I positively adore the CRPG genre; it offers countless opportunities for theory crafting, unique storytelling, influential companion systems, and endless possibilities. But most games within the genre fall into a handful of settings, namely fantasy or science-fiction, with more in the former than the latter. When I heard about The Thaumaturge, a story-driven CRPG set in pre-World War 1 Europe, to say I was enticed would feel like an understatement. It had my full attention, so I’m excited about this The Thaumaturge Review!
Editor’s Note: We were kindly provided with a copy of The Thaumaturge for the purposes of this review. However, the opinions and content within aren’t influenced by this fact. We remain independent and honest in our game reviews!
You play as Wiktor Szulski (I’m so thankful this isn’t a video review), a Thaumaturge who most consider insane due to his ability to speak with demons known as Salutors. These forces of evil play an integral role in the overall gameplay, specifically the combat mechanics. But alongside speaking to demons, Wiktor may also feel thoughts, decipher past activities, and manipulate people through emotion. He’s empathic to the extreme. You’ll use such abilities to navigate the complex narrative, twisting storylines, and a handful of brutal combat encounters that fill the game’s world.
Speaking of, the world of The Thaumaturge proves its most exciting and in-depth feature. The pre-World War 1 landscape is vast and highly detailed, with the appropriate amount of grime and grotesqueness that one would expect from neighboring countries preparing for the war of the world. Overall, it’s bleak.
But in its bleakness, there’s a sense of beauty. Despite the apparent CRPG camera angle from overhead, the minute details shine through. You can stumble through the pools of mud and murky water, enter someone’s home to discover their rituals and knickknacks and gaze at the rugged cobblestone of a city’s streets.
There’s so much detail in such a small package, and I find myself genuinely wanting to explore more of the game world for its beauty—but little else, unfortunately. There’s little reason to explore beyond a few tidbits of background story or lore, for which you’ll spam the perception sense to uncover. It’s easy to fall into a loop while playing The Thaumaturge. You enter a new area, spam your superpower senses, and follow the red trails—rinse and repeat.
And that brings me to my next gripe. As you explore and progress through the game’s world and story, you’ll inevitably meet various characters and participate in their tales. Like most CRPGs, everyone has issues that only a singular hero character can influence. However, the problem here in The Thaumaturge is that you don’t always feel like you have any influence. Some encounters, no matter your decision, play out in the same manner or opposite of your choice. It’s the illusion of choice. So, even if you win a fight or negotiate out of danger, the next stage is often set in stone.
Lastly, regarding my gripes for the game, is how you must occasionally interact with the story. Take, for instance, Vesna. To continue the story, you must focus on finishing other quests or objectives beforehand. But the game doesn’t tell you this; it expects you to figure everything out without indicating that one quest may influence another. Because of this, I nearly skipped out on a few quests, and perhaps that’s a user error. I feel like the game could do more to indicate to the player that you may need to put down one quest for the time being.
But that’s the end of my concerns and dislikes with The Thaumaturge. It may appear that I’m bashing the game, but I’m not. I genuinely enjoyed my experience with this unique CRPG. So, let’s move on!
You’ll find that the turn-based combat encounters provide one of the more unique aspects of the game. Now, turn-based combat isn’t unique to CRPGs, but this style, along with the brutal fisticuffs and rare and occasionally useless firearms, creates a visceral combat experience.
But you’re just a man. Your punches only deal so much damage, even with unique attacks and skill points invested into upgrades. You must utilize Salutors—the demons you speak with—to win combat encounters.
You might fall into a routine, as I did, in combat by utilizing Planned Attacks and my Salutor’s Eerie Intoxication to keep my health up through any ordeal, but it’s effective for a reason. Despite knowing full well how I would counter my opponents each round, I found the combat more enticing than most of the game. I could see this component branching off into a spinoff deck-building game.
Lastly, I realize this isn’t the usual way of playing a CRPG on a PC, but I recommend using a controller. The Thaumaturge works wonderfully with a controller, but it feels more convoluted and cumbersome with a mouse and keyboard.
We hope you enjoyed our The Thaumaturge Review. If you’re a fan of CRPGs or indie RPGs in general, this is one to grab!