izigame.me

words can not describe how much this game means to me. as a wuss and a baby, i was not too excited to try out what's described as a first job psychological horror game, but what i found in the pixelated confines of the game was a unique story with interesting characters and well-played horror that even a baby like me could enjoy, and even come to seek out.
the game begins rather inconspicuously. you take the mantle of Brian Pasternack, a down-on-his-luck G-class citizen in a 1990's dystopian society. receiving a job offer from the prestigious SintraCorp, Brian packs up and moves to accept the offer. however, within the building, he finds something unlike anything he could have ever imagined in his plain, boring life. the crux of the story hangs on something i would not like to spoil, since this game is best experienced blind. while most of the characters don't have much backstory outside of what's shown on the surface of the game, and while much of the lore is hidden behind increasingly obscure depictions, you still can't help but be intrigued. you want to dive deeper, to uncover each ending and each secret inside of this game.
the characters are obscure and confusing, which adds to the unsettling atmosphere created. the building seems to warp and distort with each step taken, and what's behind each corner is a mystery to both yourself and the characters. uncovering what happens within the walls of the SintraCorp building is one of the many draws this game has.
the gameplay is simple, but the horror that the game builds and implements adds incredibly high stakes. the one complaint myself and others have about the game is limited saves - however working smartly is the goal of the game, and i feel the system is not only lore-compliant, but also an intriguing mechanic added to keep the stakes high. dying will reset you back to your last save, which can be frustrating if you haven’t saved in a while… but the game gives you plenty of opportunity to save before major encounters. the game-saving material is also scattered throughout the game, like a reward for exploring the levels of the building.
the main crux of gameplay is problem solving, puzzles, and self-guided exploration. sprinkled every now and then with a tense moment of fear, the gameplay has a good ebb and flow which i enjoyed immensely. while i'm the kind of guy to look up a walkthrough and follow that most of the way through to get enjoyment, there were moments where I slowly pieced things together myself, and those were unfathomably fulfilling. of course, there were even puzzles that walkthroughs couldn’t help me with – the difficulty of the game is present in its puzzles and exploration, and figuring things out for yourself is what really shines about this game. this goes for both puzzles and lore.
there are many side-quests and bosses in the game as well, and without spoiling anything, i will say it’s highly encouraged to give them a look. if you get a second to rest between the high-stakes action and boss fights, definitely go get to know your coworkers, as quirky and off as they may be.
the game does well to establish its horror setting, and the minimalist pixel graphics do well to add to the obscurity of the horror. everything in the game has room for your mind to interpret and make it more terrifying than the graphics could ever do - and that’s a firm strength for the game. that unknown nature, the minimalism, it’s all there to let your mind run rampant with the horror. it worms its way into you. it really hooks you, and makes you feel as if you’re really there.
in terms of the lore, there’s plenty there if you choose to look. even if it’s obscure, it’s present - and like the horror, it’s up to you to figure it out on your own. plenty of collectables litter the game for you to collect. the atmosphere also tells a story, which give insight to how things were and how they continue to be. each ending of the game gives you more and more than you could have ever imagined, which is why i encourage you to find them all for yourself. the endings will get you emotional, as they are fulfilling extensions of the story you have experienced up until that point.
Yuppie Psycho pulls you into a world of fear and intrigue as you fight your way through a twisted and distorted building built specifically to give you chills. even for a horror baby such as myself, the horror was built in a way that terrifies you, yet keeps you coming back for more. the characters are well-established, the lore is rich, and the gameplay establishes itself in a powerful yet understandable way. Yuppie Psycho is an experience well worth the price.