Thymesia looks like the faster, grosser Souls-like we need after the majesty of Elden Ring

Thymesia is a third-person action RPG proudly styled after FromSoftware's Souls series, and it looks like a promising mix of elements from Sekiro and especially Bloodborne paired with some potent spice of its own.

You play as a plague doctor-esque warrior code named Corvus, trapped in a kingdom crumbling at the hands of disease. Combat looks like a frenetic mix of parries, fast dodges, and flashy melee combos, and it's punctuated by an interesting special attack mechanic that lets you siphon the plague from enemies and convert it into weapons ranging from scythes and spears to daggers and claws. To really sell the death aesthetic, you can also assume a raven form during fights and hurl lethal feathers at baddies. 

Developer OverBorder Studio promises a freeform upgrade system to let you define your play style, and choices extend beyond combat, too. There are apparently multiple endings tied to the items you obtain and the memories you recover throughout the game. 

Slashing through a world steeped in death and disease is Bloodborne all over, and Thymesia's focus on parrying also smacks somewhat of Sekiro's overall flow. That said, at first blush Thymesia looks even more vicious and fantastical than any of FromSoftware's games. Fights look positively breakneck, and there's an over-the-top flourish to many of Corvus' attacks that we can't look away from. 

A new trailer from publisher Team17 confirms Thymesia is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC on August 9, and it's already got a short demo on Steam

What the hell is a Souls-like? We asked a bunch of game devs to break down FromSoftware's accidental genre. 

Austin Wood

Austin freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree, and he's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize that his position as a senior writer is just a cover up for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a focus on news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.