There is undoubtedly a lot of hype for Thymesia at the moment, as it looks like an intriguing Soulslike RPG with gothic, grimy streets and gritty, gory combat. Of course, it also looks to be massively different from any of FromSoftware's classics. As the mysterious "Corvus," players traverse a diseased kingdom in a quest to recover their memories and understanding why alchemy did so much harm. That's another key difference between Thymesia and the Souls series. Fire, souls, and cosmic horrors are not the stated evil in Thymesia; it is a form of arcane science. An attempt to halt the practice of alchemy after its price became clear exploded the kingdom into chaos, at least it seems, and Corvus' memories along with it.
Not just thematic differences set Thymesia apart, however. This alchemy and its negative affect plays directly into the game's mechanics. With his plague doctor's cowl, Corvus is attuned to the carrion-feeding, disease-carrying raven. Ravens have common associations with disease due to being common carriers of West Nile Virus, and this central metaphor works perfectly for Thymesia. Corvus moves around the overworld (and his own memories), fighting hordes of the sick and dead. One unique mechanic is its plague system, as when Corvus slays a powerful foe, their disease lives on. The player can weaponize this plague fragment, imbuing their strikes with several different boons: the Plague Weapons.
Thymesia's Plague Weapons Are Different From Normal Weapons
One of the striking elements of Thymesia is obviously its similarity to the Soulsborne games. The plague doctor aesthetic practically screams "Bloodborne," and the red-eyed knights wielding greatswords are deeply reminiscent of the Souls series. Aside from the visual references, the gameplay looks incredibly similar, as the high octane swordplay and parrying systems are similar to the quicker-paced FromSoftware games. However, in the trailer for the game, one combat component really stands out. After taking a blow, Corvus' eyes flash a sickly green, and they slice forward with a huge arcane claw cleave.
Other shots show the corvid protagonist conjuring spears and scythes with this green, glowing magic. It seems like the plague weapons in the game are their own, separate ability. This is unlike The Witcher 3's weapon oils, which are poisons harvested from beasts that can be applied to a weapon. For Thymesia, the plague weapon abilities are special powers that players unlock as they defeat bosses and enemies. Again, the weapons do not seem to be like Dark Souls 3's boss weapons (made by transmuting the souls of bosses), but more like ways of harnessing "the plague" in different arcane forms. It is currently unclear how many different plague weapons are available, but it will likely be a wide range, with its RPG mechanics potentially playing into how the weapons can be used.
The Plague Weapons Work With The Raven Form
Another interesting mechanic in Thymesia is the ability to invoke Corvus' raven form. By the looks of the trailer, this bird form can be used for world traversal as well as being a potent addition to combat. In the trailer, Corvus uses this ability alongside a strike from a plague weapon. So, it seems like Souls and Bloodborne-inspired Thymesia allows for the raven form to be used alongside its plague weapons. This makes perfect sense, as the raven itself is such a notorious carrier of sickness.
In fact, with the way the trailer shows the biggest plague weapon, a formidable claw strike, it seems very likely that the raven form and the plague weapons are linked. Perhaps the two share a mechanic like Demon's Souls weapon upgrades, because the putrid green talon bears a marked similarity to the claw arm that Corvus grows earlier in the trailer. Again, the cultural association of ravens and other carrion birds appears in the mechanics of Thymesia. It seems to be a recurrent theme, one that is really important to the plague weapons.
It Looks Like Thymesia Mixes Normal and Plague Weapons In Combat
While the most obvious example of the plague weapon being used in the trailer is the large strike made by Corvus, it does appear more than once. In particular, a short arc of the same infected green energy is flung in the middle of an attack combo. The movement was so smooth that it looked like they were part of the same attacking action, likely meaning that the Plague weapons can be used in more than one way.
Rather than just one big heavy slice attack, Corvus threw it quickly, and it smashes onto the enemy. This shows that there are a variety of different plague weapons that are not just big arcing attacks. So, players will be able to use both heavy and light attacks utilizing plague weapon and incorporating them alongside the regular Soulsborne combat.
Thymesia is coming to PC in late 2021.