by And here I thought I would never play another Horror game that rivaled Silent Hill 2. I guess I don’t have to be sad that Konami’s gone, because at least we have…
So. This game is a masterpiece. I can’t even begin to say anything bad about it. Like, I am completely blown away by this title and aside from the brief moment I glanced at it on Steam and decided to buy it, I’ve never even heard of it. What the heck is this game!?
First, this game had mood. OH does it have mood and somehow in a way that hasn’t been done before. I frequent the “horror” genre as often as I can so I’ve seen it all–horror from ghosts, decaying bodies, amnesia, blood, sacrifices, evil little girls, lost temples, schizophrenia, time travel, the cliche undead, fractured psyches from traumatic life experiences and aliens, to name a few. In spite of this, I’ve never seen or felt a horror game done like Pathologic, and I hold it in the same regard that I merit the “best horror game” to, Silent Hill 2. In fact, if Pathologic maintains to deliver the level of success that was presented within the first hour of gameplay, it may very well be a contender for that spot.
“Say whaaaa–?”
Pathologic approaches horror by openly admitting that things are bat sh!t crazy. In fact, most of the characters in the game that you encounter apologize that things are so weird. They continually ask you not to judge them, and try to explain that they may seem psychotic but it’s just because the town they live in is so far removed from society. All of this is preceded though and sustained by a motif that everything is a play. The game begins with what feels like watching a play rehearsal, with three actors on a stage running through their lines–each representing a different psychological worldview.
You then get to choose among the three players as your avatar and you set out into a strange city, following their story. I chose the first character, “The Bachelor,” whose story is focused around solving the mystery of a murder with the ultimate goal of discovering how humanity can remove death from reality as a law of nature. While I’m betting that the other character’s stories reuse the same character models and assets as the other two, the fact that this is only one of three “Tales from the Crypt” just makes me more eager to play and discover what each story brings to the table.
Speaking of replayability, did I mention that this game has… consequences? Consequences that drive replayability? While this is merely a first impression, if everything I’m reading from the game both literally and contextually is true, we’ve got a lot in store. Time passes as you play the game. Events within the game occur whether you’re there to see them or not. Your actions within the game can have consequences on your reputation. Your reputation changes how your perceive the world. If all of this is true, it means that a second playthrough could potentially discover what was missed during the first one. Roleplaying through reputation is involved that may potentially change the story or (I’m really hoping) the actual world itself. You can murder NPCs for no reason. I know that’s an odd plus to add to the list, but I love a game where you can do that. It feels… free. Of course a giant bird told me a lot of this. A giant bird who thought “Thou shalt not be an asshole” was one of the ten commandments, so I guess I don’t actually know how trustworthy my main source is.
Dialogue is fun and written in an entertaining way. Characters are mysterious and hint at things but don’t give away all the answers. Dialogue has a few branching selection paths that at least direct the conversation to where you want it to in some form. There are plenty of unimportant NPCs as well that you can interact with, ranging from things like getting basic information, helping them by giving them drugs and first-aid if they need it or just needing a soft place to stick your scalpel.
Did I also mention that the game has… actual game mechanics as well? Primarily missing from many horror/mood genre pieces, there are actual game-y parts of the game as well that add to the fun of what’s going on around you. You need to eat, you need to drink you have fatigue, you have finite health, you need to find someone with a bed before you can crash, but if you do then time passes, you need to manage your drug intake if you’re suffering from pain, you need to worry about the durability of your weapons, you only have so much kerosene for your lantern, you need to equip yourself in protective clothing and so on. What’s fascinating is the currency used to barter around the town. I think they’re footsteps. As you walk around the town, you gain more of them (not for each step taken, but every so often you get 1-3 of them randomly). It’s the perfect currency for a game that is all about exploration, walking around and discovery and still adds to the weirdness of the whole thing. It’s almost as if you’re trading the journey behind you to fuel the journey forward.
The environments are detailed and interesting…
…the map is large and exciting…
…and overall I’m just really excited to get to do something that will just be weird and fun. I’m putting this at a very high Tier 1 for now; I only hope that it lives up to my expectations, for as much as I’ve raised this title up, the fall from this this height would certainly be painful.
