As a seasoned gamer with over two decades under my belt, I’ve played my fair share of Space Marines, Veil-guarders, and even a Sun Wukong or two. Yet, The Thaumaturge on PS5 has proven to be an unexpected gem that has left me captivated in ways I never thought possible this year.
This year, I didn’t think I needed the story of a solitary character battling demons amidst the perils of early 20th Century Warsaw, considering my schedule filled with Space Marines, Veil protectors, and Sun Wukong adventures in 2024. However, The Thaumaturge on PS5 has successfully changed my mind about that.
Initially released on PC in March, Fool’s Theory’s game received generally positive reviews, albeit with some visual glitches and performance problems that I hadn’t managed to explore until now. On PS5, the game runs more smoothly thanks to several months of adjustments and updates, although it’s not completely flawless. Remarkably, The Thaumaturge belongs to a small group of games that compensate for all their shortcomings by being highly engaging and unusually distinct.
In 1905, as Wiktor Szulski, you journey to Warsaw in search of aid to reconnect with your personal demon, Salutor, whose connection has been recently broken. Your pursuit begins by tracking down the enigmatic Rasputin. The story takes captivating twists and turns, particularly due to Wiktor’s unique and perilous ability. As a Thaumaturge, he possesses the rare capability to perceive and converse with real demons, even summoning them during battles.
Each of these Characters embodies a particular vice or weakness. For instance, Wiktor’s flaw is Arrogance, which makes him sometimes respond haughtily or even defensively to comments and questions, a behavior that often invites trouble from angry locals. The fighting mechanics were initially hard for me to grasp, and I must confess that even by the end stages, I wasn’t entirely at ease with it. There’s a certain disconnect in the system that was difficult for me to overlook, despite its intrigue.
In this game, you and your opponent take turns attacking each other until one of you is defeated. What makes it unique is its semi-card system where you draw special abilities from a deck of skills that you’ve acquired. The objective is to weaken your opponent, disrupt their strategy, boost your own strengths, and defeat them before they can do the same to you. Let’s not forget, this is a game, so despite fights looking brutal with Wiktor getting repeatedly wounded, it’s all part of the fun!
In various scenarios, you should pick the appropriate abilities for Wiktor, as some can heal him, yet may impose a certain price or consequence. As you unlock more skills, you’ll find that the animations for Wiktor and his demonic friends become increasingly diverse. However, these animations sometimes lag, which can cause jerky movements that disrupt the immersion. During fights, the camera work can also be somewhat choppy. Despite these minor issues, I still found the overall experience to be enjoyable; it was just something that frequently caught my attention.
A point I observed but mostly set aside was the inconsistent quality in the voice acting. The actor portraying Wiktor delivers an outstanding performance, capturing a deep sense of despair that can transform into dry, sharp humor at a moment’s notice. He’s a complex character, appearing immediately imperfect and human, despite his extraordinary abilities. Unfortunately, other characters, particularly non-playable ones, don’t measure up, with unexpected accents occasionally cropping up without any apparent reason.
The Thaumaturge on PS5 may have some glitches, but they’re significantly less frequent than at its initial PC release. Despite the occasional hiccups, the gameplay more than compensates for any issues. During non-combat sequences, Wiktor frequently employs his skills to tackle minor enigmas, assist NPCs with side quests, or examine his surroundings to decide his next move.
Examining objects frequently grants Wiktor a psychic understanding about the person who made or owned the item, enabling him to construct mental evidence cases. Much of The Thaumaturge’s screen time is dedicated to these investigations, where he uses concentration to pinpoint significant details and then tracks spectral clues to reach his goals.
In this game, you gain experience points for both fighting conflicts and resolving problems. These points can be allocated into four different skill categories: Heart, Mind, Deed, and Word. By investing points in each category, Wiktor will acquire new talents, unlock additional conversation paths, or even enhance his existing battle skills with additional features.
In an unexpected twist, the game titled ‘Thaumaturge’ seems to defy conventional wisdom in its design. A complex blend of turn-based combat, intricate investigation mechanics, and RPG-lite progression might seem contradictory, yet they coalesce effectively thanks to the immersive atmosphere that binds them together. The portrayal of Warsaw’s districts in this game is bleak and rain-drenched, shrouded in gloom and muck, but it carries a strong human essence and an undeniable sense of belonging for the player character, despite Wiktor’s personal struggles to find his place or feel at home.
Despite experiencing some glitches and finding the combat less satisfying, I found myself quite enjoying my journey with Wiktor in The Thaumaturge. This world can be grim at times, but moments of humor provide a nice contrast. As you delve deeper into the enigma surrounding Wiktor’s past and family lineage, the narrative becomes increasingly captivating, leading to an intriguing resolution. It may not have the fast-paced action of other games this year, but The Thaumaturge offers a distinctive gaming experience that is definitely worth exploring if you haven’t already, especially on the console version.
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2024-12-05 13:16