Yuppie Psycho: Executive Edition [Nintendo Switch] | REVIEW

Yuppie Psycho brought plenty of thrills and chills to PCs when it launched last year and now console gamers can get in on the action too, with Yuppie Psycho: Executive Edition bringing even more content to the ‘first job survival horror’ adventure with its launch on the Nintendo Switch. It has actually been a game that’s been on my radar for a long time, but I’d been waiting for this console release – I just find that the Nintendo Switch is the perfect platform for a lot of indie gems.

I can’t help but to wish I’d played it sooner. Yuppie Psycho: Executive Edition is a bloody brilliant game that really does something unique and bizarrely horrifying with its adventure. It ticks plenty of boxes as to what I look for in a game and I’m sure it’ll resonate with other horror fans too.

Yuppie Psycho: Executive Edition puts players into the shoes of Brian Pasternack as he starts his first day working for Sintracorp, one of the most powerful corporations in the world. He actually got the job under somewhat mysterious circumstances, but his first day gets off to a particularly weird start: he is offered a promotion and a big cash sum if he manages to, uh-hum, ‘kill the witch’.

I’d like to give more details than that, because honestly, the narrative of Yuppie Psycho: Executive Edition is utterly fascinating throughout. I’m a big fan of horror, especially when it’s etched with plenty of mystery and secrets to uncover, so I was kept intrigued (and on edge) throughout the entirety of my playthrough as I yearned for each reveal and plot twist. I won’t spoil anything here though… just know that you’re in for one heck of a ride.

The same applies to the gameplay really. I don’t want to give too many spoilers away as to what you’ll encounter through the mysterious Sintracorp building because it really is best discovered by the player. With that in mind, I’ll try to keep things relatively brief.

The core experience revolves around exploring your eerie surroundings, solving puzzles, and avoiding the myriad of revolting nasties that are lingering around. It’d be easy to compare the monsters of Yuppie Psycho: Executive Edition with those found in Silent Hill, albeit with a more colourful twist. Outside of avoiding monsters, it feels like your typical adventure game – you’ll have to find items to progress by searching around everywhere in each environment, you’ll have to talk to everyone you see, and you’ll have to make sure you remember where you need to use each item when you find them. Whilst the stylings and the narrative are outlandish and creepy in design, Yuppie Psycho: Executive Edition also manages to feel traditional in its own ways too. The plot is also constantly moving on, so you’re never stuck waiting for something to happen.

It can be a little unforgiving in places though, with saving your progress a limited action that requires specific items to perform. Whilst this worked in titles like Resident Evil with ink ribbons thanks to the abundance of them that you’d find, the paper you need in Yuppie Psycho: Executive Edition is a bit more scarce. I’m one of those people who saves as often as possible in horror games, but you can’t do that here… it can then lead to some frustrating moments if you die after not saving for some time.

The monsters can be pretty mean too, with a fair bit of damage dealt when you’re caught. Of course, you can heal yourself, but with healing items limited you’ve got to know when to use them. It means you can probably expect to die quite often, which when tied with the aforementioned save system can make for some hiccups during gameplay.

Those are the only real flaws I can pick on with the game though, and, in a twisted way, they do add to the tension. Not that Yuppie Psycho: Executive Edition necessarily needs it mind, with its eerie world-design making for some sinister sights in-game. Again, much like the monster design, it doesn’t necessarily go down the route of being grotesque and often relies more on being bizarre than anything else, but it also doesn’t stop it from being unnerving.

And yes, that’s even with the game adopting a simple visual style. Yuppie Psycho: Executive Edition doesn’t try to keep players on edge with realistic visuals or big 3D corridors, but actually looks like it could’ve come out on a console from the early 90s. It’s a credit to the game then that it still manages to be oozing in atmosphere, whilst the occasional animated cutscene helps set a cinematic tone too.

Yuppie Psycho: Executive Edition offers plenty to uncover during your grisly first playthrough that’ll keep you thoroughly entertained, though this edition of the game also comes with additional side quests, boss encounters, and a reimagined take on the game’s second half. It certainly adds to the replayability of the game, whilst it also gives returning players an incentive to go through it for a second time. There are multiple endings on offer anyway, but with this extra content you can expect to spend plenty of hours learning more about the mysteries of Sintracorp.

Developer: Baroque Decay
Publisher: Another Indie
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch (Reviewed), PC