Thymesia

Thymesia Game Review – A Soulsborne Action RPG That Nailed It, Almost

Reviews

Thymesia game is another action role-playing game set in the Bloodborne-esque world. Like Soulsborne ARPG like Salt and Sacrifice, Thymesia also appears dark and gritty. However, unlike many action RPGs in the genre, Thymesia is set in a time when people improve their lives by resorting to alchemy.

Unfortunately, instead of carefully using this chemistry, the civilian’s unbridled reliance on it left the entire kingdom in ruins. While playing Thymesia, elements from its genre are not too minute to remain unnoticed – a world on its impending doom, demons and madmen at every corner, and the main character bound to end it all.

At the same time, pretty much present in many Soulsborne games. However, it is also apparent that Thymesia takes more inspiration from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice; especially if you remove the former’s focus on multi-world traversals.

From the hands of the less experienced gamers, Thymesia could just be another entry to a long list of average and uninteresting ARPGs. However, if you dig deeper into it, you will find that this game can be in a league of its own. Several things, including its combat system, skill customization, narrative, and boss fights, are well-thought and top of its class.

The Gameplay – How Thymesia Works in Retrospect

There are three core mechanics revolving around the gameplay of Thymesia, namely attacking, parrying hits, and utilizing Plague weapons. The first one, shooting, is effortless to understand since this is the core mechanics of many games. Simply click the attack button to unleash any of the three combos that you can learn as you progress in the game.

Next is deflecting enemy attacks which you can do by hitting the deflect button. As plain as it sounds, timing is the key to negating the enemy’s damage and returning it to them. The introduction of Plague weapons in the Thymesia game is perhaps one of its selling points.
 

Thymesia Review from IGN
Image source: Destructoid – Review: Thymesia

 
Think of them as replicas of all weapons your enemies used, except they are in the form of energy. Skill Shards drop from slaying enemies and are important in unlocking abilities for future levels. Each Plague weapon makes use of its unique upgrade tree that you can use in specific situations. Note that all these three core mechanics integrate into a single facet – to wound enemies.

Briefly speaking, all enemies you encounter while journeying around the Thymesia game world comprises 2 health bars – white and green. The former serves as their total health points while the latter is their Wound bar. First, you need to deplete the white bar to reveal the Wounds bar using Claw attacks. Otherwise, enemies will only heal back and you will be back to square one.

Getting Immersed in the Fantastic Enemy Fights

The Thymesia game has done a remarkable job of borrowing elements from Sekiro and creating them into something uniquely their own. Aggression is mostly the key to succeeding in each battle, deflecting attacks whenever possible, and using Claw to halt their recovery. If Soulsborne games are your thing and you believe playing Thymesia needs no adapting, you better think twice.

That overconfidence could become your Achilles’ heel. This game needs to be played how it wants to be played; otherwise, expect yourself to not get that far. Soulsborne games are mainly of two factors – their combat mechanics and boss battles.

Thymesia, fortunately, lives up to the task. Every boss, right from the first one, gives you a preview of how challenging the upcoming levels will be. Interestingly, not a single boss in this ARPG is the same; some require puzzle-solving skills. Others are quick on their feet and force you to learn as you go; there are those few ones that are mixtures of both.
 

Thymesia Gameplay Review
Image source: IGN – Thymesia Review

 
Of course, not everything is rainbows and butterflies in the Thymesia game. There are a few bosses that make you wonder if they were there for the sake of being put there. Consequently, one of its weakest links is its lackluster visual representation. While all levels are good, none of it actually stood out. Think of it as a paler version of Dark Souls III.

Our Final Thoughts

Thymesia is among the best Soulsborne games to come from another developer other than FromSoftware. Despite its shortcomings, the game boasts of a well-thought soundtrack and game mechanics. If you have ever played Elden Ring and would want something that is not too heavy on your PC but is still full of Soulsborne experience, then the Thymesia game is for you.

PlayPC is a great source of game-related content, tips and tricks, and upcoming game updates. You can also find unbiased reviews here for all sorts of games that you can play PC and gaming consoles.
 

About the Author

Macchiato

Macchiato first got accustomed to the gaming world in high school. Since then, she has never looked back and has played most MMORPGs and game genres to date. Now a working mom, she relieves her stress through gaming; and even finds it a great way to spend quality time with her also-gamer-husband.