Recently, publisher Team17 and developer developer OverBorder Studio announced the stylish hack-and-slash gameThymesiafor later this year. Taking control of the mysterious Corvus, players will navigate through a kingdom that was overwhelmed by monsters and diseases. The game takes obviousinspiration fromDark SoulsandBloodbornein terms of its combat and dark, plague-ridden gothic setting. Players can shape the various diseases in the city into different plague weapons, and use them to fight through a menagerie of grotesque opponents.
All signs are pointing to a game that the average FromSoftware fan will probably be into, at least untilElden Ringfinally comes out. ComparingThymesiaandElden Ring, as well as FromSoftware’s post-Dark Souls 3Sekiro, reveals some interesting similarities and differences between the variousSouls-likes.Thymesiais looking to hew closer to the more traditionalSouls-like games, whileSekiroandElden Ringare shaking up the formula with new game mechanics and a semi-open world. It may well be that FromSoftware’s efforts to revamp its own formula has made a space for games that still want to use it.
RELATED:What A Lot of Darks Souls Clones Get Wrong
Thymesia and Sekiro
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twicestands as theSouls-adjacent game most unlikeDark Soulsthat FromSoftware has released since the dark fantasy franchise began. In retrospect, it seems like it was a test bed for various new combat and traversal mechanics, including a different kind of parrying, improved stealth, swimming, and vertical movement. The fruits of these efforts will probably bemade more clear inElden Ring, but for now,Sekirostands alone in terms of what it is.
Thymesiamay have been conceived not only due to the desire to pay tribute to the belovedSoulsgames that came before it, but also as a stand-in for them while FromSoftware pursues other projects.Thymesia’s obviousDark Soulsinspiration stands at odds withSekiro’s way of doing things, although theDNA ofDark Souls 3’s Weapon Artscan still be felt in both games. Aside from that, some grisly giant monsters, and a possible bonfire system,ThymesiaandSekirowill likely have very little in common when the former releases, a notion easy to come across through their respective European and Asian dark fantasy aesthetics.
RELATED:Nioh 2 is Different Than Other Soulslikes
Thymesia and Elden Ring
WhereThymesiatakes a grounded,Bloodborne-like approach to exploring its fallen kingdom andSekirotakes to the air and countryside,Elden Ringprefers travel by horseback. Described asa sort of “open field” game,Elden Ringwill likely have a stronger exploration element than older, more level-basedSoulsgames.Sekirohad this to some extent due to how wide open some maps were, but not in the wayElden Ringwill. This commitment to exploring new avenues to express theSoulsformula is what has fans so excited for the game, and so eager to hear more about it after its long absence from the news.
Thymesia, meanwhile, intends to embody the core of theDark Soulsfranchise. Players will likely slowly crawl through levels, defeating enemies and finding shortcuts, all while anticipating a boss at a choke point between areas. This isn’t to sayElden Ringwon’t still have linear, on-foot areas like that — it almost certainly will — but they won’t be the centerpiece like they were before. This simple difference in how the world is laid out will have consequences affecting every aspect of both games, ranging from how combat organically plays out to what mechanics will be present in each. It was made clear thatElden Ringwould not play out like a typicalSoulsgame since it was announced, soThymesia’s developer has had plenty of time to plan around this and ensure that the games will be distinct when they release.Elden Ringmay takeDark Soulsin a bold new direction, but sometimes all that’s necessary is the familiar core.
Thymesia and Other Souls-Likes
Speaking of which, theinspirationsThymesiahas taken fromBloodborneandDark Souls, especiallyDark Souls 3, cannot be ignored.Thymesiahas patterned much of what it is, from its environmental design to how different characters move, after iconography seen inBloodborneandDS3. Items appear to be present as glowing pickups on the floor, Corvus can slide around in a manner recallingBloodborne, plenty of medieval barricades and structures are around while accompanied by plague imagery, and there even seems to be a special riposte animation similar to theSoulsgames. Even the giant bat boss shown in the trailer sounds and fights like aBloodborneboss, and another boss is introduced in an area that recalls Lady Maria’s boss room.Thymesiawears its inspirations on its sleeves, pant legs, and mask.
That’s not to say“beingSouls” is all there is toThymesia. The plague system in particular seems to encourage trying many different builds in the span of a single playthrough, whereas a typicalSoulsgame wants players to commit to one early on. Corvus is also a set, designed character like Wolf is inSekiro, and what role they play in the story has yet to be seen. It’s also not clear how this story will be told, as a game by a different developer may be more inclined toward using cutscenes to tell its story than an archetypical FromSoftwareSouls-like.
Whatever the case is, dedicatedSoulsfans will no doubt welcomeThymesiaas something substantial to sink their teeth into while waiting forElden Ring. Asmods likeDark Souls 1’s upcoming fan sequelNightfallshow, theSoulsfanbase is not content to simply sit around waiting for the next game in their beloved genre to come out. OverBorder Studio has done a fantastic job of capturing the spirit of aSoulsgame in its reveal trailer, and hopefully that inspiration extends to putting its own spin on things, even if that originality has to wait for its next game. At any rate, hopefullyThymesiawill fill theSouls-shaped hole in fans’ hearts thatSekirodid not, andElden Ringhas not been able to yet.
