Summary
New CRPGThe Thaumaturgesets itself apart from the pack in a number of ways. Most of the trademarks of the genre are present inThe Thauamaturge’s gameplay and mechanics, but the title’s real-world setting and blending of historical fiction with supernatural horror give the game an atmosphere that merges the best parts of games likeDisco ElysiumandPentimentto create something altogether unique. Beyond its unique premise and setting, though,The Thaumaturgestands out among CRPGs for its excellent combat. Rather than adhere strictly to the turn-based or real-time-with-pause systems commonplace in CRPGs,The Thaumaturgeblends a tactical turn-based deck builder with monster-taming not dissimilar toPokemonorPersona.
Combat inThe Thaumaturgeisn’t adeck builderin the purest sense of the term, but all of protagonist Wiktor Szulski’s abilities and skills are tied to acquiring new cards that the player cycles through during battles. Unlocking more of these cards and being able to successfully emerge triumphant from encounters is contingent on making friends withThe Thaumaturge’s Salutors – otherworldly beings that act as the source for a Thaumaturge’s power and perception. As players make their way throughThe Thaumaturge’s excellent campaign, they’ll tame more and more Salutors to come to their aid in battle, and developing their individual skill trees opens up new tactical options in combat.
In The Thaumaturge, Wiktor Szulski’s Tactical Options are Plentiful
Despite the structure ofThe Thaumaturge’s combat retaining much of the traditional turn-based DNA of many otherCRPGs, Wiktor (and, by proxy, the player) has a plethora of tactical options at his disposal. Battles are stationary, with Wiktor facing off against one or more enemies (occasionally with a partner NPC in tow), and there’s no movement or positioning to take into consideration. Instead, it becomes necessary to examine the various traits that each enemy has and use the best tactical options in Wiktor’s arsenal to deal with them accordingly. This is where the various Salutors and their action cards come into play.
BothWiktor and the Salutorshave various abilities that they can unlock and then enhance through careful and strategic upgrading of their skill trees. In turn, each of these Salutors align with one of the game’s Four Dimensions – Word, Heart, Deed, and Mind. By carefully allocating skill points across these dimensions and the Salutors that align with them, Wiktor can break the defenses and buffs of enemies that might otherwise prove deadly during combat. Abilities also either have fast or slow action times, and the ability to see when the player’s (and their Salutor’s) actions will trigger in comparison to the enemy’s adds another wrinkle of strategy to try and plan attacks to prevent the enemy’s ability to act.
Taming Salutors in The Thaumaturge Deepens Wiktor’s Bench
Inextricably tied toThe Thaumaturge’s combat and tactical options are its Salutors, which act as a crucial component to both developing Wiktor’s proficiency in combat and in hisinvestigations as a Thaumaturge. The game’s plot will guide Wiktor through scenarios where he discovers these demonic presences attached to a person with a flaw stemming from one of the Four Dimensions. By defeating and then taming these monsters, Wiktor becomes a more capable Thaumaturge in every facet of the title’s gameplay.
Rather than opt for a sort of “rock-paper-scissors” style of elemental weaknesses and resistances like thePersonaorPokemonseries' titular creatures,The Thaumaturge’s Salutors each represent a different type of tactical option in combat that logically adheres to their respective Dimension. For instance, one Salutor might provide new cards for dealing damage over time, while another might more quicklybreak an enemy’s Focus, opening them up for powerful attacks. By providing a potent mix of rich tactical options in combat along with a sizable roster of collectible monsters,The Thaumaturge’s combat stands as one of the best aspects of the title.
The Thaumaturge
WHERE TO PLAY
The Thaumaturge is an isometric, story-rich RPG with a unique take on turn-based combat, character development features, and investigation mechanics, facing you with morally ambiguous choices – set in a world teeming with mysterious powers and strange ethereal beings called salutors.The year is 1905. Warsaw lives under the yoke of imperial Russian tsardom. Its inhabitants constitute a diverse group of different ancestries, views, and beliefs with often conflicting interests: Russian soldiers, Jewish merchants, Polish townspeople, and more. Despite the circumstances, the city is a buzzing metropolis, where one can attend a breathtaking party with the high society, and later get robbed in one of the dark alleys of the Praga district. A city of great hopes and dreams on one hand and dark desires on the other.A thaumaturge bears both a gift and a burden at the same time. This parallel holds true for Wiktor Szulski, the game’s titular protagonist, who is drawn back to the tumultuous streets of 20th-century Warsaw by family matters. The gift of thaumaturgy is intertwined with family legacy, passed down through one’s ancestors. This mystical inheritance significantly shapes Wiktor’s life journey tied around a pursuit of unearthly entities and their hosts. As only a thaumaturge can tame these ethereal entities - known to a select few as salutors - utilizing their mystical abilities to discover secrets hidden within the human soul and speak to the Darkness, no one understands quite like Wiktor how everyone suffers their own demons.
