Legacy’s Curse (Nintendo Switch)

Alright, let’s see if I can capture that real-human vibe for you.

—

“Maliki – Poison of the Past.” Sounds cool, right? Mixes turn-based combat, time tricks, and managing a town into something that’s, uh, cozy but tactical too. Fancy words, and yeah, kinda true. But oh boy, talk about an identity crisis! This game’s like that awkward phase where you’re not sure if you’re goth or preppy. Admirable ambition though.

So, what is Maliki? Primarily, it’s an RPG, and I guess that’s where it shines the most? But then there’s all this town management stuff. Growing veggies and exploring—sure, fun. But the whole chopping and smashing rocks thing? Feels like a side gig shoved in to catch the trendy wave. Cozy? That’s having a laugh! Puzzles with military precision, boss fights that make you grind more than my grandma making bread, and bugs—yeah, bugs everywhere. Feels like a Cobb salad when all you needed was a straightforward Caesar. Shame, since you can see the love poured into it.

Yet, when it gets it right—ahem—issues pop up. RPG bits are fun until you get bogged down by cutscenes and chats. And oh man, the characters… 15 hours in and I remember hairstyles, not names. Except Maliki, he’s glued to that Domaine place. They’re more gimmicky than deep. Maybe it’s better if you read the webcomic? We were told no homework required, though.

Now, the time travel stuff, that’s kinda cool. Forget medieval castles—think farms in the ’80s or schools in the ’90s. With enemies like parasitic objects, it’s quirky enough to stick. The RPG parts entertain amidst some laughs and treasure hunts.

But, beware—mazes, mazes, more mazes. The characters themselves groan about it, which is funny, ’til it isn’t. Changing characters to pass obstacles gets tiring. Remember those students from the ’80s? Well, now they’re tourists. Entertaining at first, sure, but repetitive as the sound of a dripping tap.

The music, though—chef’s kiss. Diverse soundtrack, occasionally Zelda-esque, bless its heart. You can tweak volumes, which is neat.

Each character’s got cool moves but ah, glitches—random prompts that tease you into thinking you can pull off moves when you can’t. Frustrating!

Then there’s the mountain of bugs and careless details. Crashes I lost count of, froze half a dozen, restarted the Switch even more. Some mechanics just… appear. No guidance, nada. A map? Apparently optional, which is wild considering games from 30 years ago nailed it. Feels half-baked, like someone rushed it out the door.

So, yes, potential is there but it’s a bumpy ride. Positives like the soundtrack are shadowed by a storm of ugh moments. “Cozy RPG adventure?” Not quite. More like a roller coaster of imagination and irritation. Give it a patch or two, and who knows?