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 tl;dr Pathologic is a surreal Russian survival thriller game about spending twelve days in an insane town being consumed by a plague. The gameplay is brutal and the writing is some of the best I've ever seen. If you enjoy survival games and/or have any interest whatsoever in video games as a medium for storytelling, you owe it to yourself to play either the original game or the upcoming remake (Pathologic 2). The latter is coming out on May 23rd on Steam and GOG for $35 (for steam specifically there's a 10% preorder discount and another 10% if you own the Classic HD version already.)  What the heck? Somewhere in a very Slavic steppe, nestled in the bend of the Gorkhon river, sleeps a town cut off from the rest of the world. It has no name and does not need one, for no reasonable person from the Capital or beyond would ever dream of setting foot there. Its life is grueling and bleak. Its economy is based on exports of meat sliced open by a distinguished caste of butchers in the bowels of a pagan-temple-turned-slaughterhouse. The ruling houses bicker over petty power struggles, as well as which among them will lead the apocalypse. The villagers fear clay demons and have banned the digging of wells and the owning of sharp objects. Their children have grown bored of it all and now live in a floating tower made entirely of glass (or paper, depending on who you ask.) Every night, the Mimes perform to an empty audience in the Theater. Fate conspires to bring to the town an outbreak of the Sand Pest, a plague so lethal it even makes the buildings sick. In the same breath, it brings three healers with distinct ideas of how to fight the terrifying disease. First there is the Haruspex, a local-born shaman-turned-surgeon who comes home for the first time in years to find himself wrongly accused of his own father's murder. The Bachelor, a rationalist dandy with a degree in medicine from the Capital, flees to the town in pursuit of evidence for his controversial theories on the nature of human mortality. And the young Changeling awakens in a freshly-dug grave, with nothing to her name besides the clothes on her back and the power to work miracles with her divine (or perhaps demonic) touch. They share a common goal, but death is a fearsome enemy and their approaches are mutually exclusive. Only one will succeed in the end,.   Okay, that's nice, but what do I do? You take control of one of these healers and must guide them to survive twelve days in hell. But the Plague does not discriminate with its victims, and certainly doesn't make an exception for player characters. You and all major characters will be just as susceptible to infection as the rest of the faceless extras in the town, and if that wasn't enough, you must contend with the realities of a society being slowly torn apart by an unfathomable horror. The full suite of typical survival meters - hunger, thirst, exhaustion, tumors, etc. - will drag you towards death with every step, and prices for food and medicine soar unpredictably as chaos spreads. You can turn to trading with people on the street, but that necessitates learning the bizarre economic rhythms of the town (children will gladly give you their morphine and bullets in exchange for nuts) and maintaining a high reputation (do not lie, do not steal, do not kill, and do NOT under any circumstances perform an autopsy.) All of this is threaded together by time, which flows ever forward, and if you fail to complete a goal on time then the world will simply move on. To put it bluntly, Pathologic is one of the most grueling experiences I've ever had in games, but also one of the most rewarding. Hopefully I've convinced you by now how bizarre the setting is and how unique and developed the mechanics are. It's a cult classic that I want to see become a classic classic.   Wait, haven't I seen this before? Yeah, let's address that ugly little appendage hanging off the end of the title. The game releasing on May 23rd is Pathologic 2, a sequel/remake of the original Pathologic released in 2005. Created by Russian indie studio Ice-Pick Lodge, said game was showered in awards in their native country, but barely caught on in the west. This was thanks to a botched translation, survival games not really existing yet, and the game being admittedly pretty janky, graphically outdated even for its time, and tedious to actually play. Nevertheless, after IPL developed a bigger international reputation thanks to games such as The Void and Knock-Knock, they ran a kickstarter to remake Pathologic in 2014, and five years later here we are - an improved version of the original with a different take on events and vastly improved gameplay. Incidentally, the original game is also available on Steam and GOG as Pathologic Classic HD, featuring a fixed translation and some minor graphical upgrades.   Must I play the original? Should I? You definitely don't HAVE to. Pathologic 2 is a reinterpretation of Pathologic 1 featuring the same characters and overall plot but...remixed and redeveloped, so to speak. So you won't be missing out on anything if you skip the latter. As for if you SHOULD play it... how do you feel about Eurojank? Are you willing to spend hours and hours and hours trudging around without a run button avoiding one-hit-kill knife-throwing bandits and doing quests for assholes? Because I was, and I loved the experience, but I am also aware that most people have better things to do with their lives. It's cheap and runs on a toaster, though, so if you do decide to play it, make sure to read the Before I Play guide here to save yourself a lot of headache, and don't be afraid to look up a walkthrough if you're stuck. What character should I play as first? For the original, the Bachelor. For the remake, only the Haruspex will be available at launch, and the other routes will be released later. I'm sold! Where do I get this? Pathologic 2 on Steam Pathologic 2 on GOG Pathologic Classic HD on Steam Classic HD on GOG Pathologic 2 Free Demo (covers the intro and the first part of the first day)(if you download off steam, make sure to run in administrator or else the load times are awful for some reason) Any other cool links? Ice Pick Lodge's website A fun and representative review of the original A HUGE video essay covering all three routes of the original as well as its themes and gameplay Excellent guide for beginners 
youcallthatatwist fucked around with this message at 20:55 on May 26, 2019 |
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May 20, 2019 11:51
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| # ? Apr 19, 2024 11:42 |
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The remake isn't at all going to run on current hardware but drat I'm excited to see it released and one day play it myself
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May 20, 2019 12:09
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Knorth posted:The remake isn't at all going to run on current hardware but drat I'm excited to see it released and one day play it myself Granted I have a very very low bar for what counts as "acceptable performance" but after putting an extra 8 gig of ram into my crappy laptop i did end up managing to play the demo! And that build is supposedly from before they did several big optimization updates.
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May 20, 2019 12:16
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I played the first game. Enjoyed may be a bit of a stretch, but it certainly was an interesting experience.
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May 20, 2019 12:35
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Fat Samurai posted:I played the first game. Enjoyed may be a bit of a stretch, but it certainly was an interesting experience. I always heard that this was an excellent game storywise, but not a fun one to play. I look forward to suffering through it at some point.
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May 20, 2019 13:05
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on one hand, pathologic 2 gives you more loot and a run button on the other, no more saving anywhere except certain houses seems like a wash
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May 20, 2019 13:16
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Sunnydere posted:I always heard that this was an excellent game storywise, but not a fun one to play. I look forward to suffering through it at some point. Yeah, it depends what your definition of fun is. I'd personally argue the original can be more *engaging* than people give it credit for - I always fall into a kind of zen state when I'm wandering around town doing quests, especially since the atmosphere is so thick. That said I can't blame anyone for being sick of all the walking. Either way, there's a lot more Stuff To Do around town in the remake and traversal is a lot quicker. There's even fast travel! youcallthatatwist fucked around with this message at 13:28 on May 20, 2019 |
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May 20, 2019 13:26
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Posting here to say that Pathologic is one of the most memorable games I’ve played, even though it isn’t exactly fun. It’s a grueling experience that really makes you feel the frustration, confusion, and desperation your character is going through. I played through the Bachelor path on the original many years ago and was thoroughly confused by the end. I’m now replaying all three paths on Pathologic Classic HD in preparation for the sequel. I can definitely confirm the translation is much improved, and the late game is readable. If you want an experience of a game as art, play this. If you want fun, I’m not sure I can recommend it. But this game will make you feel something.
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May 20, 2019 16:23
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By the way, Backer keys are out for the Kickstarter people.
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May 20, 2019 16:46
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I'm looking to hop on board P2 because the first game was too obtuse for my simple monkey brain. The developer has had quite a bit of practice inbetween their very first version and this so I'm hoping it is a little bit more accessible this time around!
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May 21, 2019 07:15
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Mindblast posted:I'm looking to hop on board P2 because the first game was too obtuse for my simple monkey brain. The developer has had quite a bit of practice inbetween their very first version and this so I'm hoping it is a little bit more accessible this time around! It is, there's an actual journal, quest and relevant NPC highlighting to help you navigate the map and fast travel.
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May 21, 2019 09:25
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ZearothK posted:It is, there's an actual journal, quest and relevant NPC highlighting to help you navigate the map and fast travel. Heresy Lol 
Knorth fucked around with this message at 10:22 on May 21, 2019 |
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May 21, 2019 09:27
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You know, it should not surprise me to see a fellow Slugcat hyped for Pathologic.The Masks posted:The play will begin at 10am PST (Los Angeles / Seattle) / 10pm Moscow time. Don't be late.
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May 21, 2019 10:14
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All I need from Pathologic 2 is a separate inventory for quest items and better VAs for Clara and the inquisitor. And maybe a soundtrack that doesn't cut out and restart every time you run through different areas and go into buildings. And don't tell me there's free food in important npc's houses if there actually isn't. And tell me I can pick plants and trade organs to steppe weirdos. And no one-hit-kill bandit knife throws.
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May 21, 2019 11:19
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ZearothK posted:It is, there's an actual journal, quest and relevant NPC highlighting to help you navigate the map and fast travel. That sounds gucci. Also thanks for reminding me that I should go do more slugcat. Fantastic game.
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May 21, 2019 11:43
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ZearothK posted:You know, it should not surprise me to see a fellow Slugcat hyped for Pathologic. Maybe one day I'll write my big fancy essay comparing my two favorite games, rain world and pathologic GoldenJoe posted:All I need from Pathologic 2 is a separate inventory for quest items and better VAs for Clara and the inquisitor. And maybe a soundtrack that doesn't cut out and restart every time you run through different areas and go into buildings. -soundscape is pretty seamless and great in the demo, lots of interesting tracks -i remember the devs having a conversation about games that purposefully lie to the player like this - the creative lead loves them but it's often too confusing to work well. New pathologic strikes an interesting balance by having the gameplay be more clear and the lies being more subtle, from what I can tell -i will miss the bandits the same way one misses an irritating uncle. I respect their hustle and heart but it's for the best that they're gone
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May 21, 2019 11:55
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I'm excited for a version of this sick rad game that I'll be able to stand playing
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May 21, 2019 20:36
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 Artbook preview is looking good. Might actually pick this up.
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May 22, 2019 15:38
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I need a physical version of that artbook...
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May 23, 2019 00:11
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RPS review is up. Combat is bad and the hunger meter is punishing. Worst survival game ever. There is some stuff about ambiance and plot, but those seem to be the main points.
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May 23, 2019 11:44
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Rock Paper Shotgun posted:There are a bunch of meters: stamina, hunger, thirst, health, exhaustion, immunity. They are a deep and savage cut to the game’s throat. You grow hungry too quickly, but there is little food. You must drink water constantly, or your stamina meter becomes diminished. You need to sleep, but hunger and thirst rises when you do that. Your immunity meter plummets if a particular type of NPC approaches you, often unexpectedly. If your immunity meter gets too low, you become infected and must keep slugging pills and tinctures to keep yourself from dying. If hunger isn’t sated, your health drains, and what food you find in shops dotted around town is expensive. Getting the money to buy it often means going into infected houses, which lowers your immunity meter, and that means… GAH. i is this supposed to be a list of complaints? because it kind of just sounds like game features
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May 23, 2019 11:54
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ninjewtsu posted:i He lost me when he started comparing the game to Dark Souls and Skyrim
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May 23, 2019 11:56
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Mr. Fortitude posted:He lost me when he started comparing the game to Dark Souls and Skyrim It's clearly a survival sim in the vein of Subnautica.
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May 23, 2019 12:00
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i mean to be real the mechanic where if you die your health is permanently lowered across all saves for that run seems weirdly punishing for an already difficult game, since poor players will die more often, and make the game actually impossible for them to see the end of
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May 23, 2019 12:07
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https://www.gameskinny.com/ek7ks/pathologic-2-review-a-bleak-game-for-bleak-times Second review
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May 23, 2019 12:10
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ninjewtsu posted:i mean to be real the mechanic where if you die your health is permanently lowered across all saves for that run seems weirdly punishing for an already difficult game, since poor players will die more often, and make the game actually impossible for them to see the end of death mechanics: the review mentions that if you die enough times you get the option to remove the penalty, apparently I haven't played so I can't comment too much on those mechanics yet, but I trust IPL to know what they're doing. As far as the review goes, it feels very rushed and I'd wager it was written under a strict deadline. The author seems to have been judging the game based on what he wanted it to be, not what it is, which is kind of a shame. Seriously why can't we have better vocabulary for discussing difficulty in games? Not every hard game wants to be Dark Souls.
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May 23, 2019 12:13
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ninjewtsu posted:i Yep, the review isn't very well written, but it sounds like he is complaining on the fact the game is a survival game. Well, that's true, but it would be like complaining of Doom being a FPS. What you can complain how of some of the features are implemented, the overall high difficulty and the lack of difficulty selection options to accommodate more players.
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May 23, 2019 13:59
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Mr. Fortitude posted:He lost me when he started comparing the game to Dark Souls and Skyrim There needs to be a Godwin's Law equivalent for Dark Souls comparisons in game reviews. Fat Samurai posted:It's clearly a survival sim in the vein of Subnautica. He does acknowledge that in the review but thinks it would be a better fit in the "immersive genre", for some reason, so he was probably hoping for Dishonored 3: Russian Steppe Edition. For me, the thing that puts Pathologic's use of status meters above other games is that because it's on a timer you can't ignore your objectives and take a few days to solve all your various meter issues.
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May 23, 2019 14:10
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Honestly those mechanics sound easier than the first Pathologic. You only get infected if your immunity meter drops low enough? Instead of getting infected by one of a million plague clouds running your way even if your immunity is high? That sounds much better—more predictable.
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May 23, 2019 14:11
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as much as i dislike survival mechanics they're pretty much inextricable from pathologic's entire structure, since they're how the game enforces its relentlessly stressful timers. at least you have a run button now icepick seems to have a thing for this - pathologic, the void, and knock knock all have game-spanning countdowns that result in unwinnable states if you let them run down too much, and none of them give a rip how much you dislike it
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May 23, 2019 14:44
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Knock-Knock was super good btw, I think I only beat it because of the bug where your sanity doesn't drain in the hallway. I got the 'stay inside forever' ending anyway though  The games it asks you to play are fun e: Cargo too because it's the dev just trolling you
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May 23, 2019 15:06
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I suspect the RPS writer's complaints will be common, unfortunately. In their defense, games writing is tough, and if someone plopped Pathologic 2 on my desk and told me I had 48 hours to play it and review it, on top of everything else I had to do that week, it'd probably piss me off, too. Some games aren't suited for the conditions that reviews require games to be played in. Still, I'll share this one non-spoiler piece of advice about enjoying the game: resist Death, but if it must come, let it happen, without fear or shame or (hopefully) too much frustration. Follow Death. Go deeper. Some of my favorite narrative moments in this game require failure. (Also, I'm the game's localization manager/lead localization writer, since I haven't given that disclosure in this thread) Star Guarded fucked around with this message at 17:53 on May 23, 2019 |
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May 23, 2019 17:50
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Star Guarded posted:I suspect the RPS writer's complaints will be common, unfortunately. In their defense, games writing is tough, and if someone plopped Pathologic 2 on my desk and told me I had 48 hours to play it and review it, on top of everything else I had to do that week, it'd probably piss me off, too. Some games aren't suited for the conditions that reviews require games to be played in. Yeah, it kind of sounded like he got into a death-spiral, partially from not picking up how to play the game and from underestimating how hard survival would get in later days, which led to a lot of frustration, which might be common for a lot of people. It is still a condescending piece in its tone (budget Skyrim, seriously?). I am ready for it, I got into a dead-man state in The Void 12 hours in and had to restart my playthrough and I'd still consider it one of my favorites. Also game is live, download it!
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May 23, 2019 18:04
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Star Guarded posted:Still, I'll share this one non-spoiler piece of advice about enjoying the game: resist Death, but if it must come, let it happen, without fear or shame or (hopefully) too much frustration. Follow Death. Go deeper. Some of my favorite narrative moments in this game require failure. 1. Congrats on the impending release! 2. Will Mr. Resetti yell at us if we savescum
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May 23, 2019 18:09
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Star Guarded posted:Some games aren't suited for the conditions that reviews require games to be played in. 
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May 23, 2019 19:19
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SelenicMartian posted:So... they can't review Pathologic 2 working against the clock, struggling with a subject that is difficult to comprehend, while the people they do it for seem to know far more about it, but rather be secretive or hostile than provide any assistance to an outsider...
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May 23, 2019 21:32
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That RPS review is really disappointing. I hoped RPS--out of all outlets--would have focused more on the themes rather than the raw surface-level mechanics. It reads like a shallow review of a skinner box. Brendan is obviously familiar with Quintin Smith's deconstruction but there's no indication of that in the review. I hope they still have somebody on staff who's planning to write something thoughtful about it.
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May 23, 2019 22:03
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The Void has stuck in my head more than any game I've ever played, even though (especially?) I never completed it and just sort of muddled around. The visuals are gorgeous, especially when you transform a muddy grey garden into a kaleidoscope of colours. The Brother design is staggeringly hosed up, the Colour system is genius (health, ammo, stats, currency AND a timer in one system? Dark Souls wishes it could be that elegant). The dialogue is portentous, heavy and viscous as tar, and I haven't got the foggiest idea what it's about. I think it's taking the idea of change as death (of who you are now, so who you will be can be born) and treating it like a differential equation - rather than a gradual change you exist as a line of infinitely small slices of existence, and you have to constantly sacrifice yourself for the benefits of future you. But then I was under a lot of stress when I played it.
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May 23, 2019 22:07
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The dark souls comparison is apt- it's a penalty to your meter, on death.
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May 23, 2019 23:23
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| # ? Apr 19, 2024 11:42 |
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So the artbook is great. Pathologic has a great aesthetic and getting 290 pages of it was definitely worth the $55 I spent on the game's kickstarter
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May 24, 2019 00:52
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