[Review] Maliki: Poison of the Past for Nintendo Switch

Sure, here’s a rewritten version:

Okay, so let me just dive into this chaos which is "Maliki: Poison of the Past." I mean, who would think a turn-based RPG could get this tangled up with sci-fi? Ankama Games and Blue Banshee did it, and here I am trying to make sense of it. Think webcomic meets, you know, a crazy future where humans are barely hanging on. Why? Because, apparently, there’s some sort of Poison plant monster messing with time. Yeah, I didn’t see that coming either.

You’re snagged on this journey with Maliki, who, fun fact, is trying to save the world with some timeline refugees. How’s that for a gig? She’s got these pals from outside time—they call it the Domaine. It’s all quite puzzling. But you know what? Whatever works when time and existence are on the line.

Right, let’s pause here. Enter Sand. She’s the first one tagging along in this adventure, thanks to a handy-dandy portal she stumbles into. No pressure, but the Thousand-Root Tree’s under attack. I suppose there’s no rest in saving universes. Oh, you also meet Fang and Becky—who seem super chill for people trying to hold back doom. And Maliki? She just notes how Sand’s face is, like, all confused. Probably because, surprise, she’s new around there!

Anyway, navigating these areas involves some stick-maneuvering—like, you’re jumping around, clicking things, the usual game shenanigans. You can swap between your crew to use special skills, and whoa, Sand can mess with time itself. Honestly, why didn’t they make her the protagonist?

Combat goes by turns, feeling almost like knitting—there’s a rhythm, you see? You pick actions, hope they beat the foe’s moves, and smartly use those Chrono Points. It’s wild because Temporal Actions—like, rewinding injuries? Yeah, those don’t come cheap but are kind of key for not getting whooped.

In between battles, you fiddle around with the Domaine. It’s like gardening but sci-fi—seeds, weeds, and, what are they called? Naturons. Yeah, energy from healthy things. Do nature stuff, get nature rewards. Sort of poetic, if I think about it.

Beating Poison’s minions means you’re broadening the Domaine’s safety bubble. Leveling up as you go lets your team learn new tricks and, who knows, maybe chugging some pumpkin soup will boost those experience points? I kid you not.

The longer story arc’s supposedly about fixing the past (Maliki’s, I assume) so she can keep everyone safe, dealing with the big ol’ Poison threat trying to mess up everything. No pressure, right? Somehow it’s all bundled as a $29.99 download on Switch. Seriously, it’s dizzying but in a good way.

So yeah, that’s my skewed take on "Maliki: Poison of the Past." Dive in if you dare, and hey, let me know if you figure out more than I did!