Developer Ice-Pick Lodge’s masterful plague survival horror Pathologic 2 will be making its way to Xbox One – as well as Xbox and PC Game Pass – on 12th December.
Pathologic 2 is a bit of a strange beast, part sequel to and part much-improved remake of Ice-Pick Lodge’s cult-classic – and notoriously wonky – 2005 original. Following the same trajectory as its predecessor, Pathologic 2 charts the sudden decline of a strange, small town on the edge of the Russian Steppe, as it succumbs to a mysterious plague.
The result is, and I say this as someone with only minimal familiarity with the original Pathologic, easily one of the most audacious, atmospheric, and thoroughly mesmerising games I’ve played in a very long time – but, and I cannot state this enough, it’s one of the most intentionally dispiriting, emotionally draining, and cruelly testing ones too.
The set-up is simple enough: you, surgeon Artemy Burakh, return to your isolated childhood town having received an urgent missive from your father – and, very quickly, things start to go wrong. What follows could, I suppose, be described as a blend of immersive sim and survival. Each day, there are relationships to rebuild, a spiralling web of mysteries to uncover, and rather more mundane chores to be done, and each night, your opportunity to progress certain narrative strands will be jettisoned forever.
Pathologic 2 – Launch Trailer | OᑌT ᑎOᗯ! 🔥 Watch on YouTube
Complicating matters is the fact that each step you take, every action you perform, will slowly sap away at your hunger, your thirst, your health, and your energy, meaning a good portion of your time will be spent searching out and bartering for sustenance.