Pathologic 2

Pathologic 1 & 2 are masterpieces of games as art. They are cruel and disturbing, but ask unique questions and do things you won’t see anywhere else. These are singularly unique experiences that are worth suffering through.

92%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

optimization, grinding

92% User Score Based on 5,248 reviews

Critic Score 65%Based on 18 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $3.84

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About

In Pathologic 2, players must confront a deadly outbreak in a secluded town with only 12 days to manage their resources, form alliances, and make difficult decisions to survive. The game is a narrative-driven dramatic thriller that explores the realities of a collapsing society and the harsh choices that must be made in lose-lose situations. Time management is crucial, as players must balance their bodily functions and gather resources while fighting against the plague and uncovering the town's secrets.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+12

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 5,248 reviews

story600 positive mentions

optimization80 negative mentions

Pathologic 2 is an incredibly immersive experience that combines a haunting atmosphere with a deeply engaging narrative.
The game challenges players with tough moral choices and resource management, making every decision feel impactful.
The writing and character development are exceptional, drawing players into the unique world and its complex themes.

The game can be brutally difficult, with punishing mechanics that may frustrate players, especially those unfamiliar with its systems.
Performance issues and long loading times can detract from the overall experience, making it feel less polished.
The dialogue can be cryptic and overwhelming, leading to confusion about objectives and character motivations.

story
2,060 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
69%
2%
The story of Pathologic 2 is widely praised for its depth, complexity, and emotional weight, drawing players into a haunting narrative about a plague-ridden town and the moral dilemmas faced by its inhabitants. Many reviewers highlight the game's unique storytelling approach, where survival mechanics intertwine with narrative choices, creating a sense of urgency and consequence that enhances the overall experience. While some players find the story confusing or the gameplay frustrating, those who engage deeply with the narrative often describe it as one of the most compelling and thought-provoking experiences in gaming.
- “The story is disturbing, and you'll really feel the drive to survive while clinging to that small speck of hope to save your town.”
- “Pathologic 2 is one of the best story-driven games ever made. It is uncompromisingly difficult, but that difficulty only serves to heighten the story the devs are trying to tell.”
- “The story is unique, surreal, and engaging, and something you can dissect from multiple angles over and over again, extracting more from it each time.”
- “The story is confusing, but not in an interesting way.”
- “The story just seems to fall apart as it approaches the end, characters seem to forget their motivations at times changing their opinion on you and various other things in the world rapidly and without any real exposition or even time between these shifts and honestly none of your choices or who you even keep alive really seems to matter much to either of the two main endings which both felt severely underwhelming.”
- “The story is thick and the atmosphere is very good.”
gameplay
1,261 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
73%
7%
The gameplay of *Pathologic 2* is characterized by its intense and unforgiving survival mechanics, which are intricately tied to the narrative, creating a unique experience that emphasizes desperation and moral dilemmas. Players must manage various survival metrics such as hunger, thirst, and time, which can lead to a stressful and challenging gameplay loop that some may find frustrating, while others appreciate its depth and connection to the story. Overall, the game is praised for its atmospheric world and compelling writing, though its mechanics can be polarizing, with some players finding them tedious or overly punishing.
- “The gameplay in Pathologic 2 is intense and unforgiving, perfectly capturing the desperation of a plague-ridden dystopia.”
- “The survival mechanics might be a bit crude/heavy-handed, but they are also truly finely tuned such that the player must constantly make hard decisions every second of every day, which makes for very engaging and immersive gameplay.”
- “The mechanics effectively convey all of the emotional highs and lows as it is intended to.”
- “However, the gameplay itself isn't for everyone; it's a mean game that's not made for having fun necessarily, but to challenge you at every moment.”
- “I haven't beaten it, and I might never beat it, but the time I spent playing it was some of the most stressful and suffocating gameplay I've ever played.”
- “The gameplay is so stressful and frustrating, but the story and the lore are huge.”
atmosphere
594 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
41%
1%
The atmosphere of Pathologic 2 is widely praised as one of its strongest features, characterized by a unique blend of dread, tension, and surrealism that immerses players in a hauntingly oppressive world. Reviewers highlight the game's exceptional sound design, art style, and narrative depth, which together create a captivating and emotionally charged experience. Despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics and difficulty, the overall consensus is that the atmospheric elements significantly enhance the storytelling and player engagement, making it a standout title in the genre.
- “The atmosphere is incredible.”
- “From the moment you step into its eerie, mist-laden rural town, you're enveloped in an atmosphere that's both vividly alive and tinged with an otherworldly fantasy feel.”
- “The atmosphere, soundtrack, and sound design, dialogue and narrative are all extraordinary, but the bones of the game are most perspective-shifting.”
- “The atmosphere is so oppressive and hopeless that you'll be lucky to see it through if you try hard enough.”
- “The atmosphere of this game is thick, enough that it's been haunting my dreams since I've played it - and the writing and narrative is one that genuinely responds to player interaction and decision-making in a genuine manner that very, very few other games succeed in accomplishing.”
- “The atmosphere is grim and the two feelings that accompany you more often than not are stress and hopelessness, as it should be in a situation like the one presented in the game.”
graphics
319 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
61%
3%
The graphics of "Pathologic 2" have received mixed reviews, with many praising its unique art style and atmospheric visuals that effectively convey the game's bleak themes. While some players find the graphics to be beautiful and immersive, others criticize the game's optimization and performance issues, noting that it doesn't meet the standards of modern AAA titles. Overall, the game's aesthetic is often highlighted as a significant strength, enhancing the storytelling and emotional experience despite technical shortcomings.
- “The graphics bring the town to life, the mechanics involving trade and the internal town economy are a very well-crafted and intricate system, the dialogue makes me want to read a book that doesn't exist, the characters all have so much presence and flavor in their interactions.”
- “The visuals are stunning, and upon beginning this game for the first time my jaw dropped. The art style, environment, and music interweave in a combination that simultaneously enchants and unsettles.”
- “Pathologic 2 has no heavy emphasis on visuals, the developers seem to be financially gated and can only produce so much. Despite this, the game can have pretty spots on high graphics and has very good anti-aliasing, decent lighting and very high-quality faces to the NPCs and characters of the in-game world.”
- “Graphics are below what you'd expect of a game from 2019.”
- “The game runs like crap on 1050ti and i5, and the graphics don't even justify it.”
- “The graphics are clearly dated and many of the models are recycled.”
music
265 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
54%
3%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric and haunting qualities that enhance immersion and complement the game's visuals and narrative. While some players find the soundtrack to be beautiful and memorable, others feel it lacks the uniqueness and impact of the original game's music, describing it as occasionally repetitive or less expressive. Overall, the soundtrack is generally regarded as a strong element of the game, contributing significantly to its eerie and immersive atmosphere.
- “The atmospheric sound design, haunting music, and environmental details enhance the sense of immersion, drawing players deeper into the game's haunting narrative and emotional landscape.”
- “The music, atmosphere, characters, setting, and visual design are all incredible on their own, but come together to create a story and world that is unlike anything I've ever experienced.”
- “The soundtrack is moving.”
- “The music is tinny and weird, the way characters act and talk is bizarre, and I've realized that I become extremely nervous and greedy when playing it.”
- “The music, a crucial element in the first game, is noticeably weaker in the sequel.”
- “The soundtrack, while pretty atmospheric and eerie at first, plays over and over and over during all your hours just wandering around the map to the point of driving you nuts and wanting to turn the music volume all the way down.”
optimization
231 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
59%
35%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with many players reporting significant performance issues such as frame rate drops, stuttering, and long loading times, even on high-end systems. While some users have found ways to mitigate these problems through settings adjustments, the overall consensus is that the game is poorly optimized, detracting from the overall experience. Despite its engaging content, the technical shortcomings in optimization remain a major concern for potential players.
- “Brilliant world concept, deep multi-layer lore, awesome design and nice optimization.”
- “Despite this, I still genuinely believe the only two downsides in my opinion are some performance issues, which I trust the developers to address as they have been very transparent with their patches and their future updates.”
- “The primary downsides I found were performance related; it can take a while to load between deaths and when going inside buildings, and it can stutter and lag a little when crossing loading boundaries, but this isn't too bad per se.”
- “The main issues with this game are its optimization (mostly during fights and when firebombs are introduced), as well as difficulty.”
- “The performance isn't good to say the least (there were moments in which I even dropped to 30 fps in a random house) and the game overall didn't feel engaging and interesting enough to make me finish it.”
- “Pathologic 2's biggest issue is its godawful optimization.”
emotional
171 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
2%
The emotional aspect of "Pathologic 2" is profoundly impactful, with players reporting experiences ranging from deep despair and heartbreak to moments of genuine connection and introspection. Many describe the game as emotionally taxing, often leading to tears and a sense of moral weight as they navigate difficult choices that affect the fates of its characters. The game's unique narrative and atmospheric design create a haunting experience that resonates long after gameplay, making it a standout title for those seeking a deeply emotional and thought-provoking journey.
- “A game so emotional, the simplest of acts had the power to elicit tears from me.”
- “Pathologic 2 is a haunting and introspective masterpiece that defies traditional gaming conventions to deliver a deeply emotional and thought-provoking experience.”
- “This game hit me in all the emotional sweet spots, from found family to well-written complex characters to hard moral choices and questions that really make you dig deep into your psyche to see what kind of hero you try to be and who you try to save.”
- “The story feels buggy and half-finished, making it a terrible and boring experience. It often feels like a walking simulator with poorly programmed elements and frustratingly high difficulty, which ultimately makes it a disappointing game.”
- “The emotional depth is lacking, leaving players feeling disconnected from the characters and their journeys. It fails to engage on any meaningful level.”
- “Despite its attempts at emotional storytelling, the execution falls flat, resulting in a narrative that feels forced and unengaging.”
grinding
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
4%
93%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and frustrating, with players often feeling overwhelmed by excessive walking, resource management, and time constraints. Many reviews highlight the game's design as intentionally difficult, leading to a sense of monotony and stress rather than rewarding gameplay. While some players appreciate the atmosphere and story, they agree that the grinding mechanics can detract from the overall experience, making it feel like a slog rather than an engaging challenge.
- “Survival elements can be off-putting initially but aren't tedious once you get the hang of it.”
- “That's pure, enjoyable content with minimal reloads and next to no grinding.”
- “The game is really nothing more than a tedious slog of a timewaster; it was designed to be like that.”
- “The other problem is the stupid level design, which is very intentionally designed to make navigating the town as tedious and frustrating as possible, with knee-high walls blocking the most obvious and straight paths very often.”
- “Pathologic 2 is tedious, stressful, and often unrewarding by design.”
replayability
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
60%
5%
Pathologic 2 is praised for its high replayability, offering a rich narrative and multiple choices that significantly affect gameplay. Players appreciate the depth of the story, the variety of quests, and the potential for different endings, making each playthrough feel unique. However, some find the game can be draining, and while it has substantial replay value, it may not entice everyone to return after completing a perfect run.
- “A truly unique atmospheric game with a lot of depth and narrative replayability.”
- “Its replayability is a strong suit, offering so much that may have been missed in your first run.”
- “The story quite literally adapts to how you play, and it makes the replayability value go up, which I thoroughly appreciate.”
- “There is a lot of replayability here, I think, but I couldn't bring myself to do more because the game sometimes feels like a chore.”
- “However, once you finish your perfect playthrough, there is nothing else to do in this game, so replayability only exists as far as you care about achievements.”
- “I'm surprised the publisher couldn't have the resources to make different playable characters as promised; there would be strong replayability if DLCs were introduced.”
stability
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
96%
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs, freezes, and crashes that detract from the overall experience. While some users noted that the issues did not prevent them from enjoying the game, others found the technical problems to be frustrating and indicative of a rushed release. Overall, the game appears to be plagued by stability issues, making it difficult to recommend without reservations.
- “It's surprisingly not buggy for a Slavic indie game.”
- “The game runs smoothly without any noticeable glitches.”
- “I haven't encountered any crashes or major issues during my playthrough.”
- “The original had promise, but was bogged down by glitches, poor mechanics, and a confusing plotline.”
- “While the game shows some potential, it's buggy and unpolished, and seems to have been dumped onto the market in a rushed state.”
- “The game stability is pretty low; it freezes a lot, stutters, and experiences a general loss of frames, which can really pull you out of the experience.”
humor
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
97%
3%
The humor in the game is described as a blend of dark, dry, and surreal comedy, often juxtaposed with serious themes, creating a tragicomic experience reminiscent of Russian literature. Players find themselves laughing at the absurdity of their situations, the clever dialogue, and the developers' playful commentary on gameplay choices, all while navigating a deeply emotional narrative. Overall, the humor adds a unique layer to the game's atmosphere, making it both thought-provoking and entertaining.
- “It's amazing how funny it can be at times (I'm not sure about the Russian version, but the English one, holy hell) while still being mostly mysterious, creepy, and worrisome in case of some characters.”
- “Haha, it's funny because you think it's about a plague, but really it's about being in a pathologic relationship with pain.”
- “The developers are laughing at my decisions in the most figurative and literal sense possible.”
- “And by 'schizophrenia,' I don't mean the horribly unfunny 'heckin schizo feds glowies in my walls' jokes you see on the internet.”
character development
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
27%
9%
Character development in the game is praised for its strong writing and engaging story, complemented by impressive character designs and voice acting. However, some reviewers note that the abundance of characters limits the depth of individual development, making it difficult for players to form strong connections with them. Overall, while the aesthetic and narrative elements are highly regarded, the character development may feel somewhat constrained due to the game's expansive cast.
- “Notice how incredible the character designs are, even amid their jankiness: whoever designed them, their faces, their attire, truly deserves a medal; and the same goes for their houses, mannerisms, and voices.”
- “The story is really good, the character development is quite nice, a lot of things are really great, the graphics are sweet, the music just perfect, the gameplay is good.”
- “Pathologic 2 theoretically had a lot to offer, a plague themed RPG with focus on the story and character development with good writing and challenging gameplay, fitting for a real plague story.”
- “The only downside I found was that because there are so many characters and stories, there is not much time for character development, so you don't really connect with them.”
monetization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
The monetization of the game is praised for its integrity, as it avoids microtransactions and is seen as a genuine labor of love rather than a cash grab. Players appreciate the game's depth and storytelling, contrasting it with the prevalent issues of mediocre titles that rely on flashy graphics and exploitative monetization practices. Overall, the absence of microtransactions is highlighted as a significant positive aspect.
- “One good thing -- no microtransactions yet.”
- “You have to earn Pathologic 2; it will make you work both in-game, in-between games (as you will probably lose sleep over it, thinking about the events taking place and planning your actions), and long after, as you attempt to comprehend all it tried to tell you and just how such a game could ever be pulled off in an industry filled with mediocre storytelling, filler open world gameplay, flashy graphics with no substance, and microtransactions.”
- “The unique gameplay and style makes this game stand out among the crowd and one of the bright spots between all the drama with AAA publishers, loot boxes, and microtransactions.”
- “This game is quite clearly a labor of love, not just another sleazy cash grab.”