Alright, so let’s talk about this game called Maliki: Poison of the Past. The back cover description hyped it up like it’s the next big thing in gaming, mashing up turn-based combat, time travel shenanigans, and you know, that whole town management gig. Sounds neat, right? But man, it’s kinda like it’s having an identity crisis. Does it want to be a tactical adventure or just chill with the veggies? Beats me. Honestly, it’s ambitious, and I gotta give them points for that.
So, here we go. This thing, at its core, is supposed to be an RPG, and hey, that part’s pretty solid! Yet, it’s just a part. You spend an awkward amount of time planting things and poking around this place, Domaine—home to the cool Thousand-Root Tree. Fun? Yeah, but nothing revolutionary. Now, mowing grass and smashing rocks—feels like you’ve wandered into a different game entirely. Maybe it’s hopping on that zen garden bandwagon? Whatever. “Cozy” is the buzzword, but trust me, when you’re stuck wrestling with pixel-perfect puzzles and grinding boss battles, cozy floats out the window, you know? They tried cramming a Cobb salad into a Caesar. Or something like that. Just saying, you can see the thought and heart there.
Even when it hits its stride, there’s tripping over details. The RPG parts are kinda fun but keep halting for throw-in-your-face dialogue and cutscenes. Beautiful animation, by the way. And yeah, the story has its hooks, but getting attached to these folks? Nah, I still call them by hairstyles, except good ol’ Maliki. Their quirks are a bit like trying too hard, like party tricks that have seen better days. Maybe if we knew it was a webcomic or something, it’d click. But hey, supposedly no background needed, they said.
Some bits stick with you though—time travel! That’s where the game shines, with the titled Poison playing havoc with reality. Instead of your regular medieval backdrop, imagine zipping through a farm in the ’80s or a school in the ’90s—kinda neat, right? Enemies get quirky, like as if they’re not creepy enough already with their parasite vibe. Plus, there’s exploring and collecting with some good ol’ laughs along the way. The RPG side has its charm.
Of course, things go sideways with these traditional RPG bits—mazes everywhere! Like, even the characters are just like, “Again?” The puzzles become this rinse-repeat ordeal where you swap characters out to nudge open new paths. I admit, kinda entertaining at first but yeah, it gets old quick. Like, in the ’80s there are students blocking your way, and boom, in the ’00s, it’s tourists. Fresh out of ideas? Maybe.
On the bright side, the soundtrack slaps. Diverse tunes and a big Zelda vibe—it knows what it’s doing. You can fiddle with the volumes for tracks and effects too, which is a nice touch.
Now, about those character abilities—they’re unique and all, but man, the game really trips with glitches. Prompts show up at the oddest times, making it seem like you can pull off moves and then, psych, you can’t.
Okay, here’s where things get messy. Loads of bugs and just patchy attention to detail. Game crashes, freezes, all that chaos. Felt like the game wasn’t fully grown before they put it out there. And can we talk about needing a map? Like, seriously. Old school games had it. Everyone needs it, yet somehow it’s MIA. Makes you tilt your head and think, “Hmm, that’s a choice.”
This game signals this whole “cozy RPG vibe” but didn’t exactly wait till it was ripe enough to be picked. A chompy experience with some hits and plenty of bumps. At its best, imaginative. But yeah, pop in a patch or two, and maybe we’ve got something booming here. For now, mixed bag—enjoy with care.
