[Rewrite] Maliki: Poison of the Past – Nintendo Switch Review

Alright, here goes nothing—let’s talk about this game, Maliki: Poison of the Past. So, first things first, I’m not even sure what drew me in. Maybe it was the whole turn-based RPG vibe mixed with sci-fi? Oh, it’s also a webcomic, which feels kinda neat. Like a comic you can play, right? Anyway, let’s dive into this chaos.

Picture this: the near future, everything’s going downhill. Why, you ask? Enter: the Poison. Imagine a plant monster that messes with time. Sounds wild, huh? You’re with Maliki and a bunch of survivors trying to save what’s left of humanity. They’re chilling in this place called the Domaine, which is outside of time. How does that even work? Time travel? Magic? Total mystery.

So yeah, the story is a mix of in-game scenes and these quirky hand-drawn bits. The first person you meet? Sand. She just kinda falls into this mess through a portal. Classic. You’re under attack at the Thousand-Root Tree and gotta protect it. Fang and Becky join in, fighting the bad guys. Oh, and Maliki just casually points out Sand’s super confused expression. Kinda felt that.

Now, about exploring—you’re moving the stick, pressing buttons, jumping around, chatting with people. All the usual stuff. Switching between the crew with the right stick is a thing—each has their own gimmick. Sand can mess with time (handy for puzzles), while Fang’s pistol does some funky quantum thing. And there’s Qbee, your go-to helper. Seriously, we all need a Qbee sometimes.

Combat? Let’s talk strategy. It’s turn-based. You pick actions, watch the sequence of turns. There’s this gauge on the screen corner that keeps you in check. Use attacks, defend, grab items, restore Chrono Points. Those points fuel special moves or these Temporal Actions. Elemental weaknesses? Yep, it’s the old RPG classic.

Temporal Actions—or time-rewind fighting, basically—chew through Chrono Points but can save your skin. Imagine rewinding to heal or fast-forwarding to boost an attack. Careful, though, it might start a duel if it overlaps with an enemy’s turn. Gotta think fast there!

Outside battles, you’re upgrading the Domaine—gardening, essentially. Cut weeds, plant things, harvest crops. Feels oddly peaceful amid the chaos. Doing this nets you items and Naturons—nature’s energy. Harvest some and, who knows, maybe a cool upgrade’s in store?

Oh, didn’t I mention? Defeating the Poison’s minions heals the Thousand-Root Tree. Winning battles earns experience, leveling you up, boosting stats—like strength and defense. Pumpkin soup helps speed this process up—who knew?

So, wrapping it up, Maliki: Poison of the Past is quite the RPG ride. It’s based on a webcomic with a $29.99 ticket on the Switch. You’re fixing Maliki’s timeline, fighting Poison—your typical universal doom scenario—but hey, it’s fun. Grab your copy if you’re into saving the world through time-bending chaos.

Voilà! Enjoy the madness of it all.