The Thaumaturge Reviews
The Thaumaturge is a fairly unique RPG in terms of its setting and the themes it addresses. Narratively quite crazy and engaging from start to finish, it is worthy of a very good fantasy movie or a good gothic tale.
Review in French | Read full review
While the investigation aspect may fall a little short, The Thaumaturge is saved by excellent writing and characters. Not to mention a deeply involved combat and upgrade system. (Review Policy)
With a wonderful setting in 20th century Warsaw, The Thaumaturge combines perfectly the fantasy of magic and the rawness of human nature.
The Thaumaturge offers a (very) bleak view of alt-history Warsaw at the turn of the 20th century, driven by ambitious narrative systems and a solid combat offering involving the use of metaphysical creatures.
Developer Fool's Theory has crafted a solid RPG set in 1905 Warsaw that, at times, can feel like as much of an awesome documentary as it is a video game.
Few games are as compellingly unique as The Thaumaturge, a murder mystery set in 1905 Poland, brimming with magical realism, intricate writing, and enough clever ideas to cover up a few shortcomings.
The Thaumaturge blends cosmic horror, mature themes, brutal combat, and a sense of exploration like no game before it. A perfect fit for any horror fan looking to dive into the horrors of the real world.
The Thaumaturge tells an interesting story and pairs it up with fantastic presentation, and one of the most interesting combat systems in the genre. However, its uneven NPC animations and the lack of combat encounters drag down the experience.
The Thaumaturge is a riveting mix of investigating gorgeous environments, weaving together narrative threads and battling through punchy, stylish turn-based combat. It's a story where it feels like the choices do matter, and that makes decisions feel weighty as you progress through the twisted and memorable supernatural setting. Some of the investigations hold your hand a little too much, and it's lacking some overall polish in some areas. Even so, The Thaumaturge absolutely nails the brief in every other way, making for a compelling RPG that stands on its own as unique, visually impressive and deliciously dark.
The Thaumaturge doesn't bring anything groundbreaking to the table and doesn't quite measure up to its more illustrious predecessors. Yet, it tells a compelling and intriguing story, enriched by a setting deeply shaped by its social and political context.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Thaumaturge feels poetic. There is something about it that just feels confident and purposefully precise. It feels like there was a true passion and drive that is effortlessly showcased through the sophisticated story and gameplay elements. The concept of relying on others misfortunes, downfalls, misery, trauma, tragedies, and impurities to get what you want during this historical tension with Russian rule is captivating to say the least. The combat has a lot of neat ideas that prioritizes strategizing, but it feels like there are too many eggs in one basket and the many choices almost undermine the system to begin with, making fighting a bit humdrum. Some hiccups with the graphics don't deter you away from great aspects of the game like the attractive environments, mesmerizing soundtrack, and gripping decision making. The Thaumaturge is an easy recommendation for anyone looking for an intriguing story with intricate and entertaining gameplay.
The Thaumaturge is certainly competent enough, if the prospect of a mystery with some light RPG elements sounds appealing, but don’t expect it to light your world on fire.
Clearly, Fool's Theory wanted to create a game that prioritized story, an uncluttered setting, and charismatic characters. And the studio succeeded. True, it is noticeable that they wanted a larger scope, but either there was not enough money or time. Closer to the end, even the animations seem very meager, and the endings seem chaotic. Overall, however, the team has succeeded in what they set out to do. With the success of The Thaumaturge, we can only hope they build on it and create the game of their dreams in their next outing.
Playing The Thaumaturge is like travelling back in time to Warsaw in 1905. It captures not only the look of the city, but also the unrest of the time and the way the people of Warsaw lived. The Polish team behind the game has created a very compelling story. Although the game's mechanics have some flaws, Fool's Theory's beautiful design makes these minor flaws easy to overlook.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
Wiktor Szulski battles with Geralt as my favourite Polish RPG protagonist in this impressive dialogue-driven mystery that deserves a franchise.
Join Wiktor Szulski on a weird demon hunting adventure.
With an original premise and diverging paths based on in-game choices, The Thaumaturge delivers a fairly engaging RPG whose narrative execution would have benefitted from further improvements.
An interesting Rated M for Mature game on PS5
The Thaumaturge is an RPG with an excellent narrative, fun strategic combat, and an addictive capture and investigation system. With the large amount of missions and options, you'll spend hours here and won't even see time pass.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review