The very first game developed by OverBorder Studio, thymeisa is an action RPG Soulslike that takes a lot of inspiration from games like Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Players play as the mysterious Corvus and must navigate the kingdom of Hermes, which has crumbled after the rise of a deadly plague.
As with any Soulslike, tutorials are few and far between and players will have to do a lot of trial and error to learn the intricacies of the game’s many systems. While some of these systems will be known by: souls– veterans, Thymesia added a few curveballs to make their game stand out in the genre.
10 Understanding white and green health
enemies inside Thymesia have two health bars and it is essential to understand what each means means to progress in the game. White health acts like a standard health bar and decreases when the player lands a hit on the enemy with their Saber attacks. Green health is a more unusual beast.
When an enemy’s white health is lowered, their green health bar below is revealed. Green health can only be damaged with claw attacks. It is important to attack the green health when it is visible, because after a few seconds of rest the enemy will regenerate his white health to the same level as his green health. It’s also important to invest Talent Points in the Claw, which extends the weapon’s combo and increases damage, making it easier to knock out green health.
9 Don’t worry about stamina
Unlike pretty much every Soulslike on the market (except sekiro), Corvus does not have a stamina bar. That means the days of dashing in, landing a few hits, and then running back out to recharge the stamina are over.
Players should absolutely take this to heart and never give up the attack. Attack and aggression are the name of the game here, so attack the moment an opening occurs, and don’t give up unless absolutely necessary. The enemy will take the same approach.
8 Learn the parrying rhythm
Yet another resemblance to sekiro is the parrying system, which works almost identically in Thymesia. Almost every attack in the game can be parried, even heavy swings from giant enemies. Once you’ve mastered the parrying mechanism, defeating the game’s various enemies will be a breeze.
Parrying in Thymesia is all about timing. Pressing the parry button at the right time will block the attack, and following the rhythm of an enemy’s combo can block the whole thing. It will take a bit of fiddling to get the feel right, but the parry window is surprisingly generous. It won’t be long before players will sidestep attacks as if they were nothing.
7 It’s okay to upgrade every stat
In most souls games, it’s important for players to pick a few stats that their character will specialize in early on in a playthrough and then focus on upgrading them above all others. That is not the case in Thymesia.
Stat points come fast and furious in this game, and it won’t be long before players get a neglected stat at half a dozen levels if they decide it suits their playstyle. An even better approach is to just upgrade them all consistently, at least until they’re all at level 10, since there are only three stats to worry about. Unlike a FromSoftware game, it’s a “jack of all trades” in Thymesia is a viable option.
6 Experiment with Plague Weapons
After the above saber and claw weapons, there are also plague weapons, which are essentially: Thymesias magical system. Each Plague Weapon has a different effect; some do damage, some can block attacks, and some can even heal.
While players can only use a Plague Weapon once at first, they will eventually be able to use one for regular use, and with further upgrades, a second can be equipped as well. It’s important to use these opportunities early in the game to get a sense of how each Plague Weapon works. Once the ability to equip them is unlocked, players can focus on upgrading the one that best suits their playstyle. Breeding enemies that use a specific plague weapon is also the best way to upgrade that weapon for Corvus, so be sure to hunt them down.
5 Don’t neglect springs
In addition to all of the weapons listed above, Corvus also has access to Feathers, his version of throwing knives. They don’t do much damage, but they are reliably accurate and can cover a long range. Unlike other Soulslikes, where this type of weapon would only really be used to aggravate enemies from a distance, they have a much more valuable application in Thymesia.
In particular, hitting an enemy with a feather will prevent their white health bar from regenerating. Sometimes players are too far from their enemy to sustain the offensive and the enemy’s health begins to recover. If you hit them with a feather before that happens, their regeneration will stop and you’ll get Corvus a precious few seconds to get closer and engage them again.
4 Respecting talents is easy
Into the Talent Tree Thymesia is Corvus’ skill tree, which allows him to upgrade his combos, unlock new skills, or boost the ones he already has. Each upgrade costs a Talent Point, but fortunately spending a Talent Point is not a permanent obligation.
If you return to the Talent Tree and click on an acquired Talent, the Skill Point will be removed from it and placed back in the reserve, so that it can be spent on any other Talent in the tree. This ensures constant adaptation to any situation. Skill points can be applied to skills that yield more shards or items while farming and then applied to deal more damage or expand attack combos when engaging in a boss fight. It’s a great and extremely flexible system.
3 Complete Submissions
After completing an area, players are given the option to continue or return to the area to take on Sub-Quests. While going back can feel like it slows down the game’s progress, submissions offer valuable rewards that are well worth going back for.
Specifically, Sub-Quests usually grant a large number of Memory Shards, but certain unique enemies players find in Sub-Quests will also award valuable rare items. It’s also worth going back and seeing the unique enemies that won’t appear in the main game. Some of them are very twisted.
2 Choose a potion type and stick to it
Unlike most other upgradeable tools in Thymesia, the items used to upgrade Corvus’ potions are scarce. Since Corvus can access three types of potions after completing the second area, it’s unlikely that players will find enough potion upgrades to fill the skill trees of all three.
As such, the best course of action for players is to decide early on which type of potion they prefer and focus on upgrading that one before the others. Standard, Long and Fast drinks all have unique advantages and disadvantages, as well as unique ingredients that can be added to each, so get a feel for them and decide which one feels most natural.
1 Explore every corner
Areas in Thymesia aren’t particularly big, but like any Soulslike, they’re full of hidden areas and shortcuts. Sometimes they shorten the flight to a boss fight, but they can also lead to hidden mini-bosses, rare items, or bits of lore.
That’s why it’s important to take your time and explore each area thoroughly. Secret passages are often hidden behind breakable barrels and crates, but others can be more difficult to spot. Dig around every room and chances are that something hidden will reveal itself.
Thymesia was released on August 18, 2022 and is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
0 Comments