Pathologic

For other uses, see Pathology (disambiguation).
Pathologic

Developer(s) Ice-Pick Lodge
Publisher(s) CIS Buka Entertainment
EU G2 Games
WW Ice Pick Lodge
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Release date(s) Microsoft Windows
CIS June 9, 2005
EU August 18, 2006
Mac OS X, Playstation 4, and Xbox One
WW November 2016
Genre(s) Psychological horror
Mode(s) Single-player
Distribution CD-ROM
Download

Pathologic (known in Russian as Мор. Утопия) is an award winning 2005 psychological horror video game developed by the Russian studio Ice-Pick Lodge. It was published in Russia and other CIS-countries by Buka Entertainment. The game was published in Europe on 18 August 2006 by G2 Games. The game is currently being remade for Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One by Ice-Pick Lodge and will be self-published in late 2016.

Synopsis

The game is about three characters who are mostly known by their nicknames: two men, Bachelor (Бакалавр) and Haruspex (Гаруспик), and a girl nicknamed Devotress (Самозванка). Each of them tries to uncover the source of a strange lethal sickness known as the "sand plague" that has befallen a small town. Although players can play as each of them, there is only one storyline, which is seen from different points of view depending upon the chosen character. The ability to uncover some secrets depend on which character is being played and the characters also interact with the other two unchosen characters and discuss their progress over the course of the game.

The game takes place in a perpetual world over a time frame of 12 in-game days. Throughout each day, the player receives quests from NPCs, however, the game continues regardless of whether they are completed or not. At exactly midnight of each day, the incomplete quests are erased from the player's notebook. Quests are divided into main missions, (one per day) which decide if a major character will die, and side quests, which earn money and items. Completing main quests is essential to discovering the secrets of the town, as characters can die off early in the game who would otherwise reveal information later in the game.

While trying to discover the secrets of the town, the player's other goal is simply to survive to the end of the 12 days by balancing various resources within the game's fluctuating economy, which represents the harsh "supply and demand" nature of a shut-off disease ridden town.

On the edge of town, there is a great building named Polyhedron (Многогранник), a geometrically impossible structure used as a fortress by children. On the opposite side lies an ominous mountain called the Abattoir, with the Apiary, an insane asylum, next to it. All districts and major buildings of the town are named after body parts and biology.

The Ice-Pick Team

Reception

Pathologic was critically well received in Russia, winning five major Russian awards.[1] However, its reception in English-speaking countries has been varied, being both praised for its remarkable atmosphere and concept while equally panned for its poor translation, outdated graphics and slow gameplay.[2][3][4]

Since release, the game has become a cult classic, with Rock, Paper, Shotgun notably writing a 3 page article on the game describing it as "the single best and most important game you've never played."[5]

Remake

Ice-pick Lodge expressed interest in creating a crowd-funded remake of the game,[6] and in September 4, 2014 a Kickstarter campaign for the remake was launched.[7] The campaign was successful, gathering $333,127 of its funding goal of $250,000.

The remake version will feature new quests and content, improved graphics from the Unity engine, more balanced gameplay, smarter AI for the NPC's, realistic behavior patterns for the Sand Plague disease and improved English localization.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Pathologic Official site (in English)". Retrieved 2006-11-26.
  2. ↑ "Eurogamer: Pathologic review". Retrieved 2006-11-26.
  3. ↑ "Honest Gamers: Pathologic review". Retrieved 2009-02-03.
  4. ↑ "Analysis: I Love You Just The Way You Are". Retrieved 2010-10-21.
  5. ↑ "Butchering Pathologic: Part 1: The Body". Retrieved 2014-04-28.
  6. ↑ http://strings.ice-pick.com/
  7. ↑ https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1535515364/pathologic

External links