Pathologic (PC CD)

Let's be frank: this game is not fun, in even the remotest sense of the word, but if you think can enjoy a game without having fun playing it, give Pathologic a shot, because it is worth your time.Despite a good deal of severe technical issues (iffy graphics and translation, though I LOVE the music) this game is very good if you go into it with the right mindset. Pathologic is basically an experimental game in many respects. In the same way not all films are about action or feeling good about ourselves, so too this game tries to touch the non-fun end of the gaming spectrum.It portrays a town in the last days of its existence as a plague begins to spread. As player you witness the decay of order, civilisation and the townsfolk themselves. Life is harsh, food prices increase as the infection spreads and you may often find yourself selling your weapons for food, because almost nothing else you'll manage to find is worth anything. It gives a real sense of scrounging for existence and trying desperately to survive and at the same time solve the mystery.Another factor of this game is that all your decisions WILL have consequences. I know that's a cliche with the stereotypical "good/evil" path games around these days but in this case it's true. At one instance, one of my decisions led to a woman I had intended to help escape to die. This revelation hit me with such force that it was then I realised how powerful this game could be. You really do LIVE the game, because you must do almost everything you do in reality to survive, you must eat to prevent hunger, use medication to stave off infection, bandage wounds to stop bleeding and sleep to prevent exhaustion. Combat is clunky, perhaps a deliberate move as it forces you (realistically) to avoid combat, though with a lot of practice you can master it. Indeed by the end of the game I felt truly wearied and just wanting the ordeal to end. You might think this a negative point, but I didn't want it to end because I was fed up with the game, but because I had been living it, I really felt like I had been agonising over what to eat, if I could grabs some scraps from people nearby etc.The game is longish by most of the games around today at around 18 hours (excluding time spent in sleep) the game lasts 12 days in-game and each day is 2 hours realtime, so you could complete it in a single day if you pushed, but to be frank it'll be so harrowing you'll need a good lie down after.Pathologic is NOT for everyone, I won't try and pretend it is, but if you're looking for something truly unique and are willing to let yourself not have fun, Pathologic could just be for you.

Good.

I've only played this a few hours,as one of the three characters,and it's thankfully different to most first person games,I only own a few PC games so to buy this was a rarity,as the other reviewers say the game's translation isn't perfect but never obscures your quest by poor dialogue,the combat is my only weak point so far,the knife attacks sail through thin air and the gun is pathetic,then again it's best to avoid combat as bullets are scarce/expensive and you're not too hot in a knife fight.It feels like Morrowind in as much as the quests involve travelling to people and questioning them and so on,just without being harassed by Cliff Racers every three seconds,no insteadyou have to combat hunger,exhaustion and primarily infection,add this to the combat and it starts to feel like Fallout!It's not perfect by a long shot,the graphics whilst atmospheric are not a patch on games of the same era,the music and sound are excellent though and it's worth playing just because it's a change from another 'space marine'game,no this has dirt eating dogs,cannibals made from mud and bone and two freaky tutors,freaky kids,freaky people,frea......

Pathologic won several 'game of the year awards' when it was originally released in Russia (original title: 'MOR.Utopia') - It has a strong fan-base of rabid fans over there, and the main reason for this is that it has one of the best stories ever told in a videogame.The English version has a major problem, though - A *very poor* translation. So what was once excellent writing becomes... a mangled version of excellent writing. But if you're into mysterious stories, strange environments where you start off in a confused state, understanding very little and have to work things out for yourself... Well, you may like this game. You will need to be patient, and have a good standard of English yourself. But for me, the story shone through a translation that dipped in quality throughout the game, sometimes just poor, other times Babelfish standard. The game is also very slow-paced, and can be rather repetitive. You will spend A LOT of time wandering backwards and forwards across town. Your character's movement speed is pretty slow, and this can be annoying. Also, if you are looking for a horror game (ala 'Silent Hill') or a first-person-shooter, this is not it. It does have a strange, somewhat spooky atmosphere, and some scenes of disease and death. You can also use firearms and blow away bad guys. But there is no standard 'horror' and most combat is entirely optional. Bullets are in scarce supply, and combat is often a last resort. This is, however, a SURVIVAL game, and you'll have to make sure you eat properly, get enough sleep, wear protective clothing and try to avoid getting infected by the plague which is sweeping through the town. If you do get infected, you'll need to medicate yourself. The game mainly involves talking with the town's residents. There is a lot of dialogue in the game, and a lot of reading to be done, and the only way you will appreciate this game is by reading everything and really getting into the story that is being told. Like I said, the dodgy translation is the main barrier to this enjoyment, but I didn't have any major problems, and the further you get into the game, the more you get used to the shortcomings of the translation. There is a lot of history to this town, and to its citizens. Plenty of skeletons in the closet... rivalries... mysteries... feuds... Oh, and some strange robed characters wearing bird masks. The game really gripped my mind and left me pondering all kinds of questions, even when I wasn't playing it. I generally played it late at night, and when I went to bed, it invaded my dreams. I wrote down notes of things I was thinking about, scraps of info and rumours that Pathologic's characters had told me. There was really no need to do this, as the game does an excellent job of tracking your goals and findings in-game. I wrote my own notes just because I wanted to. Because the game gave me so much to think about. I've never done that before.To sum up, I think Pathologic is great. Sure, it has some problems, but it's unique and original and the story grabbed me in a way that no other game has done. I recommend Pathologic if you are: A fan of adventure games (particularly dialogue-heavy ones), a fan of deeply-plotted, mysterious stories. And you're looking for something different. This is an excellent title, but it's not an easy one to get into. It's sometimes downright frustrating, but it's definitely worth it. Best of all, this is really three games in one, as there are three different characters you can play as. Whichever one you choose, their experience and goals will be very different from the other two. The three stories interlink and each reveals details about the other two. I should also mention a few other things: Good graphics with a unique artistic style. Great music that definitely fits the strange, sombre mood of the game. Some fairly poor voice acting (but there's not much of it and I liked it more, the more I heard it). And did I mention those guys in bird masks? They're creepy.