New RPG on Steam mixes LA Noire with spooky Pokémon and players are loving it

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The role-playing game The Thaumaturge was released on Steam on March 4th. As part of the Steam Next Fest, players were able to go on a dark adventure in Warsaw in 1905. The reactions to the full version are now mostly very positive.

What kind of game is this? The Thaumaturge is a new role-playing game from developer Fools Theory. The Polish team will also develop the remake of The Witcher in the near future, while a fourth part is in the works at CD Project Red.

The Thaumaturge transports you to Warsaw in 1905. The main character Wiktor is a thaumaturge by profession, by definition a person who can work miracles. In the game it looks like this: Wiktor can not only see various demons, called salutors, but also win them over. Not only does this sound suspiciously like Pokémon, in practice it works that way too.

The Thaumaturge shows you how to fight your way through dark Warsaw in 7 minutes

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Detective work from an iso perspective

What is there to do in The Thaumaturge? Supported by the demons, Wiktor immerses himself in a Warsaw that is ruled by the Russian Empire. The story is the heart of the game. You go in search of Rasputin, the well-known miracle healer. Together with him, Wiktor tries to solve the mysterious death of his own father.

In various main and side quests, you investigate as Wiktor from an iso perspective and draw your conclusions from various snippets of information. Fans of detective games like LA Noire or Disco Elysium should be happy about this. Thaumaturge is similarly atmospheric and full of moral decisions. In addition, the game world is peppered with many small details and texts that provide additional background information.

The fights take place in rounds, similar to Baldur’s Gate 3. And that’s where the demonic Salutors come to your aid. Like in Pokémon, you can use them as you wish and let them fight against your enemies. The monsters seem pretty dark and all have different abilities. For example, the demon Bukavac becomes stronger as his opponent becomes weaker.

The players love the unusual mix

How is the game received by the community? The Thaumaturge was released on Steam on March 4, 2024. The trailer was able to generate excitement in advance. If you look at the user reviews on the platform now, shortly after release, the game currently has an average rating of 83%. That is enough for the verdict “very positive”.

The reviews particularly emphasize the story, the dense atmosphere of the game world with its unusual scenario, and the tactical battles:

  • “You go on a buddy cop adventure with Rasputin and your zombie Pokémon,” says Lovelace, summing up his gaming experience.
  • “A Pokémon trainer who would like to be the Witcher solves mysteries Sherlock-style and catches new Pokémon with the help of Prof. Oak’s distant wizard cousin Grigori Rasputin – 10/10,” says Valkengale.
  • “I’m so glad that unique games like this still exist in today’s bloated and boring triple-A world,” says Ripleyy.
  • “A narrative, character-driven what-if story with an interesting premise, deep characters, unique mechanics and an intriguing setting,” writes The Arcadean.

    • The general opinion is that The Thaumaturge is not a new Baldur’s Gate 3 in its genre as a CRPG and is currently still struggling with some technical problems such as crashes or black screens. Apart from that, the game is definitely recommended for fans of the genre. A release for PS5 and Xbox has been announced, but there is no exact date yet. If you’re interested in a CRPG in the Warhammer universe, you should take a closer look at Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader.

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