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Some of you may have heard of a Russian game developer called Ice-Pick Lodge a really creative and weird bunch of people who made games called Pathologic (SSLP here, The Void absolutely brilliant LP by CannibalK9 here, Knock-Knock and not so long ago re-released Pathologic with HD texures. The common theme with these games is that all of them are creepy psychological horrors that try to gently caress with your brains. True to their reputation of being a bunch of weirdos they have started and successfully funded a kickstarter for their new project called .... Pathologic  Mind you by that moment that would be already 3 different Pathologics, the original classic Pathologic, Pathologic HD and the new Pathologic. Ice-Pick Lodge than proceeded to promptly go into some sort of limbo wasted all the money, but that might be a good thing since a brave publisher stepped forward who apparently gave them money, forced them to crank up the pace and change the name to Pathologic 2 to alleviate some confusion. How is it different from the other Pathologics? It is being built on Unity engine and looks less like rear end, other than that it is set in the same town, same characters but apparently somewhat different plot which still revolves about death, plague, phylosophy, consequences to defying the laws of nature and loving with your brains.  Announcement "trailer" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qekTbTpUsFs Which looks pretty decent IMO if you liked the original, I also liked how they handled the fighting system which instead of punching now involves a lot of grabbing and pushing. Steam link: http://store.steampowered.com/app/505230/Pathologic_2/ Weirdly enough, Steam page talks at length about some sort of alpha or demo called Marble Nest focused on Daniil Dankovsiy's attempts to save a parth of the city from the plague that you can download, which is a filthy lie since there is no download link. Nevertheless some googlage will get you there. Alphademo is not a chapter of the story but instead is a little spin-off story about 2-3 hours long. It is however made in the finest Ice-Pick Lodge traditions and is bizzare, philosophical, at times darkly humorous and actually pretty good. Sekenr fucked around with this message at 08:00 on Sep 4, 2017 |
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Sep 2, 2017 19:23
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 17:23 |
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Thanks for making the OP for this, I was thinking about making a thread since The Marble Nest came out but I kept putting it off. I'm a fanatic of the original game and I really encourage anyone on the fence to try it out. The HD remaster, which plays nice on modern systems and features a solid English translation, is currently 13 USD on Steam and usually goes much cheaper during sales. If you like challenging horror games and/or artsy indie games you may find something fresh and interesting in Pathologic. It's an extremely difficult, niche game and it is in no respect "fun to play", but as an experience there's nothing quite like it. In terms of a synthesis of ideas, atmosphere, and the quality of the script I think it may actually be unsurpassed to this day. It's the kind of game that can completely enthrall you if you let it get its hooks in. I find a good comparison point to be Deadly Premontion. Both are deeply flawed and overly ambitious games about the mysteries of a strange town. Both are unique, memorable, and special in a way that most traditional and safe game experiences aren't. As for Pathologic 2, there is no upcoming game I'm more excited for. The new trailer is gorgeous and The Marble Nest is wonderful- I'd recommend it to pretty much anyone of taste, even people who understandably bounce off of the sheer hostility of the original game. I'd be happy to discuss pretty much anything about this series, even the board game, please don't hesitate to ask or join in. 
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Sep 4, 2017 00:09
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Heck yeah, really looking forward to seeing how this turns out. Probably~ my favourite game studio
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Sep 4, 2017 01:33
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I played the demo at pax. The ui seems a bit better, graphics and writing are way better though. It's just the gameplay from the video, so I didn't see anything new but I'm very excited.
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Sep 4, 2017 06:59
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Oh wow, didn't think they'd follow up that giant mess they did on the first game. This really is the golden age of old rear end poo poo getting sequels
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Sep 4, 2017 07:01
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I highly encourage anyone who played the demo to actually finish the demo, it gets really nuts at the end. Reminded me of Kafka and Philip K. Dick simultaneously. We'll see how it will be in the release but I quite enjoyed how Dankovsky's personality was refined based on his dialogue. In original Pathologic he was described as a cold-hearted surgeon, clinically precise scientist who will condemn thouthands to death if he thinks that will stop the plague. But he didn't really come across as such in my playthrough. In the demo his responses are more like that, arrogant, authoritative, merciless (even to himself in some choices). His flat dialogue lines at the end of the heart quest make the whole thing even more dark, which I feel is more in line with a doctor who has the arrogance and audacity to attempt find treatment to death itself.
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Sep 4, 2017 08:52
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I like how the Bachelor is portrayed in the original game. He doesn't come off as too much of an rear end in a top hat when you're playing as him, but I felt he often did when playing as the others. But then an rear end in a top hat probably doesn't see himself as an rear end in a top hat. Most people seem to play as the bachelor first, think he's pretty reasonable, and then become dismayed when they see how he comes across when you're not in his boots. And then if you go back and play as him again, you start to see at the edges how ignorant he is, how cruel he can be, how little most of the townspeople respect him, and in the end how narrow and wasteful his solution to the plague is. The way the script gives you multiple perspectives on the player characters like that is one of its neatest and most unique tricks, I think. That said Bachelor is great in the marble nest too, but it's a different style- one that makes sense for (nest spoilers) someone dying in delirium of sand pest and trying to furiously justify his failure. Man I love Pathologic. No Mods No Masters fucked around with this message at 09:41 on Sep 4, 2017 |
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Sep 4, 2017 09:33
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So, from what I understand, they kickstarted the remake and now it has changed enough to be a completely different game? Also, you may want to mention while talking about the kickstarter that they went so far as to make a boardgame instead of, you know, programming and stuff.
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Sep 4, 2017 10:36
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Fat Samurai posted:So, from what I understand, they kickstarted the remake and now it has changed enough to be a completely different game? It's still a remake insofar as it's another game depicting the same characters facing the same sand plague outbreak in the same town. They have a new publisher though, and the publisher (probably rightly, it seems to confuse a lot of people) suggested they change the name to Pathologic 2 to avoid confusion with the previous game. As for the board game, yeah it owns
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Sep 4, 2017 20:31
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Fat Samurai posted:So, from what I understand, they kickstarted the remake and now it has changed enough to be a completely different game? No, Pathologic 2 is still a modern remake of Pathologic. Think Resident Evil getting rebuilt for Gamecube and you've got the sense of it. IPL are just provocateurs and have a good sense of humor. They know exactly what they're doing when they say they renamed it to "avoid confusion".
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Sep 4, 2017 20:47
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Which LP should I start with? Haruspex or Impostress? Apparently there was a Bachelor run but I don't have archives. I'm interested.
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Sep 4, 2017 21:20
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Firstborn posted:Which LP should I start with? Haruspex or Impostress? Apparently there was a Bachelor run but I don't have archives. you're not missing anything, Brass Monkey's SSLP thread used waffleimages  Both LPs predate the new HD translation; imo the Haruspex is a better pick because the translation is more easily comprehensible.
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Sep 4, 2017 21:56
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Can't wait for this to actually release; Ice Pick Lodge are the most creative game developers out there currently, in my opinion.
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Sep 5, 2017 02:08
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I think I pitched in for the lowest game tier in the Kickstarter and I've probably gotten my money's worth just from reading the backer emails. If remember correctly, a seperate boardgame dev made the Pathologic boardgame.
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Sep 5, 2017 17:37
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They posted an FAQ about the new publisher and name change here. Most importantly it has a new link for downloading The Marble Nest 
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Sep 7, 2017 21:06
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Fat Samurai posted:So, from what I understand, they kickstarted the remake and now it has changed enough to be a completely different game?
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Sep 8, 2017 00:34
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 17:23 |
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Chev posted:It was always a new game using the same ideas as the first one but not just remaking it. The title merely makes it clearer now. I hope the new game still has the twist of the army rolling into town with their giant railway gun and ominous music and closeup of the general, and then you tentatively roll up to General Block and he's all just like "haha yeah I'm actually totally reasonable and I'm here to help! What do you think we should do buddy?"
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Sep 8, 2017 01:49
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