The Thaumaturge Reviews
The Thaumaturge is a role-playing game that tries to go out of the ordinary with its intriguing plot, well-written dialogues, original characters and successful voiceovers. Travelling to 1905 Warsaw and experiencing the harsh conditions of that period first-hand adds a unique atmosphere to the game. However, the lack of enemy diversity, the weak detective mechanics, the simplicity of the side quests and some technical problems make it difficult to recommend it to those who are not hardcore fans of the genre.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
While The Thaumaturge has a slow start there is a wealth of lore and tactics here to suck in players and a challenging combat to get to grips with.
The Thaumaturge leaves you feeling disappointed. And it's not about outright Russophobia – it's just a bitter cherry on the host of purely gaming problems.
Review in Russian | Read full review
The game welcomes you to historical Warsaw surrounded by esoteric beings. If you are not afraid of them, you can tame them. Expect a rich story and dialogue, but the combat won't be for everyone.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
The Thaumaturge is definitely one of the best CRPGs in recent years. Story is engaging, characters are interesting and combat mechanic are innovative. That being said enemy variety is somewhat disappointing and technical issues are unfortunately frequent.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Anyone who is a fan of playing a supernatural detective will enjoy The Thaumaturge. Its dark atmosphere, engaging story, and tactical combat will keep you coming back for more.
11 bits studios are experts in giving us experiences that go off the beaten track. From the rawness of This War of Mine we move on to a completely different genre, but with its own brand.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The Thaumaturge is the kind of game you can point to when asked what indie games can be at their most profoundly beautiful state. You can see the rough edges, the compromises, and the early faltering steps, and none of it matters. Instead, you’re captivated by the untarnished vision, the uncompromising attention to detail, and the unconventional narrative choices. It’s a game that does so much with so little, and each nuance feels like a revelation.
The Thaumaturge is a game that focuses mainly on its story. From the start, it captures your attention with its links to history, magic, and Slavic folklore. The characters are well-written, but the whole experience is spoiled by monotonous dubbing and almost no facial expressions. The streets of Warsaw are far too quiet, and without the option to travel fast, you'll spend far too much time in them. However, the city is very well crafted, along with the overall design of the characters and solutions. Uncovering people's secrets through perception is interesting, but the fights are more entertaining, with the need to change your tactics based on your opponents. The game includes dialogue options that significantly impact relationships with people and the events in the story. This will make you want to return to the title and try out the different playthrough options.
Review in Czech | Read full review
The Thaumaturge has the wow factor when it comes to its jaw-dropping visuals. Admittedly I was going into this game pretty much blind but had my eyes opened to a banger when it comes to presentation on a big 4k screen. The cutscenes are marvellous with rich detail throughout with amazing character design and you feel the emotion and atmosphere shine through. The environments are stunning with lots of NPCs to engage with throughout with reasonably sized areas to roam around in and explore if you wish to. When it comes to the combat scenarios some fantastic animations showcase the brutality of each attack.
The Thaumaturge blew my mind. Since Vampyr, I've missed a dark tale that captivates with its sad and gloomy city atmosphere. This time, we're dealing with Warsaw, which makes this title even more appealing to explore. The biggest flaw of it seems to be the combat system, which requires significant refinement. Despite that, I still had a lot of fun.
Review in Polish | Read full review
With deep, detailed, and extremely enthralling setting and characters, The Thaumaturge makes quite the splash on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
The Thaumaturge has been on my radar for a while. With everything outlined above and much more that wasn’t spoken about due to story spoiler reasons, it definitely reached the high expectations I had. Dare I even say it surpassed them! Yes, the game has it’s flaws however they do not take away from the main experience. Which at it’s core, is absolutely amazing. I will happily be awarding The Thaumaturge the Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
The Thaumaturge, with its unique setting that combines Slavic folklore with a largely unexplored time in world history, is a title that oozes character. It's certainly not without its flaws, but as far as 'AA' titles go this one is as solid as they come.
The Thaumaturge confirms the positive trend of CRPGs of the last period, but offers its own completely original take on the genre. The setting in early 20th century Warsaw of the adventures of our tormented Wiktor adds a very special flavour to this dark-toned production.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Thaumaturge is a compelling game with a captivating atmosphere, intriguing storyline, and engaging dialogue, making it a standout experience despite minor issues.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
All in all, The Thaumaturge is a game I won’t forget anytime soon. I even intend to play it again from the beginning as soon as Polish VO is added – and that’s something I didn’t declare for any title in a very, very long time.
The Thaumaturge is the perfect example of a game full of creative ideas, built on an interesting foundation, which is ultimately ruined by very poor execution.
The Thaumaturge excels in many aspects, from its immersive yet dark setting to its well-executed characters and skillful turn-based combat.. While it may encounter some issues with pacing and inconsistent delivery, these experiences may differ depending on your choices. This game will resonate with RPG enthusiasts seeking a unique experience in a genre saturated with similar options. Even those who typically do not prefer turn-based combat should consider giving it a chance.
You’ve got an interesting setting, a ton of material, all kinds of ideas, and a studio that clearly knows what it’s doing. That all of that got combined into something as forgettable as this is pretty disappointing, and it makes it awfully easy to skip past this game without a second thought.