Thymesia beginners’ guide – How to survive in Thymesia

Thymesia is an action game that very much falls in line with FromSoftware’s Souls games. You will face tough enemies and bosses, and you will die a lot. As G.I. Joe taught us, knowing is half the battle, so we’ve put together some important tips that can help beginners fare better in the Hermes Kingdom. Here are some things to keep in mind while playing Thymesia.

Related: How to clear the yellow fog in Thymesia

It’s okay to turn back

Thymesia’s levels are distinct missions; you won’t be exploring one massive map. Look at each level with the goal of getting from point A to point B, with Beacons serving as checkpoints along the way. Each one gives you the chance to level up (more on that in a moment) and replenish your health, energy, and potions. If you spot an enemy that looks too tough up ahead, it’s often better to retreat and rest instead of pressing on. Yes, this will respawn all the non-boss enemies in the level, but you’ll be able to handle them easier with each successive run, putting you in a better position to face the bigger threat that made you pause before.

Don’t hoard Memory Shards

Similarly, you shouldn’t hang on to Memory Shards any longer than you have to. These are your experience points, and if you die and fail to retrieve them, they’ll be lost forever. If you have enough to level up and are close to a Beacon, stop and spend the Shards. It’s an unnecessary risk to carry a lot at one time.

There’s no ‘right’ way to level up

When you spend your Memory Shards, you’ll have lots of options for investing in your attributes and skill points. Keeping a good balance of attack power, health, and energy is good, but you may find yourself spending less on energy if you don’t use Plague Weapons as often. Likewise, the skill points you earn can be spent on abilities that suit your playstyle. If you do a lot of counters, invest in those. If you like to go with mostly offense, grab skills for your saber. Worst case scenario, you can use a Forgotten Feather to reset your attributes. You can even move individual skill points across different parts of the skill tree at any time.

ABC: Always be clawing

Combat is quite aggressive in Thymesia, and using both your saber and claw attacks in equal measure is very important. You can do all the damage you want with your blade, but unless you want your opponent to heal back most of it, you need to seal the wound with a claw attack. A good rule of thumb is to follow up or end your regular combos with a claw swipe. This is especially important during boss fights.

Take your time

During said boss fights (and really any encounter in Thymesia), be willing to take a slow and steady approach. The game rewards aggression, but getting greedy with your attacks will only lead to critical mistakes. There’s a reason the game never throws too many enemies at you at once: you’re meant to take your time with each one. Analyzing the situation and learning the attack patterns will always do more for you than just rushing right in.