Poison Control is a game that is all about cleaning up people’s hells. The main character wakes up to find that they are somewhere they’ve never been before. The player chooses their gender and name, and they begin to look around. They see this weird creature before them, and the story begins in earnest. Poison Control is an unusual game that players will want to pick up.
As the player plays, they will discover a strange world, where the only source of news is a radio station. The radio station has co-announcers that vaguely remind me of the squid sisters from Splatoon. They keep an eye on the news of the day and help point the player in the right direction. Having them watching over things gives the game much-needed order in such a chaotic world.
The characters are vibrant, and Poisonette is rather brash and bold. Poisonette is the deuteragonist and partner to the main character. She finds that she can take over his body and uses that to help him clean up the poison. The poison is the negative energy from the people who’ve either died or feel immensely bad about themselves. Even if they aren’t dead, they can have their hell, which is an interesting notion. Hell, in this game is a little different, but the concept is unique.
There are quite a few characters that the players meet along the way, including other poisonettes. They pair with other living souls, and all want to win the ticket to Heaven. There is even an Oni that the player meets, and she runs the gift shop. The girls that the player works to save are the real stars. They each have their troubles and quirks and are all great.
The main character has a gun that they use to take down the enemies. They must protect themselves as the player has three lives every time they start a level. Players must wait a certain amount of time after using up their ammo, so shoot carefully and try not to waste it. There are numerous guns for the player to use if they are willing to explore and collect them all.
The player needs to keep their loadout looking good and change it regularly. The loadout screen is important because players will collect many different poisons throughout the game. They will constantly return to this menu to fine-tune their weapons and get ready for the next mission.
Poisonette is playable when she takes over the player’s body. Using her, the player can guide her over the poison, destroying it when she returns. By connecting the shapes around enemies, the player inflicts damage upon them. Doing this doesn’t do as much damage as the gun, but it can be helpful when the ammo is reloading. Taking out the poison is the goal, so destroying it wisely; makes sense.
Players also bond with Poisonette through their choices. Poisonette will ask the player questions, and depending on their answer, a different trait will level up. These traits might not seem important initially, but if used correctly, they can change the game. Each personality trait affects skill buffs that can increase the player’s health, clip size, and other things. These moments are heart to heart, so try to be honest with Poisonette; she’s just trying to figure things out.
The world splits into five major areas or circles that the player must work through, helping the girls along the way. Each girl has their story to tell and a weird boss to takedown at the end. The game might be a little strange, but the stories of the girl’s trials and tribulations might pull on the player’s heartstrings.
Players can grind the different levels to level up. The stages get more challenging as the game progresses, so don’t feel bad about grinding for experience. This game will test the player’s mettle, and that’s never a bad thing, especially as the player is diving through mental Hells. This world is a mess, and diving back in for a little more protection is more important than the player might think.
There is even a gift shop where players can pick up different items with all of the money they find while playing. These items all have a story of their own, so collecting them all might make for a fun challenge. Some of these items are pretty expensive, so only the most dedicated player will collect them all.
The game is colorful and vibrant like other games in NIS’ catalogue. It might be hellish, but style is present, a style oozing with personality and substance. The main character runs around in a suit to differentiate themself from the brightness of the world they’ve found themselves in.
Poison Control is a fantastic game and one that is deserving of at least a look. The characters have real problems that should resonate with players. These poor people are suffering from the stresses of life and are asking to be relieved of the trauma. With grit and elbow grease, the hero and Poisonette will save them from this evil. Will the player dive into the mental-hellish headspace and rescue the people from their troubles?
Disclaimer: A review key was provided