‘The Thaumaturge’ Review: Stylistic Exciting Cosmic Horror
Justin Wood
|
When thinking about horror games, my mind rarely trails to the scope of an RPG, let alone one set just years before World War 1. That’s what Fools Theory, a Polish indie dev behind Seven (an isometric stealth game) and the more recently announced Witcher Remake, has cooked up. Not only is it a bold choice to mix your cosmic horrors with an incredibly politically charged backdrop, but to give us, the players, the choice to shape our story and the world around us is a big task. Yet, Fools Theory takes that task head-on and comes out of the gate swinging.
Filled With Pride
The Thaumaturge follows Wiktor (pronounced Viktor), a Thaumaturge whose powers let him glean the ambitions of people, their moods, and the emotions of actions. These powers also let him sense the presence of these powerful demon-like creatures called Salutors. Salutors tend to attach themselves to people with heightened personality flaws. Wiktor himself has become attached to one such Salutor because of his pride. But, these will range from higher concept flaws like pride, greed, and lust to the more minute-like scheming.
Going back to his hometown after the death of his father, Wiktor is ready to receive his father’s black tome that the Thaumaturges use to harness their powers, only to have it missing. As Wiktor learns more about the final days of his father, he must also decide if he is going to reinvigorate his relationship with his sister or if he is willing to put it all on the line to give into his pride. All while in search of his father’s tome.
Player Choice Leads The Story
One of the most exciting things about The Thaumaturges’ storytelling is that it’s all shaped by the player. With almost every meaningful conversation, there is a multitude of outcomes. Did you find enough evidence and lore about the current situation to determine the ulterior motives of everyone involved? Or will you give into your pride, the main Salutor that haunts and lives with Wiktor, and burn your relationship bridges to feed the pride and make your Salutor stronger? The Salutors themselves are incredibly well designed with their mix of horror and demonology. The main pride Salutor is a rotting half-Russian skeleton that drips malice.
Player choice is at the heart of The Thaumaturge, and it works great. Early on, there is a seance party for all the members of highfalutin society. You can take the short way through and just follow the objectives, or with some astute detective work, you can really connect with the world and learn the meanings behind everyone’s motives and feelings. It’s a game that lives in a you get what you put into kind of gameplay style. The more you indulge in the world, the more you are rewarded with deeper looks into the denizens of the world and the political climate.
Speed And Verosity Balanced In Combat
I wasn’t immediately sold on the story in The Thaumaturge. Still, over time, as you delve into each character’s story and Wiktor’s struggles, it managed to worm its way into my heart. I don’t think the story will hit with everyone, especially with the game’s setting, but people who envelop themselves in the world will relish in the pseudo detective work that they need to put in.
The one part of the game that is incredible is the combat. While it happens way too infrequently, it’s built out in a way that really pushes forward what The Thaumaturge has in spades—its vibe. Done in a more turn-based style, with each action taking an increment of time. Instant, short on long. At the top of each battle screen, there is a timeline you can follow. There is an interesting strategy of damage and speed, all while trying to interrupt the attacks of your enemies.
Feeding Flaws Brings Power
Instead of the traditional RPGs and having party members, it’s mostly Wiktor and the Salutors you manage to gather. This is where player choice and pride also come into play. As you progress through the story, you will arrive at these big decision moments, at least presented as such, where you can decide to accept the Salutors onto your team. There are times when there is seemingly a choice to add them or not, but I always wanted to harness the power of each Salutor, so I never even entertained the idea of passing on one.
The overall aesthetic design for The Thaumaturge is incredible. There is a unique late Victorian Polish vibe mixed with otherworldly cosmic horrors. Every once in a while, a game comes along whose soundtrack is out of this world, which is absolutely the case for The Thaumaturge. There is this Victorian-based jazz that sounds so unique, and I looked forward to every fight, if only to listen more to the battle music.
Overall, The Thaumaturge is an interesting period cosmic horror piece that blends the worlds of Vampyr, Persona, and Dragon Age. With some outstanding music, combat, and story, it’s a great look into the world of pre-war Poland and the struggles within. Being Fools Theory’s second game, The Thaumaturge has set a high bar for whatever the studio does next and has me excited for their remake of The Witcher.
-
The Thaumaturge
Summary
The Thaumaturge brings with it a strong deep story, mixed with horrific monsters and a deep combat system. Fools Theory managed to blend both combat and exploration in a meaningful way making them a studio to keep an eye on.
Categorized:Reviews
