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12 days on the fringe.

Pathologic, a weird horror tale of major reality malfunction in a secluded Russian town, told by means of first-person perspective action and adventure game with RPG elements, is available on GOG.com, for only $9.99

People are used to thinking of space and time as if they were solid. They're not. The thing we call reality is just a function of how the human brain perceives them, in its very limited capability. There's but a thin veil separating the world of men and the dimensions that were never meant for us to see. Sometimes those parallel universes will push against the veil, testing the integrity of its fabric. Sometimes the fabric will tear. When it does, insanity pours through the holes into our world. The rules cease to apply, everything shifts and twists. Most of the times we don't notice. The fail-safe mechanisms in our brains go off and filter out whatever seems off and unfitting. But once in a while the tear is too large and the worlds collide with such force, that there's no way to ignore the madness and horror. This is a story of such an event.

Pathologic aims to scare you, but not in the usual "monsters jump at you all of a sudden"-way. Everything in the Russian town that serves as the game setting seems off. Even the rules of geometry seem to have taken a day off in some parts of the landscape. The barrier between life and death isn't working as it should. A strange plague is attacking the townsfolk. Nightmarish creatures roam the streets taunting you with appearance so alien, that you simply cannot accept their existence. You have only 12 days to discover the towns secrets and find means of saving it from falling off the face of the Earth, and into the realm of madness. This is game is one of a kind, everyone, so if you enjoy weird and terrifying stories, surreal aesthetics, and gripping storytelling, be sure not to miss it!

A stitch in time will save you nine, so the sooner you grab Pathologic, for only $9.99 on GOG.com, the more hope you can have to fix the fabric of reality before it falls apart.
Well, I did some reading and there a lot of mixed reviews on this game. So, before I break the seal so to speak, and start on a title I may potentially not be interested in in the long run; I'm gonna watch an LP.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucqk-EiOk0E
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Mivas: By the way, I recommend you to read the article series Butchering Pathologic done by Rock, Paper, Shotgun.

(Beware of spoilers; it's better to just "taste" the series)
An excellent series of articles showing just how amazing the game is. It also features the single best overview of the game I can imagine... "This will be someone's favourite game of the year. That somebody almost certainly won't be you."

As much as I love the game, I know that a lot of people will just bounce off of it. That seems to be the way for all of the Icepick Lodge games.
I own The Void as well and have played at it, but ultimately put it aside. I will pick it up again one day. Watching the LP I see the game is very text heavy. The poor translation to English has only added to surrealism of the game for me so far.
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SmashManiac: Never heard of this before. I hate horror games in general, but this one seem to be more about the story rather than the rest. I might give it a try.

I'm a bit concerned that it's the same developers that did The Void though, since I could never get past the tutorial in that game even after 5 or 6 attempts. I'm afraid the same thing is going to happen...
It's not really a horror game. Or at least, it's not scary, exactly. There aren't any dudes who'll jump out at you and yell boo. But it is uncomfortable and creepy and weird.
Whoa... I've been wanting to find this game for a long time after reading various reviews on the web. Then I click on GOG this morning just to see what's happening for the weekend and there it is waiting for me!

Thanks, I've got something to do over Easter now :).
As soon as I heard that youtube user's voice, I knew instantly that he wasn't the type of person that this game is aimed at. His attention span barely measures. What an utter tool!
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SmashManiac: Never heard of this before. I hate horror games in general, but this one seem to be more about the story rather than the rest. I might give it a try.

I'm a bit concerned that it's the same developers that did The Void though, since I could never get past the tutorial in that game even after 5 or 6 attempts. I'm afraid the same thing is going to happen...
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Gazoinks: It's not really a horror game. Or at least, it's not scary, exactly. There aren't any dudes who'll jump out at you and yell boo. But it is uncomfortable and creepy and weird.
I'm not sure whether you were referring to my 1st or 2nd paragraph, but what you describe is exactly what is attracting me to this game. I still classify it as horror though since it's all about paranormal stuff and disturbing stuff.

My concern is not the horror elements of this game, but rather the resource management system, since it appears to be a major part of the challenge of the game from what I'm reading in the comments, and it was so complex in The Void that I was never able to finish the tutorial without dying.
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SmashManiac: Never heard of this before. I hate horror games in general, but this one seem to be more about the story rather than the rest. I might give it a try.

I'm a bit concerned that it's the same developers that did The Void though, since I could never get past the tutorial in that game even after 5 or 6 attempts. I'm afraid the same thing is going to happen...
I don't really recall anything that would classify this game as a horror... it's creepy, yes, and very weird, but not at all scary...

and it's much "easier" (in terms of understanding how to play the game) than The Void. in comparison to the "The Void" psychotrip the Pathologic is really a "normal" game :)
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SmashManiac: My concern is not the horror elements of this game, but rather the resource management system, since it appears to be a major part of the challenge of the game from what I'm reading in the comments, and it was so complex in The Void that I was never able to finish the tutorial without dying.
again, in comparison to The Void this will be easy :) you just need to always have some water, food and pills with you to survive, which you can buy in a store, exchange with random NPCs or just pick up laying around (I admit it sounds much, much easier than it actually is :D

but there's no "you need to gather flying lights hovering in the air and than dance around trees and choose the correct colours to live a couple seconds more" ;)

(just for info, I LOVE The Void)
Kunovski is right. The most difficult thing is to beat the game's economy. If Day 1 lulls you into complacement, a certain event on Day 2 will catch you unprepared. The Plague is easy enough to avoid, but hunger, sleep deprivation and thirst will be your most urgent preoccupations. I prever Haruspicus' playthrough because of better quests and less need for money (also, slightly less backtracking than in the Bachelor's game), while the girl's story is too esoteric. Each character as different motivations, and it's worth to play the game three times, since each time you will learn a different aspect of the nature of the Plague and its causes. A wonderful game.

This excellent and lengthy review warmed me up for the game. I recommend reading this to anyone who is on the fence about buying it. Be sure to read all three parts:

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2008/04/10/butchering-pathologic-part-1-the-body/
I have actually never even heard of this one before, but it does seem really intriguing. The not-so-great translation from Russian to English puts me off though. Might pick it up if it ever goes on sale.
Post edited March 29, 2013 by szablev
Fuck. Yes.

Thank you GOG for bringing this gem to us. Finally a conveinent way to play it in English.
you are Fraking going to buy this game.

Here is why

It is just like breathing fresh air once every ten years. Its just like when you start walking on a trail that everybody forgot it existed decades ago, and ran into a hermit who lives by himself and offers you tea and food immediately after he sees you. And my god that stuff tastes delicious. Like nothing you have ever tasted. In your entire miserable life.

Down side is, since its a russian game, do not expect this game to be polished. By polish, I mean something like super smooth animations and stuff like that. There is none, in fact one of the three characters' dialogue is terribly translated (you can't play with her in your first go). Let me say that if I try to write down every one little detail that can keep you off of this game, I'll ran out of space. But don't let anything keep you down. It is such an experience that if force yourself to go through it, you'll definitely emerge out of it as not the same person that went in.

The atmosphere is so gloomy, you'll have to force yourself to play it.
I was a skeptical before playing this game, now I believe in God. Thats all I'll say.
Peace with you all.
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udd: I was a skeptical before playing this game, now I believe in God. Thats all I'll say.
Indoctrination: The Game

:)
I guess I haven't posted enough to post links yet(?) but there is an unofficial widescreen support patch available on the Ice-Pick Lodge forums if you search for it.