The Thaumaturge or Mr. Szulski Goes to Warsaw

Although far from perfection, the latest and overall only the second title from the relatively young Polish studio Fool’s Theory is still worth playing – but only if you enjoy narrative RPGs.

THE THAUMATURGE

1905 Warsaw. A perfect time and place to lose your life or end up in prison indefinitely.

For example, after a few extra drinks, you might find yourself in some carelessly chosen company telling some inappropriate joke about Nicholas II. Or on some Friday-Saturday, hang the wrong flag on the house. Or, perhaps, joyfully sing “It was in the year, seven hundred and ninety-five, when troubles came to our Poland.”

In all of the mentioned cases, some misfortune would surely befall you promptly because the Russian Empire – which had controlled the “Paris of the East” since as far back as 1795 – at the end of the “long 19th century” was, as befits an empire in decline, extremely sensitive to provocations of any kind.

So, in those troubled spatiotemporal coordinates that few time travelers in their right mind would voluntarily enter into the time machine, you will find yourself – you.

POLAND IN MY HEART

Well, technically not you per se, but your playable character, namely Wiktor Szulski – a passionate hunter (so-called thaumaturge) of supernatural entities (so-called salutore) that dwell in particularly corrupt human hearts, who will have to return to his hometown in miserable and wretched 1905.

No, not because he will terribly crave pierogi, bigos, żurek, or other gastronomic delights but because he will find himself in an unnamed Caucasus tavern where he will receive a telegram from his sister Ligia stating that their father Stanisław has suddenly passed away. Although he never had the best relationship with the latter in life, Wiktor will diligently pack his bags and, without hesitation, rush to Warsaw accompanied by his faithful salutore Upyr, as well as his newfound companion Grigory Yefimovich Novik – better known by the nickname “Rasputin.”

 

However, upon arriving in the former and future Polish capital, Wiktor will begin to realize that unraveling the suspicious circumstances of his father’s death may be the least of the problems he will have to face.

Overwhelmed by licentious salutores, members of the Russian secret police “Okhrana,” communists, nationalists, bandits, Cossacks always ready to start a fight, and all sorts of dissatisfied people, Warsaw in 1905 will resemble more than anything else a powder keg that could explode at any moment…

TO ARMS, TO ARMS, GRIMOIRE FROM TROUBLES, BROTHERS!

We won’t reveal the story further because why would you even play a narrative RPG like The Thaumaturge if not for its decently written, branching narrative, vivid characters like the “mad monk,” or mostly intriguing (though linear) quests scattered throughout Warsaw as it once was, and in which you will quickly start to navigate as if you had grown up there?

Certainly not for the gameplay itself because in this regard, The Thaumaturge is a fairly stripped-down title where everything boils down to occasional fights, chatting with NPCs, and supposed exploration.

There’s no inventory system, no classes, no hoarding of potions that you’ll never use anyway (because what if you encounter some tough boss!?), no magical coats that give +5 charisma, or anything similar. Just like there’s no robust leveling system because the collected XP will be spent only on improving the so-called “dimensions” of personality (Heart, Mind, Word, and Deed), through which you will unlock new attacks, or various passive skills that will allow you to modify these powers to your heart’s content.

As for the fighting, it’s done in a classic turn-based manner in The Thaumaturge and consists of skirmishes with a row of human opponents, and only occasionally with excellently designed salutores that Wiktor, after defeating them, will automatically add to his collection.

You know how it goes: Wiktor’s turn, one of his salutores’ turn (borrowed, we’ll note, from Slavic mythologies), the opponent’s turn, and may the first to eternal hunting grounds win. Of course, with the obligatory cursory glance at the health and the so-called “focus meter” (because reducing the latter to zero allows for devastating strong attacks), as well as various status effects, but also “defenses” because some baddies will need to be first attacked with the appropriate salutore to strip them of specific protection.

All in all, nothing revolutionary or overly deep, but at the same time not overly tedious either – just decent. Especially in the context of the fact that The Thaumaturge is a relatively short RPG, meaning it will take you between 15 and 20 hours for one playthrough.

EXPLORATION THAT ISN’T

Now, if we were inclined to rate the combat segment as solid despite its minimalism, the same epithet could not be applied to the exploration part. Due to its complete lack of interactivity, much better suited to it are adjectives like “non-existent” and “disappointing.” Especially since The Thaumaturge is actually more of a detective video game than a full-fledged RPG, while Wiktor, on the other hand, is not just an avid collector of supernatural creatures but also a kind of version of our beloved Dylan Dog or an investigator of supernatural phenomena endowed with extrasensory perception.

Allow us to fully explain the “exploration” process in just four (too) easy steps:

Step one: Snap your fingers Bo Diddley style (right-click) to manifest a red energy ribbon, i.e., activate the “perception” mechanic.

Step two: Blindly follow the manifested ribbon from one relevant NPC, location, or object to another, collecting the necessary evidence along the way (left-click), or “crossing” predetermined skill checks.

Step three: After gathering enough evidence, Wiktor enters the scene and – with all the infallibility of a weather forecaster when he ex cathedra predicts the end of winter – immediately deduces the correct conclusion, thus introducing the current quest to the next stage.

Step four: Repeat ad nauseam.

Are you not entertained? You’re not? Well, how come?

DÉJÀ VU

Playing The Thaumaturge for the purpose of writing this review, we could not resist a strange feeling that relentlessly pursued us like a ZET ticket inspector who smelled that some poor schoolchild or student had not “validated” their ticket.

A feeling that we had already played The Thaumaturge in one of our past lives. A feeling that tore through the densely woven melancholic atmosphere that the game emanated thanks to its impressive (for an AA title) visuals and muddy-gray aesthetic, as well as the aforementioned narrative, atypical setting, and listenable soundtrack dominated by string instruments.

 

For a long time, we couldn’t grasp the true cause of this sentiment, and then – somewhere towards the end of the game – our thoughts suddenly fell into place: Poland, Slavic mythology, a sarcastically composed protagonist hated by society but endowed with supernatural abilities, and also a hunter of supernatural entities…

Of course – The Witcher!

And indeed, after a brief internet search, it turned out that Fool’s Theory, the studio behind The Thaumaturge, was founded by former members of CD Projekt RED, who obviously decided to find their own place in the sun.

Galvanized by this realization, we immediately raised the game’s score by five points, ready to overlook all the enumerated flaws, as well as some we hadn’t even had a chance to criticize, such as the rushed third act, mediocre voice acting, or occasionally odd facial animations. Come on, they’re not that bad.

Just kidding, we didn’t raise anything because we take video game reviews deadly seriously, but we really were unexpectedly tempted.