This review contains spoilers
Pathologic 2 is easily the best written game I've played, and whether that notion inherently correlates to something being the peak of the medium is your choice to make. For me, that is not the case; but Pathologic has an insistence on backing up its strengths thematically with extremely rich gameplay.
The root of all things in life is contrast (and by extension context) which Pathologic delights in applying to its mechanics and flow to imbue them with more life than you'd be able to decipher from a mere surface level analysis. Getting an item of value is contrasted only by having something without value, so naturally Pathologic puts the economy in a constant state of shift and uncertainty that enforces the meaning of victories; even if they're only to be met with more suffering. The context part is more relevant to the game at large; Pathologic adds context from its excellently written and thought-provoking narrative to the act of walking. A constant timer ticks down as quest chains are divided into separate days with separate events within that day, thus requiring the player to always be thinking both about what they can do (to assess its value, in contrast to the less valuable) and what they will do; not an easy choice to make in a game with extremely abstract and nuanced writing that demands you think before you act. Your contextual expectations may prove to be your downfall as you can't create a new context to predict things approaching in a vacuum, as the days get darker and more hopeless with time.
The beauty of Pathologic 2's game design is that it builds a game out of expectations and thoughts, even when it's actually not all that complicated. Sure, there are definitely mechanics at play that absolutely intertwine in excellent ways, but they're not always much more complicated than your average survival game. Pathologic insists on tricking you and scaring you; it likes to tell you things will be worse than they truly are, and it wants you to struggle for thinking you dared to know how things will be. Only via remaining in a state of constant questioning and preparation can you be ready to take on the games heaviest days, when bodies fall left and right and you just can't deal with it. This is also effectively my takeaway on a deeper story analysis. There is extremely nuanced theming here, but if I am to state what I think it's trying to say: nothing. Not literally nothing, but rather I don't think it wants one to take away a strict impression; it's a game of much detail and you even get the opportunity to take on different roles, where you fail and succeed either way. Every character speaks in riddles that make you question yourself, and yet it doesn't matter if you did the opposite anyways, things still go wrong. However, I think if I am to touch upon themes it wants you to start having something to say about: individuality versus collectivism, industry versus environment, reality versus mythology, supply versus demand... I could keep going, but everything is connected here. The theme of connection, thread and the Lines (as the game puts it) is impossible to ignore; there is a tie between everything, and almost every interpretation will feed into every aspect no matter what. It has a multitude of direct concepts it tries to state: that man does not belong in civilization, that civilization is a tumor that is hurting Gaia, that collectivism is to achieve true immortality by feeding into the greater force than you that can never truly die, but then is quick to convey that; no matter what, man is to become a hivemind regardless and that this is not always positive, as the town descends into madness solely by the unintelligent hands of its own citizens. About the only thing truly wrong one can do in this situation where "right" is a mere theory, is think they know it all; no one does. Don't get me started on the meta-theatrical elements.
The strongest critiques likely land squarely in technicalities (it's a slavic studio so I cut them some slack; the game is still refined enough to have good menus) and areas of failed interactivity: I think there are large possibilities for characters to possibly get more involved in some questlines, I think there was more room for interesting stealth, I think the soundtrack is a little lacking in memorability, I think a more punishing save system ala Resident Evil could have added more pressure and I think structurally the sense of escalation actually eases a bit through the later days as you run out of questlines to fail and characters die regardless, but still, point gets across. The best argument I could have is that Artemy is inconsistent in choices you're given, since sometimes it seems like you can steer him in your "own" direction and sometimes it seems like you're forced to roleplay as a stubborn Artemy with little choice; but it's also a play with commentary on fate, so maybe it's all intentional? All in all, no matter what I say, it does what no other does. I praise games not usually for their writing quality, but how well they convey their thematical concepts through the gameplay, as truth be told, I think we almost never see games with truly incredible writing that still manage to be engaging. For every game that steps closer to being a book/movie, it steps away from embracing what makes it good as a game as you begin to feel strained from the fact that all the interaction you're doing really is just taking you away from digesting what actually matters by a certain point. Pathologic is an amazing game with amazing writing, and it doesn't slack on integrating genuinely strong storytelling all on its own with genuinely strong gameplay all on its own, and through context and contrast, the udurgh strengthens both. It's got some holes, but come on guys: this is what we need.
The root of all things in life is contrast (and by extension context) which Pathologic delights in applying to its mechanics and flow to imbue them with more life than you'd be able to decipher from a mere surface level analysis. Getting an item of value is contrasted only by having something without value, so naturally Pathologic puts the economy in a constant state of shift and uncertainty that enforces the meaning of victories; even if they're only to be met with more suffering. The context part is more relevant to the game at large; Pathologic adds context from its excellently written and thought-provoking narrative to the act of walking. A constant timer ticks down as quest chains are divided into separate days with separate events within that day, thus requiring the player to always be thinking both about what they can do (to assess its value, in contrast to the less valuable) and what they will do; not an easy choice to make in a game with extremely abstract and nuanced writing that demands you think before you act. Your contextual expectations may prove to be your downfall as you can't create a new context to predict things approaching in a vacuum, as the days get darker and more hopeless with time.
The beauty of Pathologic 2's game design is that it builds a game out of expectations and thoughts, even when it's actually not all that complicated. Sure, there are definitely mechanics at play that absolutely intertwine in excellent ways, but they're not always much more complicated than your average survival game. Pathologic insists on tricking you and scaring you; it likes to tell you things will be worse than they truly are, and it wants you to struggle for thinking you dared to know how things will be. Only via remaining in a state of constant questioning and preparation can you be ready to take on the games heaviest days, when bodies fall left and right and you just can't deal with it. This is also effectively my takeaway on a deeper story analysis. There is extremely nuanced theming here, but if I am to state what I think it's trying to say: nothing. Not literally nothing, but rather I don't think it wants one to take away a strict impression; it's a game of much detail and you even get the opportunity to take on different roles, where you fail and succeed either way. Every character speaks in riddles that make you question yourself, and yet it doesn't matter if you did the opposite anyways, things still go wrong. However, I think if I am to touch upon themes it wants you to start having something to say about: individuality versus collectivism, industry versus environment, reality versus mythology, supply versus demand... I could keep going, but everything is connected here. The theme of connection, thread and the Lines (as the game puts it) is impossible to ignore; there is a tie between everything, and almost every interpretation will feed into every aspect no matter what. It has a multitude of direct concepts it tries to state: that man does not belong in civilization, that civilization is a tumor that is hurting Gaia, that collectivism is to achieve true immortality by feeding into the greater force than you that can never truly die, but then is quick to convey that; no matter what, man is to become a hivemind regardless and that this is not always positive, as the town descends into madness solely by the unintelligent hands of its own citizens. About the only thing truly wrong one can do in this situation where "right" is a mere theory, is think they know it all; no one does. Don't get me started on the meta-theatrical elements.
The strongest critiques likely land squarely in technicalities (it's a slavic studio so I cut them some slack; the game is still refined enough to have good menus) and areas of failed interactivity: I think there are large possibilities for characters to possibly get more involved in some questlines, I think there was more room for interesting stealth, I think the soundtrack is a little lacking in memorability, I think a more punishing save system ala Resident Evil could have added more pressure and I think structurally the sense of escalation actually eases a bit through the later days as you run out of questlines to fail and characters die regardless, but still, point gets across. The best argument I could have is that Artemy is inconsistent in choices you're given, since sometimes it seems like you can steer him in your "own" direction and sometimes it seems like you're forced to roleplay as a stubborn Artemy with little choice; but it's also a play with commentary on fate, so maybe it's all intentional? All in all, no matter what I say, it does what no other does. I praise games not usually for their writing quality, but how well they convey their thematical concepts through the gameplay, as truth be told, I think we almost never see games with truly incredible writing that still manage to be engaging. For every game that steps closer to being a book/movie, it steps away from embracing what makes it good as a game as you begin to feel strained from the fact that all the interaction you're doing really is just taking you away from digesting what actually matters by a certain point. Pathologic is an amazing game with amazing writing, and it doesn't slack on integrating genuinely strong storytelling all on its own with genuinely strong gameplay all on its own, and through context and contrast, the udurgh strengthens both. It's got some holes, but come on guys: this is what we need.
É bem difícil comentar sobre esse jogo. Hehe.
Minha vontade era de só escrever "puta que pariu" e deixar por isso mesmo, mas depois de tanta luta... não dá pra deixar assim.
Patológico 2 é um jogo extremamente artístico que me atraiu desde o início, principalmente após assistir ao vídeo do hbomberguy sobre a Genialidade de Patológico HD. Todas as interações com o mundo do jogo possuem particularidades e simbolismos únicos, mesmo aquelas que envolvem apenas a troca de itens, o que confere um inegável charme à experiência.
Entretanto, devido ao fato do jogo ser notoriamente cruel, a experiência de cada jogador é restrita e individual. É impossível criar uma concepção completa do mundo com base em uma única experiência, já que muitas vezes é impossível inclusive sobreviver, fazendo com que grande parte do jogo envolva custos de oportunidade... intensos. Inclusive, cheguei até a sonhar com escolhas que deveria ter feito, mas não fui capaz de raciocinar no momento certo.
No entanto, isso não é algo negativo para mim, pois acredito que quando um jogo te estressa a ponto de você sentir remorso genuíno, isso significa que você está imerso de fato. Afinal, viver é perigoso e Patológico 2 não deixa você esquecer disso.
Enfim, trata-se de um jogo bastante singular, repleto de identidade e com uma trilha sonora absolutamente fantástica. Um prato cheio para mim. Certamente jogarei novamente em algum outro momento da minha vida.
Minha vontade era de só escrever "puta que pariu" e deixar por isso mesmo, mas depois de tanta luta... não dá pra deixar assim.
Patológico 2 é um jogo extremamente artístico que me atraiu desde o início, principalmente após assistir ao vídeo do hbomberguy sobre a Genialidade de Patológico HD. Todas as interações com o mundo do jogo possuem particularidades e simbolismos únicos, mesmo aquelas que envolvem apenas a troca de itens, o que confere um inegável charme à experiência.
Entretanto, devido ao fato do jogo ser notoriamente cruel, a experiência de cada jogador é restrita e individual. É impossível criar uma concepção completa do mundo com base em uma única experiência, já que muitas vezes é impossível inclusive sobreviver, fazendo com que grande parte do jogo envolva custos de oportunidade... intensos. Inclusive, cheguei até a sonhar com escolhas que deveria ter feito, mas não fui capaz de raciocinar no momento certo.
No entanto, isso não é algo negativo para mim, pois acredito que quando um jogo te estressa a ponto de você sentir remorso genuíno, isso significa que você está imerso de fato. Afinal, viver é perigoso e Patológico 2 não deixa você esquecer disso.
Enfim, trata-se de um jogo bastante singular, repleto de identidade e com uma trilha sonora absolutamente fantástica. Um prato cheio para mim. Certamente jogarei novamente em algum outro momento da minha vida.
it's incredible how much of an improvement it is over some aspects of the original pathologic. i was just so delighted with seeing all my thoughts and ideas about how pathologic could have been improved being implemented, such as finally being able to RUN <3 but it depleting stamina, and having fast travel options that also come at a different cost if they do save you time. the difficulty is still there, just instead of being boring or a nuisance, there's actual decision-making that goes into it and thus engaging difficulty. the visuals and art direction are as always impeccable, and the writing is great, though i still vastly prefer the russian-lit flowery dramatics of the original game
i am also very glad that this focuses on haruspex's route first, since his route in the first game was weaker than the bachelor's. but ngl i don't know if other routes will ever happen, or whether i will even play them anymore
that being said, wow this game is hard. patho 1 was also supposedly hard but also it's an old game that can easily be cheesed. this, however... i could not cheese this... i am quite bad at it so i did not get far. i hope i will be able to finish it someday
my nitpicks would be that i do not like yulia's new design at all :( eva's as well. also there's just smth about the original pathologic that resonates with me more in terms of its atmosphere and themes still, though otherwise the remake is an improvement in every way for visuals and gameplay
i am also very glad that this focuses on haruspex's route first, since his route in the first game was weaker than the bachelor's. but ngl i don't know if other routes will ever happen, or whether i will even play them anymore
that being said, wow this game is hard. patho 1 was also supposedly hard but also it's an old game that can easily be cheesed. this, however... i could not cheese this... i am quite bad at it so i did not get far. i hope i will be able to finish it someday
my nitpicks would be that i do not like yulia's new design at all :( eva's as well. also there's just smth about the original pathologic that resonates with me more in terms of its atmosphere and themes still, though otherwise the remake is an improvement in every way for visuals and gameplay
✅ Positives:
• I haven’t played many games with atmosphere quite as oppressive as this felt, almost suffocatingly so. From the get go you’re set off in a town that’s immediately out to get you, with the game getting much worse to manage as a deadly plague starts to set in, supplies run low, and districts fall into disarray. As the town’s doctor, you’ll be tasked to try and keep the people there and yourself alive as long as you can, which gets more miserable with each passing day. While there are difficulty settings to choose from, at the start it’s said to keep it on an “intended” level as a way to really understand the almost unbearable world they’ve made here, and I’d say it does work very well even if it can be exhausting to play after a while
• With the survival systems and timed deadlines you’re pretty much forced to always be doing something, and I liked how the characters, quests and points of interest are structured with a “thoughts” map which made it easy to keep track of things. You’ll rarely be lost cause of this which was appreciated
• The majority of the game is spent talking to the town’s residents, and dialogue is well written. And while he’s not voiced I liked how personified they made the main character’s dialogue options too, endearingly emphasizing his stress with the situation and other characters as he tries to find a cure
• I liked how the barter system works in the game. Ordinarily you can go to stores to buy supplies but that’ll start getting expensive very quickly. Instead you can trade a bunch of general items you have with NPCs for anything they’re carrying to keep you going, like food or medicine. This makes all the random items you find useful when they wouldn’t have much value otherwise
• The music is understated but does a great job making you feel very uneasy as you go around town and things continue to get worse
❎ Negatives:
• Didn’t like the combat. I get that it’s supposed to be avoided as you barely have any means to defend yourself or heal, but in those cases where you have no choice or get overwhelmed by multiple enemies it’s very janky to deal with. On top of this, the game does this thing where you get punished if you die by taking away a piece of your overall health across all your save files, meaning you can’t just reload afterwards from what I could tell. With how fast combat can kill you in general, I felt this wasn’t really necessary on top of everything else
• You will be walking through the same town districts A LOT, there is only a limited way to fast travel with boats and you need finite items to use them (and eventually they’ll ask for more at once too). Didn’t really care for this and felt it just took up more time than anything
• Assuming you play on the intended difficulty, you will constantly be starving. This works as the means to keep you active throughout the game, but at times I felt it was a bit unbalanced as water was comparatively much easier to find and stock up on. Don’t think I ever had a point where I was really in need of that, meanwhile your hunger meter barely lasts a couple hours before having to look for more (and it gets expensive to do so)
• Performance on Steam Deck was okay, but couldn’t really handle it past 30 FPS. Probably should only play this on an SSD also, as it loads every time you enter interiors and I’ve seen it can have extremely long wait times otherwise
• I haven’t played many games with atmosphere quite as oppressive as this felt, almost suffocatingly so. From the get go you’re set off in a town that’s immediately out to get you, with the game getting much worse to manage as a deadly plague starts to set in, supplies run low, and districts fall into disarray. As the town’s doctor, you’ll be tasked to try and keep the people there and yourself alive as long as you can, which gets more miserable with each passing day. While there are difficulty settings to choose from, at the start it’s said to keep it on an “intended” level as a way to really understand the almost unbearable world they’ve made here, and I’d say it does work very well even if it can be exhausting to play after a while
• With the survival systems and timed deadlines you’re pretty much forced to always be doing something, and I liked how the characters, quests and points of interest are structured with a “thoughts” map which made it easy to keep track of things. You’ll rarely be lost cause of this which was appreciated
• The majority of the game is spent talking to the town’s residents, and dialogue is well written. And while he’s not voiced I liked how personified they made the main character’s dialogue options too, endearingly emphasizing his stress with the situation and other characters as he tries to find a cure
• I liked how the barter system works in the game. Ordinarily you can go to stores to buy supplies but that’ll start getting expensive very quickly. Instead you can trade a bunch of general items you have with NPCs for anything they’re carrying to keep you going, like food or medicine. This makes all the random items you find useful when they wouldn’t have much value otherwise
• The music is understated but does a great job making you feel very uneasy as you go around town and things continue to get worse
❎ Negatives:
• Didn’t like the combat. I get that it’s supposed to be avoided as you barely have any means to defend yourself or heal, but in those cases where you have no choice or get overwhelmed by multiple enemies it’s very janky to deal with. On top of this, the game does this thing where you get punished if you die by taking away a piece of your overall health across all your save files, meaning you can’t just reload afterwards from what I could tell. With how fast combat can kill you in general, I felt this wasn’t really necessary on top of everything else
• You will be walking through the same town districts A LOT, there is only a limited way to fast travel with boats and you need finite items to use them (and eventually they’ll ask for more at once too). Didn’t really care for this and felt it just took up more time than anything
• Assuming you play on the intended difficulty, you will constantly be starving. This works as the means to keep you active throughout the game, but at times I felt it was a bit unbalanced as water was comparatively much easier to find and stock up on. Don’t think I ever had a point where I was really in need of that, meanwhile your hunger meter barely lasts a couple hours before having to look for more (and it gets expensive to do so)
• Performance on Steam Deck was okay, but couldn’t really handle it past 30 FPS. Probably should only play this on an SSD also, as it loads every time you enter interiors and I’ve seen it can have extremely long wait times otherwise
i failed for the second time might give it a try in the future
Pathologic 2 would be the perfect game except that its so poorly optimized, it has crashed multiple times in the middle of when I plying for 2+ hours. This usually wouldn't be a problem for me but this game makes it kinda difficult to save and I can go hours without saving and it sets back a large amount of progress. Otherwise? An extremely interesting and fun experience even when the game is stressing me out.
must be played to be appreciated
the true ludokino
the true ludokino
Você anda pelas ruas, a noite. Uma névoa escura, densa, permeia o ar. Inúmeros corpos jogados pelo chão, parte deles ainda com vida, tossindo, infectados pela praga. O corpo grita por ajuda, a voz, sequer é ouvida, eles não conseguem mais falar.
Você é Artemy? Você é um peão? Você é ''Você''?
Movido pela vontade desenfreada de salvar 7 crianças, crianças que você, inicialmente, sequer conhece, sequer entende, sequer sonha em desenvolver algum laço emocional. Obrigado a seguir o mesmo caminho que seu pai. Mas, por quem? Por ele? Não, ele já está morto.
Pelo povo? Não, ninguém se importaria se você sumisse.
Senso de moral? Um número a mais no chão, um número a menos no leito de hospital... A hipocrisia cerca esse mundo.
Qual a diferença do remédio administrado para alguém em meio ao caos, da bala disparada no centro da cabeça de alguém ainda mais desesperado? Forçado a, literalmente, matar aqueles que vagam pelas ruas, as poucas almas fracas que tem força o suficiente para sair da cama e implorar por ajuda, são aquelas que, caso encostem em você, lhe infectaram, o arrastando junto ao fim.
O povo não cultua a deuses, não cultua a vida, não cultua a morte. O povo dança, vive e morre na terra, pra terra, pela terra. A terra é tudo para eles, você é um estrangeiro, mesmo sendo daqui, mesmo vivendo aqui, jamais entenderá. Você, jogador, não pertence a esse mundo, não entende esse mundo, e independente de quem controlar, não fará parte desse mundo. A morte veio junto a ti, a morte lhe cerca, você está experienciando isso por conta própria e ninguém lhe dará um final digno, não existe beleza na morte, mas existe beleza no sacrifício em criar um futuro em que ao menos uma criança possa sorrir, mesmo negando o futuro a tantos, ao menos um nós iremos poder salvar, e iremos até o final por isso, mesmo sem saber como ou o porquê.
''Você, um cirurgião, corta tudo.
Nós, entrelaçamos.''
Você é Artemy? Você é um peão? Você é ''Você''?
Movido pela vontade desenfreada de salvar 7 crianças, crianças que você, inicialmente, sequer conhece, sequer entende, sequer sonha em desenvolver algum laço emocional. Obrigado a seguir o mesmo caminho que seu pai. Mas, por quem? Por ele? Não, ele já está morto.
Pelo povo? Não, ninguém se importaria se você sumisse.
Senso de moral? Um número a mais no chão, um número a menos no leito de hospital... A hipocrisia cerca esse mundo.
Qual a diferença do remédio administrado para alguém em meio ao caos, da bala disparada no centro da cabeça de alguém ainda mais desesperado? Forçado a, literalmente, matar aqueles que vagam pelas ruas, as poucas almas fracas que tem força o suficiente para sair da cama e implorar por ajuda, são aquelas que, caso encostem em você, lhe infectaram, o arrastando junto ao fim.
O povo não cultua a deuses, não cultua a vida, não cultua a morte. O povo dança, vive e morre na terra, pra terra, pela terra. A terra é tudo para eles, você é um estrangeiro, mesmo sendo daqui, mesmo vivendo aqui, jamais entenderá. Você, jogador, não pertence a esse mundo, não entende esse mundo, e independente de quem controlar, não fará parte desse mundo. A morte veio junto a ti, a morte lhe cerca, você está experienciando isso por conta própria e ninguém lhe dará um final digno, não existe beleza na morte, mas existe beleza no sacrifício em criar um futuro em que ao menos uma criança possa sorrir, mesmo negando o futuro a tantos, ao menos um nós iremos poder salvar, e iremos até o final por isso, mesmo sem saber como ou o porquê.
''Você, um cirurgião, corta tudo.
Nós, entrelaçamos.''
What are games?
If you were to ask this to most gamers, they would call it an artform. But to those same people who might also criticize this game on the simple foundation of it ''not being fun'', I ask you to either reconsider your take on videogames even being an artform, or your criticism of pathologic.
It's weird, really. So many gamers pretend to be some intellectuals for considering video games art, yet dislike a game for not being a constant dopamine dispensor. Art is about making you feel emotions. These emotions do not have to be positive emotions, they can be feelings of horror, boredom, sadness and... utter dread.
And here I am, with a positive review, saying this with the most positive intent:
This game is dreadful. Absolutely dreadful. And you should play it.
Pathologic 2 is a survival game, with a MASSIVE emphasis on survival. This is not your regular ''eat food and drink water thats very easily accesible every once in a while, your health will become better over short time'' type survival. This is an ''Oh, you're literally starving? Well, buy this fish for just 500 coins! Oh, you dont have enough coins? Just trade some items to afford it! Oh, you traded all your items and finally got just enough coins for it, but the fish only satisfied one slight bit of your hunger, and you're still starving? Well f*ck you then!'' type game.
It is a constant struggle, not just over the big goal of CURING A PLAGUE, but also a struggle of mere survival, ramped up times ten.
This, in itself, isn't inherently good. There are plenty of bad games that are also incredibly hard. But what makes this game good? A great mix. This game excels in storytelling and atmosphere. As you walk through this plague-ridden town, listening to its strange, but fitting music, observing its strange monuments, houses and inhabitants, you immerse yourself in the game. You find yourself genuinely desperate to reach your goals in time. You approach carefully around every corner to look out for hostiles, your heartbeat increases every time you enter a district with a worse opinion of you, and you're willing to do whatever just to satisfy your hunger for a couple hours.
It's honestly hard to describe how well the dread of the gameplay, brilliance of the story and atmosphere of the town mixes into one of the best showcases that games REALLY ARE art, because it's not just a reward-based monkey in a restrain-chair dopamine dispensor, and I believe it's really telling to gamers who criticise this game for not being exactly that.
If you were to ask this to most gamers, they would call it an artform. But to those same people who might also criticize this game on the simple foundation of it ''not being fun'', I ask you to either reconsider your take on videogames even being an artform, or your criticism of pathologic.
It's weird, really. So many gamers pretend to be some intellectuals for considering video games art, yet dislike a game for not being a constant dopamine dispensor. Art is about making you feel emotions. These emotions do not have to be positive emotions, they can be feelings of horror, boredom, sadness and... utter dread.
And here I am, with a positive review, saying this with the most positive intent:
This game is dreadful. Absolutely dreadful. And you should play it.
Pathologic 2 is a survival game, with a MASSIVE emphasis on survival. This is not your regular ''eat food and drink water thats very easily accesible every once in a while, your health will become better over short time'' type survival. This is an ''Oh, you're literally starving? Well, buy this fish for just 500 coins! Oh, you dont have enough coins? Just trade some items to afford it! Oh, you traded all your items and finally got just enough coins for it, but the fish only satisfied one slight bit of your hunger, and you're still starving? Well f*ck you then!'' type game.
It is a constant struggle, not just over the big goal of CURING A PLAGUE, but also a struggle of mere survival, ramped up times ten.
This, in itself, isn't inherently good. There are plenty of bad games that are also incredibly hard. But what makes this game good? A great mix. This game excels in storytelling and atmosphere. As you walk through this plague-ridden town, listening to its strange, but fitting music, observing its strange monuments, houses and inhabitants, you immerse yourself in the game. You find yourself genuinely desperate to reach your goals in time. You approach carefully around every corner to look out for hostiles, your heartbeat increases every time you enter a district with a worse opinion of you, and you're willing to do whatever just to satisfy your hunger for a couple hours.
It's honestly hard to describe how well the dread of the gameplay, brilliance of the story and atmosphere of the town mixes into one of the best showcases that games REALLY ARE art, because it's not just a reward-based monkey in a restrain-chair dopamine dispensor, and I believe it's really telling to gamers who criticise this game for not being exactly that.
PEAKologic
Eu assisti o vídeo do filipe ramos e.. Caramba, isso não é um jogo. É um sentimento, esse jogo é um mind fuck total, os personagens, a história, que jogo amigos, que jogo.
I just can’t do it man (but someday I will)!
This game tore me apart and pieced me back together. It’s about the human condition, coming to terms with death, being a video game character. I await the second campaign and really hope all the bugs get fixed by then. Crashed like 20 times. Worth it though
An artistic, timeless, unique and hardcore masterpiece.
My favourite game of all time.
I didn't have fun.
I didn't have fun.
Muito bom jogo, representa perfeitamente a experiência de morar em São Paulo
Never been so stressed over the health of video game children before
It's extremely difficult to explain exactly why Pathologic is so appealing in any sense, because without the context of having played it, writing down why you like it makes you seem like a masochist and this game a bizarre form of torture. Going into detail about how a good half of the game will be you in some variation of destitute, hungry, sick, constantly babysitting characters in a dice roll that goes increasingly out of your favor, etc. just makes me sound insane for not only playing it for hours on end, but loving it.
But I do love it specifically because of those aspects: the game is so cleverly written, with each character either knowing something that requires you to keep them alive just to help the others you do care for or simply liking them to begin with, just to constantly challenge to see how far you'll go to do so. Other games have attempted to make the player feel bad for doing things, whether it be in a plot sense or a gameplay segment: Pathologic is that entire segment, non-linear and completely up to your own discretion.
It simply puts you in situations you cannot control and DEMANDS that if you truly care about the people it has provided for you, then prove it: do things you wouldn't just to get ahead, be morally ambiguous, do something the truly desperate would do. Through that, it manages to make you feel the panic of the situation through how difficult and unwavering it is and how it will not hesitate to take away something you cared for, ESPECIALLY if you only put in the barest amount of effort in to protect it.
None of this is mentioning how good the characters, atmosphere, and general competency when it comes to presenting you this world and the people in it.
The only things stopping me from making it a perfect five is that the game is pretty buggy; every time I closed out of it, it would simply freeze and I would have to use task manager to end the process, and the fact the game is so experimental I can't see anyone except fringe weirdos enjoying it enough to finish it like I did. Other than that, I see no other word to use except masterpiece,
But I do love it specifically because of those aspects: the game is so cleverly written, with each character either knowing something that requires you to keep them alive just to help the others you do care for or simply liking them to begin with, just to constantly challenge to see how far you'll go to do so. Other games have attempted to make the player feel bad for doing things, whether it be in a plot sense or a gameplay segment: Pathologic is that entire segment, non-linear and completely up to your own discretion.
It simply puts you in situations you cannot control and DEMANDS that if you truly care about the people it has provided for you, then prove it: do things you wouldn't just to get ahead, be morally ambiguous, do something the truly desperate would do. Through that, it manages to make you feel the panic of the situation through how difficult and unwavering it is and how it will not hesitate to take away something you cared for, ESPECIALLY if you only put in the barest amount of effort in to protect it.
None of this is mentioning how good the characters, atmosphere, and general competency when it comes to presenting you this world and the people in it.
The only things stopping me from making it a perfect five is that the game is pretty buggy; every time I closed out of it, it would simply freeze and I would have to use task manager to end the process, and the fact the game is so experimental I can't see anyone except fringe weirdos enjoying it enough to finish it like I did. Other than that, I see no other word to use except masterpiece,
Pathologic é o jogo mais único que eu já joguei. UM tipo de experiência que nunca tive com nenhuma outra obra, uma imersão que nunca antes senti.
Eu amo quando um jogo usa todos os recursos que >>ser um jogo<< permite para criar um experiência única que só pode ser sentida naquela mídia e daquela forma, ao invés de só tentar imitar o cinema, como a maioria dos triple A. E ao meu ver, nenhum jogo faz isso melhor que Pathologic.
Um jogo cruel, brutal, injusto, profundo e filosófico. Uma jornada que apenas um jogo poderia proporcionar.
Eu amo quando um jogo usa todos os recursos que >>ser um jogo<< permite para criar um experiência única que só pode ser sentida naquela mídia e daquela forma, ao invés de só tentar imitar o cinema, como a maioria dos triple A. E ao meu ver, nenhum jogo faz isso melhor que Pathologic.
Um jogo cruel, brutal, injusto, profundo e filosófico. Uma jornada que apenas um jogo poderia proporcionar.
i hate this game
If were ever to get into BDSM, this would be my preferred method of torture.
Simply the best written game out there, and it's only 33% complete. Wildly exited for what's to come. Never had a game where gameplay and story wrapped itself together so well.
i think about playing this game all day then i go home and play this game then i go to sleep and dream about this game then i think about playing it more
Pathologic's gameplay and story can only be described as a hypnotizing and enthralling trance that by the end will hit you with a painful realization- you'll never get to experience something quite like it ever again.
"Is like reading a dostoevsky book that is constantly beating you"
this game is great why is there blood in my mouth
deadass this is one of these games that you say are cool because you yourself want to appear cool online in front of your imaginary game connoisseur friends
Hole in the heart,
Heart in the hole.
Heart in the hole.
Ele não tem comida, ele não tem remédio e definitivamente não tem o povo