Malicious

Overview

Malicious is an action-adventure video game developed and published by Alvion for the PlayStation 3. It was released on October 27, 2010, in Japan and worldwide in 2012 by Sony Computer Entertainment. An enhanced port of the game was released for the PlayStation Vita titled Malicious Rebirth, featuring a new “Rebirth” chapter with new levels, new bosses and new moves. Another enhanced port, titled Malicious Fallen, was released for the PlayStation 4 in 2017.

The game is meant to offer a simple play experience. The main goal is to defeat a dangerous group of enemies known as the Keepers, and a great evil entity called the Malicious. There is no actual stage progression in Malicious. Instead, all stages start the player directly in fights against a boss and their subordinates.

The Kingdom of Santville faced a precipitous decline due to its own King Eldrake and the plotting of neighbouring autocrats. While the leaders of the country indulged in their desires, the people of Santville remained oppressed, and rebellion became a distinct possibility. Queen Ashlelei, King Eldrake's wife, attempted to reign in his tyranny, but he imprisoned her on false accusations of fanning the flames of rebellion. With the Queen, who the people heavily favoured over her husband, locked away, the people despaired. One month after the Queen's imprisonment, her son, Valeria, and her daughter, Erica, sneaked into the dungeons to set their mother free.

The game received mixed reviews upon release. Reviewing the original PS3 version, IGN's Colin Moriarty gave the game 5.5/10, which denotes a 'mediocre' game. Though he acknowledged the pleasing visual style and soundtrack, "it suffers from some serious flaws regarding its gameplay, camera, and story that overshadow its pretty graphics and unique approach." In particular, he criticised the camera controls, as well as the lack of story or introduction to the mechanics of the game.

Official trailer

Trailer. Watch on YouTube

Screenshots

Game details

Genres

Hack and slash/Beat 'em up

Developer

Alvion

Publisher

Alvion, Sony Computer Entertainment

Series

Malicious

Engine

PhyreEngine

Platforms

PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita

Age rating

ESRB T

Modes

Single player

Yes

Local multiplayer

No

Online multiplayer

No

Co op

No

Age ratings

GRAC

12+

PEGI

12

ESRB

T

Release dates

Subscription history

Space and patches

Space neededAbout 524 MB

Playable today

Playable offline todayYes

Single-player only, with no online features.

Online

Plays offlineYes

Credits

Region

US