Summary
With Fool’s Theory’s new CRPGThe Thaumaturgefinally releasing following a fourth-quarter delay, many fans are now getting to experience the developer’s uniquely historical-horror title for themselves and discovering that its combat is one of the game’s highlights.The Thaumaturgeblends what might be considered traditional turn-based CRPG battling along with a skill system and abilities that are directly connected to the game’s monster-taming aspects via the Salutors – otherworldly beings based on creatures from European folklore. Ahead of the game’s release, many comparedThe Thaumaturge’s Salutors to a blending of Lovecraftian Eldritch horrors and Pokemon, but the truth is that they stand alone in a sea of other monster-taming RPGs.
To be fair, there are plenty of aspects ofThe Thaumaturge’s gameplaythat call to mind popular monster-taming RPG series likePersonaandPokemon.But, those kinds of surface-level comparisons fail to see what truly makes the Salutors shine, as they play such a significant role in both the story and moment-to-moment gameplay ofThe Thaumaturgeas to be a critical component of the experience. Further, Wiktor’s development as a character (both in terms of the things that happen to him and the abilities he gets to use in the game’s different sections) are all inextricably tied to the Salutors in a way that neitherPersonanorPokemonattempt with their respective protagonists.
The Salutors Share More In Common With Hellboy and Persona Than Pokemon
Monster-taming RPGs existed beforePokemon, but it’s undeniable that thePokemonseries has had an indelible effect on the subgenre that results in each game with a monster-taming component getting compared to Nintendo and Game Freak’s hugely successful franchise. Still, the Pokemon themselves bear more resemblance to flora and fauna than the typical fare that might be associated with the term “monster.” In contrast,The Thaumaturge’s Salutorsare more akin to the titular creatures from thePersonaseries or the antagonists from Mike Mignola’s legendaryHellboycomics thanks to their connections to real-world mythology and folklore.
While many ofPersona’s more commonly recurring demonic entities can trace their origins back to the mythology and folklore of Japan (especially the various yokai and spirits that routinely show up in each game’s roster of controllable Personas),The Thaumaturge’s Salutors are directly inspired by European folklore and esoteric belief. Just like the game’s story, which blends the real-world history of Eastern Europe with a supernaturally-charged horror story, the Salutors are inextricably tied toThe Thaumaturge’s Polish setting. In one example, two of the first Salutors that protagonist Wiktor collects (Bukovac and Lelek) are both creatures with roots in real-world Slavic and Hungarian folklore.
The Thaumaturge’s Integration of the Salutors Goes Beyond Most Monster-Taming RPGs
Rather than opt for a familiar “rock, paper, scissors” style trade-off of elemental resistances and weaknesses akin to eitherPokemonorPersona,The Thaumaturge’s Salutors instead earn their various utilities in combat thanks to the ways that they enhance protagonist Wiktor’s abilities. These enhancements extend beyond the game’s combat (the only facet of gameplay in which Pokemon or Personas have any expression through the player) to impact every corner ofThe Thaumaturge’s gameplay and story.
Even the core conflict at the heart ofThe Thaumaturgehas its initiating event tied to Wiktor’s losing connection to his chosen Salutor, Upyr.
As Wiktor attempts to solve the larger mystery at the heart ofThe Thaumaturge’s plot, he will come across additional Salutors that are aligned with theFour Dimensions essential to a Thaumaturge’s ability to read peopleand work their miracles. In this way, not only do the Salutors impact Wiktor’s ability to be an effective combatant, but they also grant him unique opportunities in investigations and dialogue that can change the course of the story. Salutors may be collectible monster allies necessary for victory inThe Thaumaturge’s gameplay, but calling them “Lovecraftian Pokemon” proves to be somewhat reductive.
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.
