Generously awash with all manner of traditional fantasy settings, glossy sci-fi backdrops and the Dark Souls-inspired grimdark worlds, increasingly it seems that the sense of a truly unique setting is becoming harder and harder to realise in the RPG genre. Enter The Thaumaturge. The latest title from Fool’s Theory, a Polish-based studio comprised of former CD Projekt RED staffers (who have also been tasked with working on the upcoming remake of the first Witcher title), The Thaumaturge instead taps directly into the geographical and cultural heritage of its creators, offering up a supernatural RPG that unfurls itself within the confines of alternate history early twentieth-century Warsaw and it is unlike anything else you’ve seen.
Certainly, while The Thaumaturge paints an eye-opening picture of a time and a place that is firmly ensconced in familiar history, it is nonetheless a setting that developer Fool’s Theory has decided to take down a different path. Though The Thaumaturge does indeed take place in the year 1905 and within a Warsaw that finds itself very much under the brutal Tsarist boot, so too does it also apply a schism of sorts to that very grounded and historical backdrop by generously injecting a wealth of supernatural elements that feel enriched by that real-world setting, rather than superimposed on top of it.
Deftly anchoring players to the world of The Thaumaturge is the story. The Thaumaturge casts players as the titular protagonist Wiktor Szulski, a travelling conjurer for whom the gift of Thaumaturgy has been passed down through generations. As its most recent heir, Wiktor must use these arcane gifts to summon ethereal entities known as ‘Salutors’ to destroy his enemies, uncover secrets and gain access to the secrets of the human soul as he seeks to resolve a family mystery. It’s heavy stuff for sure and while the turn-based combat and leveraging of external entities might remind one of Atlus’ superb Persona series, the differences between the two are as stark as they can be.
A big part of that difference and what serves to separate The Thaumaturge from other entries in the RPG genre is, again, the setting and in particular how developer Fool’s Theory has leveraged such a grounded backdrop in a way that few have before. For the longest time, Warsaw was and is a waystation of sorts for many people who would make that perilous trek across Eastern Europe and this is very much reflected in the social kaleidoscope that The Thaumaturge puts in front of the player.
The Warsaw that is depicted in The Thaumaturge reveals a sprawling urban expanse that is a veritable and diverse socio-economic melting pot. As Polish townsfolk, Russian soldiers, Jewish traders and more each intersect with one another, their philosophies, ancestries and attitudes come together in a rarely harmonious whole. This creates a setting that feels a world away from the all-too-common paper-thin and numbingly one-note realisation of NPCs that is present in many RPGs.
Just about every significant character in The Thaumaturge is deeper than any surface analysis might reveal. Wealth, status and even past deeds are no guarantee that the moral compass of each individual can be reliably mapped to these variables but rather, much like Warsaw itself during this time, are subject to the whims and winds of change. This provides players with a cast of characters that are sophisticated, dynamic and representative of the socio-economic status of that era.
Additionally, it’s also important to realise that the year of The Thaumaturge’s setting is key since it coincides with the unfolding of the first Russian revolution. Much more than just incidental background for The Thaumaturge, the convergence of these events also has an indelible impact on the denizens of Warsaw. Sure enough, while the iron grip of its Russian Tsarist masters is still keenly felt, the fact that the spirit of revolution blooms in the bosom of the Russian homeland itself empowers more than a few of Warsaw’s populace with the confidence that they need to strike back at those that would oppress them.
Crucially in The Thaumaturge, the city of Warsaw is as much a character as any of its flesh and blood inhabitants. A bustling metropolis where fortune is book-ended between the rich and poor, lucky and unlucky, Szulski’s nonlinear tale of adventure, exploration and investigation might very well fit into other contemporary cities of opportunity such as New York, London or Paris. However, the fact that the story of The Thaumaturge unfolds in turn of the century Warsaw – a location that finds itself underrepresented in ambitious fare such as this – immediately marks the entire endeavour as something more refreshing than one would normally expect from the genre.
From humble, yet decorative bakeries, shops and taverns which line sun-kissed cobbled streets, through to the opulent buildings of aristocrats, noblemen and local governors, Warsaw feels both familiar and refreshing at the same time, with developer Fool’s Theory offering up an evocative vision of the Polish capital quite unlike any other to date. Most importantly, that tangibly lived-in, historical feel which oozes out of every pore in The Thaumaturge’s realisation of an alternate Warsaw from more than a century ago, rigidly binds players to that irresistible temptation to explore every nook and cranny of the city as Wiktor Szulski’s own story unfolds against this rich historical tapestry.
In the hands of perhaps any other developer, The Thaumaturge might find itself devoid of any such geographical and historical identity and its intriguing, supernatural RPG beats would find themselves begrudgingly wrapped up in an all too familiar shell. Luckily for us, developer Fool’s Theory has lovingly plumbed both the depths of its own development experiences and an innate understanding of the country that it calls home to whisk players off into an RPG that at once balances the historical with the fantastical in a way that feels utterly invigorating and unique.
There isn’t long to wait until you get to experience the utterly unique world of The Thaumaturge with its March 4th release date just around the corner. If you cannot wait until then, you can always wishlist it over on the Green Man Gaming store and remember to pick it up at release.
