Pathologic

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About

Pathologic is a Russian video game series developed by Ice-pick Lodge studio. While the game was well-reviewed in Russia, it was met with mixed reception due to poor translation issues and gameplay overseas. However, the game developed a cult following, leading to a sequel to be released in May of 2019.

History

Pathologic was developed by Ice-pick Lodge studio and released in Russia on June 9th, 2005.^[1] The game centers around three characters, Bachelor, Haruspex, and The Changeling, as they navigate a town suffering from a plague. Players can control one character through a twelve-day cycle at a time, with each character uncovering different aspects of the game's story. Completing all three campaigns will reveal a secret ending.

The game was released a year later in the UK and remastered in 2015 with the help of a Kickstarter campaign, called Pathologic Classic HD.^[2] A planned remake of the game became a sequel, Pathologic 2, which released on May 23rd, 2019.

Reception

The game has proven divisive among critics. While critics appreciated the unique and haunting atmosphere of the game, many also noted the game was slow, poorly translated, and had poor graphics.^[3] The remaster was more favorably received, netting a score of 76 on Metacritic.^[4] The sequel netted a score of 69 on Metacritic.^[5]

Online Presence

The game developed a cult following. On Reddit, the game's subreddit has gained over 2,400 subscribers since its launch in 2012.^[6] The game's reputation was boosted by hbomberguy, who posted a lengthy review and analysis of the game on November 21st, 2019, gaining over a million views (shown below, left). He admitted that the game was unforgiving and not one he would play again, but he did say he was completely engrossed in the game while playing and praised numerous elements of the game. He concluded by giving an enthusiastic recommendation of Pathologic 2. YouTuber sulmatul posted a lengthy analysis of the game's sequel the next day, gaining over 100,000 views (shown below, right).