The developer OverBorder Studio and publisher Team 17 recently announcedThymesia, a new Souls-like game with a clear emphasis on fast-paced action and featuring a gothic aesthetic. Soulslike games are no strangers to foreboding environments and oppressive atmosphere.Thymesiaseems to draw heavily fromBloodbornein terms of overall style though, with a similar visual flair.
Bloodborneis one of the most popular games in the Soulslike genre; its brutal difficulty is set against a Victorian-era backdrop rife with lore for players to uncover. The recently announcedThymesiais definitely a game to keep an eye on forBloodbornefans. The upcoming title features character models and environments that are equal partsSherlock HolmesandCall ofCthulhu.
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Thymesia’s Stylish Macabre
Fans of Soulslike games likeBloodborneare more than accustomed to grotesque enemies.Thymesiaseems to deliver in its announcement trailer with horrifically mutated creatures populating its dark world.
The combat of the game seems to have a bigger emphasis onstyle in its combat thanDark SoulsorBloodborne, but the influence is fairly clear. The plague doctor that players will control is an archetype pulled directly from the same kinds of Victorian-era gothic stories thatBloodbornepulls so heavily from. Weapons like giant scythes and their ability to transform mid-battle is also reminiscent ofBloodborne. That said, the mechanic for weapon transformation looks to function as unique attacks more so than the attack mode switching of the weapons inBloodborne.
The overbearing and ambiguous atmosphere also bears striking similarity toBloodborne. The first trailer sees the plague doctor wandering dark halls and imposing castle courtyards.Thymesiaseems to be attempting to set itself apart, but it’s common influences are pretty clear. The trailer shows the plague doctor fighting mostly humanoid enemies, probably some type of infected or plague individuals. This was another hallmark ofBloodborne, as many of the enemies players face off against are former humans in various stages of addiction to the magic blood that pervades throughoutBloodborne.
One truly monstrous creature that appears inThymesia’s first trailer is an enormous bat creature that towers over the playable character.Bloodbornealso drew inspiration from European mythological creatures like vampires and werewolves. This seems to be something thatThymesiais drawing on heavily with the appearance of that giant bat creature. Obviously with so little footage of the game having been revealed, it’s yet to be seen if that will be a common thread throughout the game, but seems likely.
Bloodborneis a very unique entry in FromSoftware’s lineupand it seems likeThymesiahas drawn heavy influence from the popular game. A gothic setting, mysterious disease, mythological monsters, and a foreboding atmosphere permeate the first trailer forThymesia. These are elements that helpedBloodbornestand apart from the pack of Soulslike games that have cropped up since the success ofDark Souls.
Thymesiais seemingly looking to follow in its footsteps, to a certain degree. Some of the mechanics seem more like those ofDark Souls, and even some fromCode VeinandSekiro. However, the overall style of the first trailer forThymesiadefinitely bears a striking resemblance to the world of Yharnam andBloodborneoverall.
Thymesiais planned to release on PC later this year.
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