Pathologic 2

For a game like this, the pacing is brilliant. There is a constant pressure to move forward. Constant goals to work toward. The need to survive can push you to the edge and force you to make some tough decisions. All the gameplay systems are tightly interwoven to create a game that sneaks up on you and sinks it's fangs in without you even knowing it. I found it hard to put down once I started. I wouldn't call it a scary per se, so if you are someone who shys away from horror games and hates jumpscares, there really isn't any of that here but the subject matter is indeed very dark and there are some surreal/haunting visuals that startled me at times. I strongly recommend it. It starts a bit slow and might even come off as confusing but things will start to make sense soon.

I decided to play this game after seeing several Youtubers that I enjoy recommending it. Even after watching multiple of those videos and having some idea what I was in for, nothing could prepare me for what this game was like. The gameplay and the themes of the game perfectly interact with each other in a way that I have not seen in any other game. The characters are written brillianty with all of them being relatable and complex. The plot and themes of the game are intriguing from beginning to end, and the philosophical nature of the game gives you plenty to think over even after it's done. It challenges ideas of individual agency, fate, time, morality, nature, progress, duty, and many other things in a very nuanced way. It is also incredibly bizarre in a way that was a major draw for me. This feeling of an alien culture of the town of the Steppe is provided by the music, the cultural practices, impossible architecture, and the weird, semi-human kin folk in the game. This game had me on the edge of my seat and the end of the game. I had some incredibly tense moments where I barely survived, but it never felt impossible. There was always some way to save myself, even if it meant loading back a few saves. There is also too little time in the day to do everything you want, and what you prioritize to do has real consequences later on in the game. At the end, I felt sad about those I could not save, but proud that the people I did see at the end of the game were alive because of me. It stirred me emotionally in a way very few games have, and had me so invested that I could not put it down despite the constant misery and stress it put me through (with slight moments of respite involving humor and very human interactions). I could not recommend this game enough, and I really hope that the Bachelor route will be released sometime in the coming years.

Sad, thrilling and beatifully relentless. Once I got into how the world and the game thought, I had a unique gaming experience. I don't want to miss a single second of it.

A game that requires heavy decision making. You will not feel like the unaffected super hero that can save everybody and accomplish everything. Instead the game humbles you into feeling the real desperation of your situation. If you ever find yourself rolling your eyes at the crazy feats the MC are able to accomplish in other games then this is your jam. There is a steep learning curve alongside some dialogue that might require you to reread a couple times to truly understand its meaning but a game that I no doubt recommend as someone who plays every genre and is very nitpicky. hope you enjoy!

I played the original Pathologic years back, but didn't appreciate it until much later. Ice Pick Lodge is one of the few companies that constantly makes brave choices in their designs, and Pathologic 2 is an absolute treat. If you haven't played the first one, don't worry - you don't need to. Think of it more as a remake then a sequel; but in terms of remakes, consider it more like a second run of a play. I want to wax poetic about this game for hours, but I won't here. Just know this - if you are okay with a challenge, and being challenged, this is the perfect game. It doesn't let up, and sometimes it isn't even "fun"; but in spite of that, I can whole heartedly say it has one of the most important narratives in gaming, period. And I'll always remember it.