Pathologic 2

Remake of a horror action adventure game that was first released in 2005. This project was developed by the creators of the original, the team at Russia-based Ice-Pick Lodge, who are also known for such titles as The Void (a.k.a. Tension), Cargo! Quest for Gravity and Knock-knock. With the financial support of the Kickstarter community the developers decided to recreate their old hit, this time being able to fullfil the original vision, which could not be fully realized during the previous attempts due to financial and technological limitations. The new version has been delievered to PC/Mac users as well as the eight-generation consoles.

Plot

Pathologic takes you to a small town, whose inhabitants start dying of a strange disease, called sand plague, which is caused by a mysterious villain. The virus spreads quickly; it impacts the entire nervous and circulatory system of its victims, causing an irreversible paralysys of the body and mind. In order to combat the epidemic the local authorities hire an experienced physician, inquisitor, and military commander – the latter is to destroy the town if all else fails. Incidentally, there are two other newcomers around: Karla, a young woman with supernatural powers, and a gifted amatour surgeon, who is looking his family’s legacy in the town. According to all estimates, you have only 12 days to stop the plague and defeat the mysterious enemy.

Mechanics

Just like in the original game, in Pathologic PC, XONE and PS4 you follow the story from the perspective of the three previously introduced characters: a doctor (The Bachelor), a mystic named Karla (The Changeling) and a surgeon (The Haruspex). Each of them is characterized by unique play style, and all work indepentendly of the rest – sometimes they even cross each other. In the game you are free to roam about the entire town in the first-person perspective. Each day you get a new task to complete, which translates into exploration, having conversations with non-player characters, and sometimes even combat. However, your main enemy is time – failing to complete the mission within the set time frame results in death of more innocents. Another challenge has to provide your characters with enough food, sleep and keeping their immune systems strong, so they don’t get infected.

Technological aspects

Pathologic PC, XONE and PS4 is characterized by its dark, thick atmosphere. While exploring the in-game town you are a witness to some horryfing effects the mysterious virus took on the citizens. What makes this version shine, when compared with its predecessor, is that it uses a popular game engine, Unity, which ensures considerably improved graphics. Among other improvements were also quests and plots, gameplay balance, and AI of NPCs, which made their behavior more realistic. The authors also provided professional voiceover, which was one of the original’s biggest faults.

Last updated on 08 October 2024