Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 9
  2. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Apr 22, 2025
    85
    Maliki: Poison of the Past offers a uniquely charming experience that captures the original spirit of the series. This lighthearted adventure blends ridiculous humor with genuinely serious themes, creating a distinctive atmosphere. While the action elements might not deliver pulse-pounding excitement, the game engages players through numerous other compelling aspects. It will undoubtedly earn its rightful place in genre fans' libraries, offering both newcomers and longtime fans plenty of reasons to fall in love with this universe - whether for the first time or all over again.
  2. 80
    Maliki: Poison of the Past offers a rich blend of strategic gameplay, emotional storytelling, and immersive world-building. Its unique mechanics and compelling narrative make it a standout title for fans of tactical RPGs and story-driven games. The beautiful art style, and incredible score, and light hearted story telling ensures a memorable gaming experience.​
  3. Apr 23, 2025
    80
    Maliki: Poison of the Past is one of the most enjoyable turn-based RPGs that's come along in a while. It evokes the joy of the best of the PS1-era of the genre while also featuring some of the most frustrating time-sinking puzzle design and objective fulfillment as well. It winds up being greater than the sum of its flawed parts due to the compelling time-bending narrative, but it would be even better with quality-of-life improvements down the road. As it stands now, it's still an easy recommendation for turn-based RPG fans and also a fine game to give a go if you love time-bending stories in fiction, killer soundtracks and interesting diorama-style art design.
  4. Apr 29, 2025
    75
    Maliki: Poison of the Past is a charming game that surprised me in more ways than one. I appreciated the contrasting systems that don’t require a large time investment or genre knowledge; everything stays at a “fun” level, which is safe, but I won’t fault the developer for sticking there. Where it takes chances, it dominates. The character drama, multilayered puzzles, large environments, and incredible soundtrack cap off the experience. Still, there’s noticeable bloat, where numerous ambitious systems cast a shadow over these good qualities. Regardless, if you play Maliki, you will have fun.
  5. Apr 28, 2025
    75
    Maliki: Poison Of The Past is a fun, cozy game with a great story and some funny characters. Not everything lands perfectly, especially since some of the gameplay mechanics can be difficult to understand from the get-go, and they aren’t explained very well. On the bright side, I didn’t encounter too many bugs, although there are some things like the lack of a map, which can make finding ways to progress onward a bit difficult. Yet despite that, I think Maliki: Poison Of The Past is worth a shot, especially if you’re into old-school JRPGs. It has a lot of charm, it’s very fun to play, and it does an excellent job of introducing the new time manipulation mechanic. If you enjoy JRPGs or just want a good cozy game with an appealing story, definitely consider giving Maliki: Poison Of The Past a try.
  6. Apr 22, 2025
    75
    Maliki: Poison of the Past is a pleasantly surprising game. It offers an innovative combat system, a visually enchanting world, and charismatic characters. Its flaws, though present, don't overshadow the many things it does well.
  7. Jul 10, 2025
    70
    This nostalgic and approachable JRPG stands out for its emotionally mature story, accessible combat, and simplified progression that make it ideal for newcomers, although veterans may find it too basic and repetitive in both gameplay depth and resource management.
  8. May 7, 2025
    70
    A successful first foray into video games for Maliki! And a good reminder to the world that French creators have talent, both in comics and RPGs.
  9. Apr 22, 2025
    65
    Maliki: Poison of the Past builds upon a unique concept of the butterfly effect; how one small change can alter the future. The art direction and style of the game are gorgeous, and there’s clear inspiration from JRPGs of the 2000s. But there are a lot of bugs that can make the game frustrating to play, like some enemies being immune to all attacks. Some mechanics aren’t explained well, and the lack of a map could make players disoriented. However, there is clear passion from the team on their love for France (or hatred for Paris), and I enjoyed learning about the more unknown landmarks. Fans of the webcomic will get a greater kick out of this, but non-fans might have to watch a Let’s Play to see if it’s for them.
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  1. May 28, 2025
    Maliki: Poison of the Past is a nice and cute RPG with Japanese touches. It is better when its plots become a little darker.