Step, anxiety and plague – review of the game “Pathologic 2”

Time for a breath of fresh air!

We need to clarify something from the very beginning to dispel all doubts – Pathologic 2  is not a sequel to Pathologic . The game has just been refreshed to be considered playable by most players in 2019, because it has to be admitted … The first version was not overwhelming either in terms of graphics or mechanics – ugly character models, crude combat system, slow pace gameplay. It was also difficult to get to know everything during the first launch of the title, because this one absolutely did not lead the player by the hand, which we are a bit used to, right? The challenge is to get lost in today’s games, all you have to do is look at the marker on the map beating your eyes and we know where to go. Meanwhile, old Pathologic it threw us into the deep water right away, it only gave delicate hints – ones that can be caught, but are not entirely obvious. But guess what? I personally loved it! Knowing that something is easy to overlook and lose was that thrill as I saved the game for the fifth time in just a few minutes of gameplay and paused to rethink my action plan.

Which street will I go? Which way will be the easiest? Will I be able to survive on stale bread and two sardines until the end of the day? In which store can I get cheap food and medicines and will I get them at all? Anyone willing to exchange an old bracelet for a few rounds for a revolver? It was enough to make one mistake, omitting something important, a wrong decision made, and all efforts so far had been in vain, which made the atmosphere of the game even heavier and harder to swallow. Is Pathologic 2 lost the “claw” of its predecessor? I was afraid it would, but I was positively surprised. The creators added some facilities, such as the ability to highlight characters with whom we can enter into a significant dialogue, but I did not feel treated like a child who needs to be guided to everything, oh no! Not only has the atmosphere been masterfully preserved, but also wonderfully enhanced with good graphics and a great soundtrack!

We’re back together with Burakh

Our protagonist is a young surgeon – Artemy Burakh – who, concerned and at the same time intrigued by a mysterious letter from his father, decides to return to his birthplace after many years. The arduous journey he takes while riding the free stowaways on the train is “made pleasant” by nightmares and a mysterious companion who, in fact, can only be a strange delusion or a dream. In our dreams, we are bombarded with an overwhelming climate from the very beginning: executors with the faces of huge birds with bone beaks, emaciated tragic men, a giant bull – one of the steppe deities, Kin – a people of earth and grass, professing ancient principles, changing hearts and the feeling that all these supernatural things, filled with frightening absurdity, are not all that supernatural. We are brought down to earth by a cold greeting from three local men, which quickly turns against them. Burakh stands in the fog, bathed in his own and other people’s blood, the tracks and the outline of the city in front of him, and figures from his nightmares right next to him. Thirsty, hungry and wounded, Artemy knows one thing – it’s time to hobble home.

Life is not a fairy tale

Oh no! Especially living in the heart of the steppe when you are your own and your stranger at the same time. There is not much in the shops, hard biscuits need to be sipped lavishly to let them pass through the throat somehow. Water is a separate problem – drinkable water has recently arrived, but how long will it last? This is an important question, because you can only get sick after the local one, and deliveries to the heart of the steppe are not the most common. People are suspicious, glare at Burakh with bloodshot eyes, don’t want to talk too much, as if unspoken words could fix what has already happened. Someone has killed, and in such a small community, similar information results in aversion to the closest neighbors … Not to mention the suddenly appearing descendant of the unfortunate victim. What to do when angry people want to do justice themselves? Where to find the murderer? Who to trust and who doesn’t even look in the eyes for too long? Could the evidence of a mysterious disease be another cause for concern? So many questions, so little time … We have twelve days to save the town from collapse and at the same time survive. This is a difficult task, it is better to get to work right away, every minute is worth its weight in gold.

Survival can be a pain in the ass

Just like the original, Pathologic 2 forces us to take care of our hero. When it comes to these most basic needs, you need to satisfy his hunger, thirst, and also let him rest from time to time. Surviving from day to day will be more and more difficult, so be creative – exchange with residents (especially with kids, for nice rubbish you can get useful items from them), rummage in garbage cans, steal if the situation forces you to do so. Solving growing problems and puzzles is important, but you can’t do it when you’re dead, right? This part of the gameplay can effectively scare some people away because the survival aspect is a vital part and sometimes we just want to push the story forward, but first we need to buy food or medicine to keep Burakh alive. Wherever we go

Managed to

Hand on heart and completely honestly – Pathologic  in its original version has always put me in a strange kind of fear that may seem absurd. Someone more skeptical will say that it was an ugly walking simulator, varied with conversations with NPCs, who, in addition, were often incredibly raving and it was difficult to understand the meaning of their statements. However, I know that after a long game I felt genuinely depressed and tense. Pathologic 2it put me in the same mood of hopelessness and hate, for which of course I want to hug the creators and say: “Good job, you’ve stressed me out again!” – they themselves do not hide that their work is not meant to be a pleasant experience. It is a difficult and tiring title, but this is where the “magic” lies. There are some things that need to be polished, for example a horribly “wooden” combat, very similar to that of Pathologic , giving you virtually no satisfaction, but in the end there are definitely more significant advantages than minor disadvantages. Apart from that, the developers also promised to add the gameplay with two other characters that were playable in the first game, so it’s worth waiting for!

We would like to thank Tiny Build for making a copy of the game available for review (PC).