Holonoptic – Review | When Corporate Management Becomes a Distinctive RPG

Holonoptic puts us in the role of the CEO of a struggling Swiss company following the mysterious disappearance of its previous chief executive. Within the first few hours spent with the game for this review, it becomes clear that an artificial intelligence known as Geist is far more than a supporting presence in Holonoptic, having become deeply embedded in both the company’s operations and the unfolding story.

The game from Glazial combines management simulation, RPG systems and narrative-driven storytelling, building its experience around corporate power, personal ambition and difficult decisions.

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Story

The story begins with the disappearance of Glazial’s former CEO, who had made a series of unusual decisions shortly before vanishing. The most significant was converting almost the company’s entire cash reserve into Swiss francs just weeks before the Swiss National Bank unexpectedly abandoned the currency’s peg to the euro. The timing is far too convenient to ignore and gradually becomes one of the central mysteries we attempt to unravel.

At the heart of everything is Geist, an AI that has spread throughout Glazial’s systems and effectively controls the company from behind the scenes. It quickly becomes apparent that Geist did not choose us because it necessarily considered us the most capable person for the job, but because it needed a human willing to work alongside it and put a face to the decisions being made.

Different parties surround Glazial, many of whom clearly know more than they initially reveal, while even seemingly insignificant conversations can lead to new clues. The disappearance therefore remains the main narrative thread, gradually unfolding as we progress.

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Writing and Characters

Writing is one of the areas in which Holonoptic invests heavily. There are more than 3,000 lines of dialogue, with many conversations exploring automation, corporate power, capitalism, labour and the role of artificial intelligence without constantly turning the game into a political lecture. The humour is often dry and ironic, while many of its situations and characters will feel strangely familiar to anyone who has spent time working in a corporate environment.

The executives have distinct personalities, ambitions and relationships with one another, rather than functioning simply as tools for completing tasks. During our playthrough, we repeatedly saw their personal interests clash with our own or with those of other executives, while their reactions changed according to the decisions we made. The result is a cast that gives the company genuine personality and often adds a human or political dimension even to seemingly routine management decisions.

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Setting / Environment

Holonoptic takes place in a near-future, post-industrial Europe where the economic and political balance has shifted and major corporations operate almost like independent centres of power. Much of the action takes place in and around Switzerland, where snow-covered Alpine landscapes sit alongside cold corporate buildings, technological facilities and a network of businesses stretching across Europe.

Its cyberpunk identity does not rely on neon-soaked megacities or an exaggerated futuristic aesthetic. Instead, Holonoptic builds its world around corporate AIs, economic power, labour disputes, technological enhancement of the human body and virtual forms of consciousness. This colder and more institutional interpretation of cyberpunk gives the setting a clear identity, making everyday corporate life feel more like a field of political and social conflict than a simple business backdrop.

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Gameplay and Mechanics

The core gameplay loop of Holonoptic revolves around managing and expanding Glazial. We purchase and unlock floors, construct spaces such as offices, server rooms, laboratories and warehouses, hire staff and assign projects that require specific resources and abilities. Time progresses in real time, but it can be paused or accelerated whenever necessary, which becomes essential when organising projects, deadlines and executive movements without unnecessary pressure. At the same time, we interact with more than 50 companies that can become trading partners, espionage targets or potential acquisitions.

Not every acquisition works in the same way. A friendly deal can allow us to take over a company while retaining some of its management and resources, whereas a hostile takeover may reveal items or other benefits that would otherwise remain inaccessible. Up to sixteen executives effectively serve as our party, and we send them on negotiations, assignments, company visits and projects while equipping them according to the demands of each task.

One of the first major examples involves Molecule Pharmaceuticals, a company already under pressure while Amoeba Group attempts to acquire it. We can pursue a friendly acquisition, retaining part of its management and resources, or choose a more aggressive hostile takeover that may lead to different rewards and discoveries. It is one of the first moments where Holonoptic clearly demonstrates that the way we approach a corporate deal can meaningfully change the outcome.

Holonoptic does not feature traditional combat. The RPG side of its conflicts plays out through negotiations, projects, decisions and skill checks, with the abilities of both the CEO and the executives heavily influencing the available options and the outcome of each situation.

The CEO’s psychological condition also plays a major role. The system includes around 40 psychological traits and eight shifting mental and emotional states, all of which affect available dialogue options and skill checks. We also have access to 16 different psychoactive substances that can be used before a critical meeting or negotiation to temporarily alter specific traits, with the understanding that every advantage may come with an associated cost.

Monthly board meetings are another central part of management. Each month we receive a budget and are effectively expected to make use of it, as arriving at the next meeting with too much money left over can be interpreted as evidence that we did not need the full amount in the first place. Early in the game, our contract even includes a probation clause that allows the board to remove us if we fail to perform. The pressure therefore comes not only from growing the company, but also from managing deadlines, people, political balances and the expectations of those above us.

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Progression and Development

The CEO’s progression begins during character creation, where we choose between nine different classes, including Office Drone, Investment Banker and Corporate Spy. Each option affects our starting traits and abilities, while further development revolves around six core skills, more than seventy special abilities and a course-based training system. Genuine skill points are earned through activities that make use of the corresponding stat, while temporary bonuses provided by equipment do not count towards unlocking new abilities or training programmes.

Geist can also be upgraded through new AI packages, gradually unlocking additional functions and capabilities. Throughout the game, we can acquire more than 120 items and upgrades for both the CEO and our executives. Progression therefore goes beyond simply increasing numbers, opening new options and new ways of dealing with the challenges that appear later.

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Replayability and Difficulty

Holonoptic offers substantial replayability, with our decisions tracked across eight different ideological paths that can eventually lead to more than ten endings. We can pursue an aggressively profit-driven style of management, support labour movements, act primarily as opportunists or attempt to maintain a balance between opposing sides. These decisions affect missions, allies, enemies and the company’s final direction, allowing a second playthrough to develop in noticeably different ways.

There are six difficulty levels, ranging from Intern to Singularity, with Office Drone serving as the standard option. At higher difficulties, particularly Singularity, the margin for error becomes significantly smaller and demands stricter planning and better use of both resources and time. Lower settings provide considerably more freedom for experimentation.

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Graphics

Visually, Holonoptic adopts a restrained, almost illustrated style, using a cold colour palette, static backgrounds and a design that fits the bleak corporate aesthetic of its world. Different companies and their locations have their own visual identity, while individual rooms change appearance depending on their function, ranging from server rooms and laboratories to more conventional corporate spaces.

This is not a game built around graphical spectacle. Instead, the emphasis is placed on the visual clarity of its menus, its characters and the presentation of large amounts of information. The art direction remains consistent and suits the overall tone, although the limited animation and extensive use of static imagery make the presentation feel relatively simple when compared with more technically ambitious modern releases.

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Sound and Atmosphere

Sound plays a more supportive than spectacular role. Holonoptic relies on ambient audio, wind, weather effects and different background soundscapes depending on the company or location we are visiting. Music does not play constantly, instead appearing mainly during important moments and events, leaving long stretches of management to unfold with a quieter and colder tone.

There is also voice acting for a significant portion of the dialogue, with more than 1,500 voiced lines. The different accents help give the executives additional personality, although the game does not rely entirely on voice-over for its storytelling. Overall, the audio effectively reinforces the sense of isolation, corporate pressure and cold technological dystopia that runs throughout the experience.

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Technical Performance – Issues and Bugs

Performance remained stable throughout most of our playthrough. Loading times are extremely short and saves are completed almost instantly, which is particularly useful in a game where we constantly move between different menus, projects and decisions.

The biggest problem is the UI. Moving executives, assigning tasks, equipping them and managing training programmes or projects often requires more clicks than necessary, while some functions are located in entirely different menus for no obvious reason. A typical example is being able to view a project on one screen but having to navigate elsewhere in order to start or manage it. Similar confusion exists with certain terminology, such as “this floor”, which in practice may refer only to one specific room.

During our playthrough, we also encountered a case where completing a mission on the same day as its deadline could result in a crash and a problematic save. It was not something that occurred repeatedly, but it is serious enough to warrant mentioning. Glazial has already made noticeable improvements to the interface through patches compared with earlier builds. Controller support is also absent, which is particularly noticeable in a game so heavily built around menu navigation and one that would otherwise be well suited to handheld PCs.

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Who Is It For – and Who Is It Not For?

At this point in our review, it is worth making clear that Holonoptic is primarily aimed at players who enjoy management sims with deep systems, strong narrative elements and plenty of room for experimentation. If you enjoy gradually learning complex mechanics, reading substantial amounts of dialogue and making decisions without there always being one obviously correct solution, the game has plenty to offer. Its combination of management and RPG mechanics will also appeal to those who appreciate games such as Disco Elysium, particularly when it comes to psychological choices and the importance placed on dialogue.

On the other hand, players looking for a fast pace, immediate guidance or a more traditional business simulator where profitability, company value and financial indicators constantly sit at the centre of the experience may struggle with it. The same applies to those who have little patience for micromanagement or dense menus. Its heavy reliance on text also makes a good understanding of English effectively essential.

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Final Verdict

Reaching the end of our review, what we can say with confidence is that Holonoptic is a distinctive and ambitious game that successfully combines management, RPG systems and storytelling in a way that gives it a clear identity. Not every element works equally well and there are areas that still need further refinement, but the core experience is solid and different enough to stand out within the genre.

What ultimately remains is the impression of a game filled with ideas, meaningful depth and a clear creative direction. It may not be completely polished, but it still manages to deliver a cohesive experience with genuine character and one that justifies the time it asks from the player.

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