Know your flaws and your demons and use them to your advantage in The Thaumaturge.
THE GAME
The Thaumaturge is a turn-based RPG developed by Fool's Theory and distributed by 11 bit studios. As we begin our journey, we meet Wiktor Szulski, our protagonist, who is a thaumaturge. But what is a thaumaturge? They are people who can read the secrets of the human soul, speak to the Darkness, and tame supernatural beings called Salutors, known for causing trouble. Wiktor wants to capture several Salutors and control them, even though this is a deadly and dangerous task. And so, our thaumaturge continues with his objective, passing through several cities and towns, unraveling mysteries and facing enemies, human or not.
MY IMPRESSIONS
I must start my impressions with what caught my attention the most at first glance: the look. The game is beautiful, with lots of details and a very melancholic tone that sets the tone for the story. The character design is very well done and that of the Salutors is not far behind, portraying these supernatural beings in a bizarre and frightening way. The game is not in Portuguese-Brazil, which is a shame, as the game has a lot of texts and you depend on them to understand some missions or where to go at certain times, which harms non-English speakers. The characters are voiced and convey the personality of each one well.
The gameplay is very simple. When exploring, you can easily guide yourself using your senses. In explorations and mysteries, your decisions make a difference in the final outcome. Some actions can only be taken if you have a sufficient level of that required skill. This can culminate in a change in the attitude of some characters, helping you to advance in some situations. In combat, which takes place in turns, you control the actions of Wiktor and his Salutors, for physical and psychic attacks, which can be combined to generate more powerful attacks or effects. It's a really cool dynamic, because at the beginning, it seems like you will always be at a disadvantage in fights, but little do your enemies know that they are the ones who should fear you.
The skill evolution system is customizable and not at all complicated. Unlike many RPGs, where you need a master's degree to discover which skill is best, here you have many options, but which follow a simple line of reasoning and are easy to understand, in addition to improvements, which can be equipped and unequipped from your skills as you see fit.
It's a very interesting RPG, full of questions about flaws, sins and inner demons, about how to use this to your advantage as a strength and not as a curse, about seeking help when necessary. I'm sure that anyone who likes the genre will be excited and encouraged to see where our thaumaturge's adventure will go.
ACHIEVEMENTS
The variety of achievements in The Thaumaturge is huge, but that's to be expected since the game is an RPG. In addition to achievements linked to the story, we have achievements for completing collections, winning battles with specific conditions, such as winning a fight with full life or just inflicting status blows, in short, there are several varieties that, if you want to complete 100%, you will have to explore the game as a whole a lot. In fact, there are missable achievements and different endings depending on your choices during the game, so pay close attention.
CONCLUSION
For those looking for a more intimate RPG, with lots of questions and choices, come and live the life of a thaumaturge. When I started playing, I felt a vibe of The Witcher from Warsaw 1905, even though it had nothing to do with one game or the other. What won me over the most was the look, which is incredible. Needless to say, the Salutors are wonderfully bizarre. Furthermore, Wiktor doesn't gain your sympathy as a protagonist right away. He is an ambiguous character and may have motivations that are not the most honorable. However, many of his decisions are in his hands, so you can change some directions.
It's that type of game that will take you hours and hours, that has a narrative that keeps you hooked. It's a great RPG experience, with a wonderful setting and easy-to-understand gameplay. Even though it has a lot of texts, it doesn't become tiring and can be easily played in short doses, thus enjoying every moment of this good game.
Comments