Poisonin most video games usually boils down to just another damage-over-time effect. In most cases, it’s not even that much different from other damage-over-time status effects such as bleeding or burning, only, it’s green! Some games do shake up the mechanic by making theirpoison system more uniqueand distinct from other damage-over-time effects.
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Such is the case in many RPGs that also tend to introduce plenty of innovations to the industry. Since they’re already making the gameplay as original or as novel as it can, they might as wellinclude the poison mechanic. As a result, poison-centered builds or playstyles are a lot more fun in these RPGs; one could consider these poison mechanics, venom-enal.
7Divinity: Original Sin 2
Poison inDivinity: Original Sin 2isn’t just poison, it’s also aflammablecatalyst and players might as well treat poison puddles like dynamites. Because they react explosively to fire, for some reason. This puts a new dimension to poison’s purpose in this CRPG. It’s also an environmental threat that can be weaponized to the player’s advantage or neutralized out of the way.
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But poison’s quirks don’t end there inOriginal Sin 2. Because it actuallyheals undead characters or enemies. Hence, this turns poison into some kind of puzzle as well, especially if the player’s party is a mix of living and undead characters. In any case, it’s one of the most clever uses for poison in an RPG.
6Elden Ring
MostSoulsbornevideo games do utilize poisonandpoison swamps liberally and generously. ButElden Ringgoes above and beyond by including two or three different kinds of poison in the game. There’stheregular poison, space rabies poison (calledScarlet Rot), and some kind of nihilistic death disease (Death Blight) that results in instant kills.
All three of them are status effects, and they don’t kick in immediately. Players will have to build up a hidden meter in their targets to trigger the effects of these different kinds of poisons. As if a puddle of green wasn’t enough in aSoulsgame. Players can even combine all three of these poison effects inElden Ring, and the enemies can do the same.
5Cyberpunk 2077
Poison might seem out of place in a cyberpunk setting since nearly everyone is part machine, but somehow,Cyberpunk 2077made it work. There’s a damage type calledChemical damage, andit offers users a chance to trigger the Poison damage-over-time trigger against their enemies. It’s pretty potent against organic enemies.
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But the real best use for poison inCyberpunk 2077lies in theContagion Quickhackwhich uploads a virus to the target’s Cyberware. This kills them gradually while spreading to other enemies. It’s one of the most satisfying ways to inflict poisonin an RPG and alsoplayCyberpunk 2077. Hacking poison into an enemy like some kind of sci-fi plague doctor is also a unique interaction.
4The Witcher 3
Perhaps one of the reasons whyCyberpunk 2077had such a busted poison mechanic is that the developers hadThe Witcher 3as a testing ground. There are several unconventional variations of poisonsinThe Witcher 3. The first is an actual poison that comes with some swords as a separate damage type.
Other poison sources come from oils that need to be reapplied to Geralt’s swords in order to deal damage to certain enemies more efficiently. On lower difficulties, this system isn’t necessary since the game is quite easy. But higher difficulty levels demand more witcher roleplaying from the players, meaning Geralt will have to apply oils to his blades in order to max out his damage potential.
3Slay The Spire
Slay the Spireis a hybrid CCG/RPG that ought to be familiar to fans of established veteran CCGs likeMagic: The Gathering. There’s also a poison deck inMTG(also called Infect), butSlay the Spireoffers a less busted way to play poison that doesn’t involve winning in a couple of turns or so.
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Poison inSlay the Spireis a negative status effect that the Silent characters can apply to their enemies. These poison debuffs can then stack and deal damage per turn depending on how many stacks have accumulated. For added fairness, the poison stack will also decrease per turn once they have dealt damage. It’s one of the fairest and most well-represented methods of applying poison in turn-based games.
2The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion
Skyrimmight be Bethesda’s current golden child, butOblivionhad some gameplay possibilities that madeSkyrimlook like a children’s game. For example, players can concoct their own poison via the crafting system and then inject this poison into apples. They can then leave the apples around in guard towers, poisoning the whole garrison in the process.
This ingenious way to deliver poison in the game was one of the many reasons whyOblivionwas such a fun and busted game thatallowed for broken buildsand playstyles. Players can also apply poison inOblivionto their weapons and apart from just dealing damage, there are other purposes for poison such as inflicting illnesses and draining Fatigue levels.
1Warframe
Warframeis a game about mercenary space ninjas, so poison is already a given tactic. At its base level, poison exists as Toxin damage inWarframe, butplayers can get creative and combine it with Electricity to make it Corrosive (damages armor), Cold to make it Viral (halves HP), and Heat to make it Gas (area damage). Such a system exists forWarframe’s weapon modding mechanic.
Apart from that, certain warframes themselves also employ poison as their theme and main playstyle. The most notably one is Saryn whose abilities mostly infused Toxin damage, spread viruses, or unleash map-wide epidemics. There’s plenty to like inWarframeis one enjoys being toxic to their enemies.
