Poison Control

Whenever NIS America announces a new title, I almost unconsciously expect for it to be either a brand new JRPG or a tactics game. The company has carved its well-deserved niche in the gaming industry with excellent franchises like Ys, Trails of Cold Steel, and Disgaea. So I definitely wasn’t expecting for them to announce… a third-person shooter. Sure, it’s an anime-ish shooter that has RPG mechanics, but still a third-person shooter nonetheless. Poison Control isn’t something you see...

A quick run and game game with little roaming and lots of exposition.

Poison Control will not be to everybody’s tastes, but its strange mix of combat and poison neutralisation antics does at least make it unique. Also, while its gameplay does suffer due to repetition, the somewhat bite-sized nature of its dungeons means it can be offset by playing little but often. Ultimately, no element of Poison Control particularly stands out as impressive, but it also does little to actively put players off getting a controller in their hands and cleansing a hell or two.

It’s time to raise Hell and clean up some demonic mess in Poison Control, the latest action RPG from Nippon Ichi Software. Featuring a unique dual-body mechanic and many, many suggestive themes, this is a title that surprisingly doesn’t come with a vinyl figurine.

A stellar soundtrack and deeper-than-expected story try their hardest, but clunky gameplay and repetitive visuals mire Poison Control closer to mediocrity. These two sides balance out in an average but flawed outing from Nippon Ichi.

I love quirky Japanese games and Poison Control is definitely one such title so let's take a trip to hell and get ready to purify some hearts.

Poison Control may offer a fun and interesting story but mishandles certain aspects all while lackluster shooting mechanics prevent it from standing out in any way.

Poison Control's story is cliché-filled but fun, and the tongue-in-cheek dialogue carries the game far further than its gameplay could manage alone. The writing can only make up for shallow game mechanics to a point, though, and ultimately shallow gameplay is what lets this game down. Visual novel fans will likely find more to enjoy here, but there's simply not enough gameplay depth or variety for fans of shooters.

Poison Control has some of my favourite art and character designs from any game this year, but that isn't anywhere near enough to carry the entire experience. The dual-character combat system is a fresh and stylish idea, but it isn't executed very well. Clunky movement and repetitive combat end up holding back this otherwise stylish and unique new game from Nippon Ichi Software.

An extremely repetitive third-person shooter(?) that accomplishes little.