Poison Control Review – A POISONOUS PURGE?!
In the world of Poison Control, spirits known as Belles have been trapped into their own individual hells. Because of their despair, they are stuck in these poisonous realms! It is up to Poisonette and her Soul Mate to cleanse these spirits and their hells. Poisonette, after binding to her Soul Mate, that is you, goes on a quest to discover why she is here and to find her way to heaven. By venturing into these Belles’ Hells, not only do you learn more about the people of this world and the suffering they go through but also learn more as to your reasons for being in this realm.
The narrative is fascinating! It dives deep into the emotional connection that these Belles have with the world around them. The dialogue is filled with clever and witty humour, especially through Poisonette! The story is delivered through a mixture of Poisonette and the hosts of Higan Radio, Midori and Kikiri. These radio hosts introduce each new hell and give a bit of a backstory of each Belle as if it was written as fan mail. And honestly, this is quite amusing. Though the story is often light-hearted, it does not shy away from getting into the more heavy and dark nature of the human psyche!
How does Poison Control play?
Because the focus of this title is on the story, Poison Control’s gameplay is simple but effective! Being able to combine some decent combat mechanics with various abilities feels great! Abilities such as purge, which gets rid of poison from Belle’s Hells, and soulshock, which creates a radial lightning attack that knocks back enemies, are a necessity in helping overcome the challenges awaiting you in these realms! Not only does purging poison help to refill your hand cannon, it also can also damage enemies that are trapped in the area being cleared. It feels really satisfying to down an enemy with the purge ability and then finish it off with a quick few shots from the hand cannon.
There are moments when the shooting mechanics can feel a little stiff, especially with faster moving enemies! This can become a little annoying! It can sometimes seem that you have to guess where an enemy may be moving toward to be able to hit them. Using a variety of attacks and weapons is key here, and prevents the gameplay from becoming monotonous. However, the combat does eventually become repetitive, mainly due to the lack of variety in enemy types.
Poison Control’s World Design
The hells in Poison Control are where you will be spending the majority of your time! Each hell looks distinct and unique, often being a good representation of the Belle dwelling within. The level design is again simple! It’s made up of a floating platform in front of a minimalist backdrop. There is not a high degree of challenge to each level. I honestly feel that this works in its favour. This is the kind of game that you can cruise through at your own pace! Never does it feel like it is trying to push you along!
One of the best parts about Poison Control is the music. It is absolutely incredible, which really isn’t a surprise! Excellent music seems to be a common theme when it comes to JRPGs, and this game is no exception! From intense darker dubstep in the dungeons to the chilled out light-hearted instrumental vibes in the overworld, the music really does provide the perfect atmosphere for this title!
Decision
Poison Control is definitely an interesting game, with a unique story, that becomes more fascinating as the game goes on. It is a fairly casual game to pick up and play, and does not require the time dedication of many bigger JRPGs. If you can get past the lack of variety in the gameplay and enemy types, the narrative will get you hooked!
By Samuel Incze
Good
Poison Control is a great casual JRPG that has an addictive narrative. However, it’s repetitive gameplay and enemy types leave much to be desired.
This game was reviewed using a download code provided by NIS America. The Beta Network uses affiliate partnerships, however, this does not influence reviews or any other content published. The Beta Network may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links that are on the website.
Pingback: The Falconeer Review | The Beta Network