Dark Soulsfans have really been hoping to see something more from FromSoftware in the Soulsborne department. Unfortunately for them, FromSoftware seems to be pretty focused on new IPs right now, so there hasn’t been any sign ofaDark Souls 4or aBloodborne 2,despite the overwhelming success of those games. While it’s nice to see FromSoftware try new things and expand its scope, it can be hard for Soulslike players to find new games that truly scratch the same itch. It seems like OverBorder Studio is trying to satisfy this audience with its upcoming titleThymesia.
Thymesiacame out of nowhere in a sudden March announcement. However, that isn’t too surprising, since OverBorder is an independent studio that doesn’t exactly have the clout to tease its work, even with the help of accomplished publisher Team17. However, as theThymesiatrailers get passed around, they’re exciting a lot ofDark SoulsandBloodbornefans. The game seems to be taking strong inspiration from the Soulsborne games, and it might just be the game this community is looking for while FromSoftware takes a crack at some other games.Thymesiais a ways away, but that shouldn’t stop Soulsborne fans from getting excited.
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Tapping into the Genre
There’s a lot of elements ofThymesiathat seems to have taken heavy inspiration fromDark SoulsandBloodborne. For one thing, movement seems crucial inThymesia.The player character Corvus has to use his dashes and well-timed parries to survive combat, not unlike the constant evading, rolling, and parrying ofDark Soulsfame. The game’s Gothic and medieval set design seem lifted directly fromDark SoulsandBloodborne,not to mentionThymesia’s bosses. The hulking monsters and the twisted armored figures showcased inThymesia’s promotional material so far wouldn’t seem out of place at all in any givenDark Soulsgame.
However,Thymesiashouldn’t just interest Soulslike fansbecause of what it has in common with FromSoftware’s work – they should also be drawn to what sets the game apart. The game’s combat revolves heavily around Corvus' ability to manifest diseases as oversized spectral weapons. That’s a unique and pretty compelling take on combat and magic that givesThymesia’s setting some good means to stand out. It also seems that players don’t create their own character inThymesia. Instead, it’s up to them to discover Corvus' story. That heavy narrative focus on the protagonist might be a nice reprieve fromDark Souls' style of storytelling.
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Thymesia’s Big Break
Thymesiawouldn’t be special if it was just trying to be a near-perfect replica ofDark Souls. Plenty of other games have tried to make their own spiritual successors to theDark Soulsline of games. What’s interesting aboutThymesiais that it seems to have its own story to tell. While clearly it owes a lot to FromSoftware’s work, OverBorder Studios seems determined to create a unique setting and makeThymesiamemorable in its own right – not just asanother Soulslike game to playwhile waiting for FromSoftware to continue its franchise.
OverBorder Studios' identity as an indie developer also can’t be written off. Indie studios have long been credited for being some of the most innovative groups in the industry, willing to take risks and push boundaries in all kinds of genres. There might be lots of exciting things aboutThymesiathat fans haven’t even seen yet that couldleave a mark on the Soulslike genre.Thymesiais still many months away from release, so there’s definitely a lot more that its potential fans have yet to learn about the game. Still, considering what OverBorder has presented so far, there’s lots of cause to be optimistic aboutThymesia.
