The New Classics #57: Poison Control

 

The Backstory: Do I actually like Nippon Ichi Software as a developer? I’m not sure. Half of their titles were a miss with me (Cladun, Cladun Returns, Criminal Girls 2), a quarter were a hit (Criminal Girls, Labyrinth of Refrain, The Princess Guide), and the last quarter I have yet to play (Disgaea, Labyrinth of Galleria, The Longest Five Minutes). Let’s find out where Poison Control stands in this mess!

 

 

The Game: PC is bound to be deeply polarizing, simply by virtue of its aesthetic choices. Love it or hate it, the violent, eye-piercing pink colour palette is a bold choice, and one that makes the game instantly memorable. Another memorable choice is the trippy soundtrack, which is the most atmospheric and un-gaming thing this side of Sonic R. Needless to say, I lap up these bold choices — the more stylised a game, the better.  

 

 

Other things I’m less enthusiastic about are the controls and physics, which could definitely use some tightening up. The former are confusing, with similar button combinations that you’re bound to mix up sooner or later; as for the latter, they can be a bit unprecise — aiming doesn’t always work, to quote only a point of contention.

 

 

Talking about aiming, the gameplay mixes third-person shooter and puzzle elements, to create a surprising yet enticing mix that gels right away. Long story short: you have to shoot at roaming foes, while purifying corrupted areas by running over them — all this to unlock stories of personal woes and struggles à la Persona. It can take a bit of time to find your groove: while I love both halves of that gameplay loop, I didn’t manage to combine them gracefully during my playtime. Then again, said playtime was under the 15-minutes-mark — no doubt I will find my groove if I play longer.

 

 

The Verdict: you know where this is headed, dear fellow gamers: me cutting down the New Classic allotted time means that we do have a New Classic at our fingertips. I’ll gladly welcome Poison Control and its pink decadence into The Collection!