictions of high-ranking workplaces, as soon as he walks into the high-rise headquarters, it seems like Brian is the only normal one.

One of the first people you’ll meet is Mr. Chapman, who acts completely repulsed by your modest socio-economic status, prompting a case of imposter syndrome. Once inside the building, Mr. Hugo helps you during the onboarding process, but soon displays some worrisome passive-aggressive tendencies. Then there’s the videogame and horror film-loving Ms. Sosa, who is disregarded by most of her coworkers and is typically found hiding in her cubicle. But oddest of all is a witch, who has been sabotaging Sintracorp. Brian’s first task as a new employee is to put a stop to her, like an accountant would halt a monthly revenue seepage.

Yuppie Psycho is an adventure game, so getting to the bottom of this crisis involves exploring eleven floors of the Sintracorp and gathering clues. Fortunately, an elevator makes moving between the building’s different floors straightforward, although you’ll definitely face some frustrating backtracking. On the upside, the Sintracorp headquarters exhibits a visual variety, with areas such as a garden, library, as well as a cafeteria. Sure, it’s all drawn with pixel art, but occasionally an animated cinematic increases the resolution and graphical appeal.

As an eager young professional, Brian is outfitted in corporate camouflage, disguised with bold-framed glasses and a supermarket-procured suit. But his most useful accessory is his briefcase. This bag is used to carry the plethora of items Brian will acquire as he reconnoiters the Sintracrop building.

The path of a corporate witch hunter isn’t always obvious. While item usage and conversations push Brian’s story along, you’ll also get a bit of help after logging into Sintranet. The company AI provides a bit of assistance in your quest to squash the malevolent sorceress. But more importantly, you’ll want to obey genre fundamentals, checking every alcove as well as attempting to interact with every person and environmental object you come across.

There’s little direct combat beyond using a measured number of pencils to defeat fixed foes. But with an insubstantial pool of health and plenty of injurious objects, Yuppie Psycho pushes Brian into becoming an adaptable chef, blending different ingredients into restorative recipes. Occasionally, the game tasks you with a bit of light stealth, as you hide in environmental objects from threats. However, the monsters stop chasing you as soon as you’re concealed, making these sequences feel simplistic.

Yuppie Psycho is at its best when fellow coworkers begin acting increasingly strange, and you’re not sure if witchcraft or just a contrived obligation to efficiency is the cause. The lesson is that corporate culture is just as dangerous as sorcery, turning innocent folks into power-hungry, often sadistic monsters. Although I appreciate the reminder, a rather unforgiving save system and occasional lack of direction demotivated me like a long-winded reprimand from a snooty boss.

Yuppie Psycho Executive Edition was played on PlayStation 4
with review code provided by the publisher.