Legacy of Venom (Nintendo Switch)

Alright, let’s dive into this, no promises about keeping it neat, though. So, there’s this game, “Maliki – Poison of the Past.” The marketing pitch goes something like: “It’s cozy with tactics and stuff.” Yeah, sure. It tries, I’ll give it that—wants to be everything all at once. Kind of like a pie with too many fillings, ya know?

Now, it’s supposed to be an RPG. And yeah, those parts are the highlight. But then you’ve got this whole town management gig. I mean, planting veggies and wandering around Domaine is charming enough, but smashing rocks? Feels like a whole different game just squeezed in there. The “cozy” label feels a bit off, though. Puzzles are like, “get it right or get lost,” and the boss fights? A real grind-fest. Plus, glitches everywhere—you can’t ignore those. Imagine a salad, with everything tossed in, when just some lettuce and dressing would’ve been enough. It’s a bummer because you can see the passion behind it.

The RPG stuff should shine, but it’s a bit stop-start, you know? Like, you’re getting into it and then—bam!—a cutscene or chat. They’re animated well, but characters? Ehh… not super invested. Found myself labeling them by hairstyle. Except Maliki, who chills in Domaine. Personalities? More gimmick than depth. Maybe fans of the webcomic would get more out of it, but we were told, “No backstory needed,” right?

But hey, the time travel angle? That’s cool. You’re not stuck with ye olde villages. Nope, you’re hanging out on an ’80s farm, a ’90s school, and even popping by the Louvre. Enemies are wild—poisoned creatures and objects. Exploration’s sprinkled with humor, and that’s solid.

Mazes though. Ugh. Characters even admit they hate ’em. Swapping between them to solve puzzles gets, like, repetitive fast. First it’s students, then tourists. First few times it’s fun, then you just want out.

Soundtrack slaps, though. Diverse, long, Zelda-ish vibes. And you can tweak volume settings. That’s a plus.

Characters come with unique moves, only usable erratically thanks to the glitchy mess. Prompts pop up like, “Hey, use this skill!” when you really can’t. Annoying. And bugs. Endless bugs. Crashed countless times, game froze up. Kept fumbling with puzzles that just wouldn’t work. Then there’s some parts left hanging without any guide. No map either—a basic miss. Makes me think of old school RPGs with more prep.

This game? Definitely jumped the gun. It’s hard to fully back it with all those slip-ups overshadowing the good bits (music, mostly). It’s like a bag of mixed treats—ideas swirling around needing major tweaks. Needs a serious patch up to see its true potential.