Souls fans have been waiting endlessly for the release of Thymesia, and after dipping my toes I have come to find that the game has a lot to offer for a cheap price. While not perfect, exploring this plague-infested kingdom captivated me with how much influence the Souls franchise had on the game. However, the game is suffering from a lack of depth to the story due to item hunting for information. Damage scaling is a bit over the top as well given the fact that I noticed there are no items to help against weaknesses or damage reduction. Despite some glaring issues, for the price the game is a great addition to the Souls-like collection with exceptional combat and an eccentric atmosphere.
Paying Homage May Have Paid the Price
The story follows Corvus who is an insane royal operative navigating the Plague-infested Kingdom with no name. Just kidding, the developer finally announced it as the Kingdom of Hermes, since there was no mention in game or on the site. You embark on a journey to recall your memories in order to get rid of the plague that is turning some into crazy monsters and killing others.
While the roots are based off of Souls, the developers missed an important piece. Souls games tell the story through all items collected, as well as detailed cutscenes. The cutscenes given in Thymesia felt more like a shock factor for scary bosses. I spent most of my time searching for items that gave insight on the lore and story content by breaking boxes and finding documents on walls. To my surprise, outside of documents that were extremely vague, there is nothing to be found. These documents were mostly hiring adds, manuscripts, recipes, and diary entries. I have yet to find anything related to lore which is disappointing for a game with 22 lore items. I was hoping they would add more collectibles or accessories with some clues about the boss or world, but sadly there was nothing else to discover.
Resources Come Slow
One of the biggest issues of the game is survivability. While challenges are my favorite part of Souls games, the developers gave tools, such as items and accessories, to help with strategy. Thymesia offers many weapons for the offensive strategy, but only one potion for the first part of the game. You can increase this by upgrading to 4 uses. Other potion types are unlocked as you defeat major bosses. The problem with this is the damage scaling is very high, and, while normal enemies are manageable, the bosses can kill easily with a combo or two depending on stat priority. Potions should be a means of increasing survivability and strategy, not something withheld if there are no usable items to aid the fight.
Offense is the Best Defense
The combat is incredibly unique for a Souls-like game, and I love the complexity for each weapon choice. Fighting itself feels like a Bloodborne/Sekiro mash up that I never knew I needed. There is no blocking, meaning your parry game needs to be existent because dodging will not get you there. Every enemy needs a certain amount of build up for wound damage, otherwise they will not die or stagger for the lethal blow. Bosses and certain enemies will have more than one health bar and require more than one lethal blow. So, while attacking feels a lot like Bloodborne, the mechanics are a lot like Sekiro.
Weapon variety and what seems to be low poise allow for a lot of chain attacks on bosses, but also leave room for strategy. Each weapon serves a purpose, like the claw for raw damage and shield breaking over wound damage. Daggers are meant to stagger the enemies out of strong attacks which helps break up the enemy’s chain attack. Plague weapons like the axe help with stance breaking or the scythe for damage reduction can be a game changer in tight spots. There are so many combinations that can keep a boss from attacking, but it can also lead to severe punishment if they manage to get a combo in and one shot you. I love the depth that weapons bring to the table, especially since the damage scaling is super high in this game.
Might Not Be Perfect, but Filled with Potential
Thymesia had quite a few flaws but is great for the price and brings a lot to the table. The combat is inspiring with rigorous strategies to choose from. While I wish there would be more in terms of storytelling and item options, the weapon system and ambience alone make up for the downsides. I highly recommend the players with patience and parry game to play it.
Vibe Score: 6.5/10
Veteran gamer, tech nerd, comic addict, anime lover, and just your average introverted weeb.
