The original “Pathologic” is one of my all-time favorite video games, so when I learned of the updated version “Pathologic Classic HD” I was ecstatic. The original game, for all of its merits, had a script translated into English by people who didn’t speak the language very well and it no longer runs on modern operating systems. “Pathologic Classic HD” promised to fix both of these, with a new translation and compatibility with modern computers as well as updated high definition textures. But on the other hand, “Pathologic” is ten years old, even with these updates can it hold up to modern games?
The main strength of “Pathologic Classic HD” is its story. The central premise is that the player controls one of three characters and tries to survive for twelve days in a small Russian town where a deadly disease has begun to spread. Of course, it’s actually a lot more complicated than that, and far more Russian. At its heart, “Pathologic” is a story about ideas, ideals and desperation. There is a great deal of subtext about class struggle and being failed by The Powers That Be (which is in fact the name the game uses to refer to an unnamed governmental organization). There is also plenty of scathing commentary on capitalism, but that is actually worked into the gameplay so we’ll touch on that more later. It is a story about the horror of living desperately.
“Pathologic” looked a little dated back when it first came out a decade ago; the improvements added in the “Classic HD” edition certainly help with that but it’s still not going to wow anyone with the fidelity of its graphics. However, it’s an indie game not a big budget title, and in comparison to a lot of other indie games it looks pretty good. It’s still not the best, but it certainly looks better than a lot of the other independent games you’ll find on Steam. Setting aside the technical aspects, the design in “Pathologic” is brilliant. The game’s aesthetic manages to capture the game’s essential Russian-ness with its overcast skies, dreary slums and dry steppe grass. The flags marking off quarantined districts are appropriately imposing. The monster design, what little there is of it, is absolutely fantastic. What it lacks in technical prowess, the game’s visual design more than makes up for with its style which creates a beautifully bleak atmosphere.
The sound of “Pathologic Classic HD” could probably have done with some more touch-ups. The music is great, full of ominous pounding and so forth. However, a lot of the sound-effects leave a bit to be desired; they lack a certain realistic weight, which is to say that they sound too much like sound-effects and not enough like the actual sounds of things. The voice acting is also pretty bad. It’s not the worst I’ve ever heard, but it does sound like its being read by a community college theater class.
“Pathologic” seems like a very simple game, but it is not. It carries the surface trappings of a kind of clunky adventure or survival-horror game. That is, it is largely about puzzle solving and dealing with limited resources, as well as some very dated combat mechanics. However, there’s actually a lot more complexity to it than that. The mechanics of managing the disease are surprisingly deep. The player will find themselves weighing the relative merits of various medicines (ex. Is it worth taking pills that will reduce how infected you are if they physically weaken you? Is the health gained from morphine worth how tired it makes you?). In fact, this is another key aspect of the game’s horror, this dread of the frailty of your own body which is very reminiscent of early Clive Barker. The game also features a surprisingly complex economy. As the town gets more thoroughly infected and people become more desperate, merchants will begin to price-gouge you (and certain characters make sure to point out to you how unethical this is, hence the earlier comment about the game’s stance on capitalism). There are also secondary barter economies which will often leave the player trading razors and needles to children in exchange for stolen drugs or bullets.
“Pathologic” was always a deceptively simple looking game, and the new “Pathologic Classic HD” edition of it finally allows the real complexity to shine through. Even now, eleven years after the release of the original game, this remastered version of it definitely holds its own as a great and truly disturbing horror game. “Pathologic Classic HD” proves that a great game is truly timeless. And it’s just about the most Russian experience you can have without vodka.
