Thymesia: Unveiling a Year of Unmatched Ambition and Triumph

Highlights

The absence of multiplayer functionality and the limited availability of fresh updates have posed challenges to Thymesia in sustaining a stable player community, leading to a decline in the player count beyond the initial month.

The game's resemblance to Bloodborne posed a challenge due to its limited budget and combat design that leaned more towards Sekiro. As a result, it received a mixed reception from fans. However, Thymesia's distinctive Plague Weapons and innovations hold promise in shaping the Souls-like genre. Given that the comparisons to FromSoftware games have diminished, it's worth revisiting the game for a fresh perspective.

A year after the release of Thymesia, it is intriguing to observe the aftermath of highly anticipated Souls-like titles entering and exiting the already overcrowded genre. However, despite the achievements of developer Over Border Games, the plague doctor aesthetic and Bloodborne-inspired gothic style struggled to reach the level of hype they generated.

Currently, it is not easy to determine the lasting impact that Thymesia will have on the Souls-like genre. Some may view the game as a cautionary tale for those attempting to challenge the established formula. Nevertheless, it seems that the issue lies more in defining where Thymesia fits within the realm of Souls-like games, rather than questioning its actual quality as an indie title.

The Impact of Thymesia Without Multiplayer

Thymesia, a single player game, has struggled to maintain a consistent player base due to the lack of new content since its release one year ago. This is evident in the dwindling number of concurrent players on platforms like Steam, where many players initially joined but quickly left within the first month. The game's short playthrough time and the absence of multiplayer or add-on content contribute to the decline in player engagement.

The absence of multiplayer functionality in Thymesia particularly hinders its appeal to fans of the Souls-like combat genre, who are drawn to the unique PVP aspect. Consequently, there are few incentives for players to return to the game beyond completing sidequests or unlocking additional endings. While it may seem like Thymesia deserves the decline in hype it experienced after the initial demo, it is important to consider that this may be a result of the overshadowing effect caused by the game's release circumstances rather than any shortcomings on the part of the developer.

Thymesia as a Sekiro-Like Under the Shadow of Bloodborne

Thymesia faced significant criticism upon release due to constant comparisons to Bloodborne. With its similar visuals, invoking a period aesthetic complete with Corvus' plague mask, fans of Bloodborne were quick to attach themselves to this indie title, hoping for a similar experience. However, Thymesia's smaller development budget and a combat design more akin to Sekiro made it better suited as a Sekiro-lite rather than a Bloodborne 2.

This isn't to say that Thymesia didn't receive its fair share of criticism. The reception following the initial demo and subsequent underwhelming release was somewhat overshadowed by fans' expectations. Clunky dodging mechanics made certain aspects of combat feel sluggish, and the collectible items scattered throughout the world added little substance to the game's lore. Perhaps these shortcomings would have been better received if the game hadn't been hyped as a Bloodborne copycat, but rather as a game inspired by Sekiro.

The hope is that the Souls-like genre will draw inspiration from Thymesia's innovative Plague Weapons and build upon the game's successes. It's still too early to gauge the impact of Thymesia on other developers and their own game development. However, there are numerous positive aspects to discover, particularly for players who want to explore the game beyond its initial hype and see it shine independently, separate from FromSoftware's influence.

Thymesia is currently accessible on Amazon Luna, PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.