Pathologic 2 Carries the Legacy of a Cult Classic

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Horror games come in so many varieties that there are whole collections dedicated to particular sub-genres. While I’ve always been a bigger fan of more action-oriented titles like Resident Evil or Bioshock, there is a ton of appeal in the more psychological games like Silent Hill or Amnesia. This is where the upcoming Pathologic 2 appears to fit, featuring masked figures, a deadly plague, and a lot of mystery. While originally planned to be a remake of a cult classic, Pathologic 2 has evolved into something more.

Described as a narrative-driven thriller, players take the role of a doctor during the outbreak of a deadly plague that has decimated a humble town. Like many horror games there is combat but stabbing or shooting one’s way to victory doesn’t appear to be the best course of action in Pathologic 2. Instead, there looks to be a focus on exploration, interacting with characters, and surviving with overall themes of hopelessness, the inevitability of death, and theater permeating through the journey. With only 12 days until the plague fully takes over and a shifting disease, decision-making also seems to be a big part of the game.

What is most intriguing to me is the game’s unnerving visual design. The art style is muted in color with grays, whites, and browns, while the characters are striking with numerous details and sharp colors. With just this alone, its the type to get my horror jimmies jammin’ but I’m also interested to see how the dynamic world shifts based on interactions and happenings.

Developed by Ice-Pick Lodge and published by tinyBuild, Pathologic 2 is launching on Steam on May 23rd and for those wanting to get an early look, there is a free demo available after signing up for an email subscription on the official website. Pre-ordering saves 10% off of the $34.99 price and owning Pathologic Classic HD also saves 10% on Steam; both savings stack.

TinyBuild has had some hits so far, with Hello Neighbor making waves that will likely continue with their multiplayer Secret Neighbor and we can only hope that Pathologic 2 shapes up to be a stellar game upon launch. We also learned at the Gearbox PAX East 2019 stream in March that Gearbox will be helping with the retail version of Pathologic 2 for the Xbox One later this year.

It won’t be long until we can see if Pathologic 2 carries the original game’s legacy but all evidence so far points to a worthwhile title.

Find Pathologic 2 on Steam.

For more Forever Classic Games news, check out our excitement for the physical edition of Hollow Knight or the search for one’s missing son in Full Quiet.