Fans of morally-complex CRPGs have something new to put on their radar, as developer Fool’s Theory (Seven: The Days Long Gone) has officially announced its next project. Previously teased under the name “Project Vitriol,” the Unreal-Engine-5 powered isometric RPG has now been fully unveiled with the somewhat unwieldy title The Thaumaturge.
Set in a realistically-rendered early-20th-century Warsaw, Fool’s Theory is promising The Thaumaturge will deliver complex roleplaying, in a deeply-researched historically-accurate world (well, aside from all the magical stuff going on). The player will take on the role of a Thaumaturge, individuals trained to detect and tame Salutors – dark beings that can control people’s minds. All sounds a bit Witcher-ey, doesn’t it? You can check out the first teaser trailer for The Thaumaturge, below.
Looks intriguing! Need to know more? Here’s a quick description of the world of The Thaumaturge…
“The year is 1905. Warsaw lives under the yoke of imperial Russian tsardom. Its inhabitants constitute a diverse group of different ancestries, views, and beliefs with often conflicting interests: Russian soldiers, Jewish merchants, Polish townspeople, and more. The city is a buzzing metropolis, where one can attend a breathtaking party with the high society, and later get robbed in one of the dark alleys of the Praga district. A city of great hopes and dreams on one hand and dark desires on the other.
In this world, a force that cannot be ignored are Thaumaturges – individuals versed in taming spirit-like beings called Salutors, used for manipulation of the temperaments and affinities of other people and even ultimately in combat. The devil is in the detail – only Thaumaturges are fully aware of the Salutors’ nature and only they can perceive them in their true essence. Their capability to influence others significantly and demonstrably increases their ability to change the surrounding world – however, Thaumaturgy is a power that should be used with caution.”
The profile of Fool’s Theory was raised recently when fellow Polish developer CD Projekt Red announced they’d be developing a remake of the first The Witcher game. So, this could perhaps be seen as a bit of dry run for that anticipated project.
The Thaumaturge is coming to PC. Other platforms and a release window have yet to be announced. More detail about the game are expected to be announced next month at GDC.
