Highlights
- The Thaumaturge incorporates turn-based combat and RPG mechanics, allowing the protagonist to interact with and tame esoteric beings known as Salutors.
- The Salutors in The Thaumaturge are inspired by real-world mythology and folklore, similar to the creatures in Persona. Both games feature a collection mechanic resembling a dark, esoteric version of Pokemon, with unique abilities and effects on combat encounters.
- The Salutors in The Thaumaturge serve as a helpful factor when the protagonist needs assistance in combat or uncovering secrets. They provide an advantage and help tip the scales in the player's favor, similar to how Personas assist the protagonist in Persona games.
In between assisting with the development of both Baldur's Gate 3 and its work on the upcoming remake of the first Witcher game, developer Fool's Theory has been hard at work crafting the upcoming alternate history CRPG The Thaumaturge. Blending engaging turn-based combat along with some compelling RPG mechanics involving the titular character's ability to read and manipulate people, The Thaumaturge looks to be a welcome addition to what's already shaping up to be a banner year for the genre. And, for fans of either the Shin Megami Tensei or its spin-off Persona series, getting the assistance of The Thaumaturge's demonic Salutors will feel refreshingly familiar.
Like in those iconic JRPGs, The Thaumaturge's protagonist, Wiktor, can interact with (and then subsequently tame) esoteric beings to assist him in combat and other gameplay scenarios. These beings, the Salutors, are an eclectic mix of otherworldly paranormal entities that deftly straddle the line between the world of the supernatural and the real-world historical inspirations of The Thaumaturge. Like the Personas from their namesake series, taming and then bonding with these Salutors aligning with the game's four Dimensions grants Wiktor abilities that he would not possess otherwise and impacts both dialogue and encounter design.
The Thaumaturge: The Real-World History of 1905 Warsaw
The Thaumaturge presents a version of 1905 Warsaw haunted by esoteric beasts, but its real story is rich and gripping by itself.
The Thaumaturge's Dimensions Are Similar to Persona's Arcana
Similar to the titular Personas from Atlus' Persona series, each of The Thaumaturge's Salutors is aligned with one of the game's four Dimensions. And, depending on which Dimensions the player chooses to align the protagonist Wiktor with, certain Salutors are either more or less effective, opening up new avenues in dialogue and combat scenarios while simultaneously closing off others. The four Dimensions are:
- Word
- Heart
- Deed
- Mind
While there are only four different Dimensions for each of The Thaumaturge's Salutors to align with, this should seem familiar to fans of the Persona series thanks to how each Persona is aligned with a particular Arcana. Strengthening these Arcana through the Social Links the protagonist can form with various companions in the real world has a profound impact on how the Personas themselves grow and develop, especially where Persona Fusion is concerned.
The Arcana in the Persona series are based on the traditional Tarot deck, resulting in 21 different alignments for the dozens of Personas in each entry. Similar to how neglecting certain Social Links in Persona has the negative effect of rendering some Personas ineffective, choosing to align Wiktor with one Dimension over another can potentially negate the usefulness of certain Salutors.
The Salutors' Existence as 'Lovecraftian Pokemon' Falls in Line with Persona's Namesake
Also similar to the titular Personas are the Salutors' design inspirations. The exact number of Salutors that Wiktor will eventually have access to in The Thaumaturge is not something that Fool's Theory has revealed yet, but what is known is that each of them is inspired by real-world mythology and folklore from various regions. The same can be said of the creatures that assist the player in the Persona games, which feature naming conventions and designs that connect them directly to the various Yokai and other paranormal beings from both Eastern and Western spirituality and folklore.
The act of meeting, taming, and "collecting" both Salutors and Personas essentially makes them each like a grimdark, esoteric version of Pokemon, complete with their own sets of abilities and "rock, paper, scissors" like effect on enemies in combat encounters. However, where both the Persona series and The Thaumaturge differ from Game Freak's monster-taming franchise is in each game's protagonist being able to hold their own in combat. Still, when Wiktor is up against the ropes or needs to uncover a secret someone is hiding in the course of an investigation, the Salutors are there to help tip the scales in the player's favor.
The Thaumaturge
The Thaumaturge is a story-driven RPG set in 1905 Warsaw, Poland. Players take on the role of Wiktor, who can see entities called Salutors that normal humans cannot. It features isometric gameplay, turn-based combat, morally ambiguous choices, unique character development features, investigation mechanics, and much, much more.
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Released
- March 4, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Fool's Theory
- Publisher(s)
- 11 Bit Studios
- Genre(s)
- Adventure , RPG
