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[Prime crotch]

Anyone ever played or heard of this one? PC game made in Russia, around 04, shoddy English translation release in 06, I think.
It is also one of the few true survival horror gaming experiences, because it really is an horrific task to survive in this game.
The basic gist of the game is to survive on a city, that would make Silent Hill look like a cheery place to live in, for 12 days, while that, you're also tasked to some quests that involve going around town and talking to people.
It's the kind of unwelcoming and depressing setting game like STALKER, only, while STALKER had the advantage of being built as an FPS, Pathologic is a high-concept game that just so happens to have FPS mechanics.

It's a really hard game to recommend these days, where FPS in particular are very tight and contained self-gratifying experiences, it's not a pretty game, it's a very hard game to muster any fun from and the shoddy translation coupled with the script's complexity certainly doesn't help. On the other hand, the team is working on a new and totally redone translation patch, which might see the light of day in 09...I hope.

here's the trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4Ku66k_dRo

here's GOG.com's wishlist page where you can vote for the game to appear in http://www.gog.com/en/wishlist/

and here's a very nice review about game's peculiar traits http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2008/04/10/butchering-pathologic-part-1-the-body/

 

[eve241]

I played it for about an hour, a year ago or so. I liked it's quirkiness but I reckon it's a game that needs a very open mind in order to be enjoyed.

I only stopped due to circumstances actually. I'll have to get back to it one of these days. But I do remember not having much to do in the first hour of gameplay other than going to different houses talking to different people.

 

[Fady K]

You know Prime, Im a survival horror nut and I was really in the mood for something. Having finished the majority of the awesome survival horror titles this year (the unbelievably amazing Siren Blood Curse and Silent Hill Homecoming, as well as Dead Space, and currently going through the horror text adventure Theresia on the DS, with Alone In the Dark Inferno next) - I felt like playing a PC horror classic. I managed to pick up the short but sweet Scratches (you should give that a shot, not too bad at all, should be cheap too), and now im crazing more horror goodness - but I simply did not know what to pick up for my PC. However, thanks to you, im going to pick this up now. Hope it doesnt disappoint

 

[Versipellis]

Anyone ever played or heard of this one?

It's a very interesting game with lots of creativity and original ideas (life as a theatre, the "Theatre of mind" at the end of each day, the "real time" structure, etc.). It's a real shame, however, we have to see such good ideas so badly implemented in terms of gameplay: e.g. you have to *walk* around an enormous town and this alone is something that could make you stop playing the game.
I don't think it's a game that's fun to play. As Endow said, you have to "prepare yourself" and ignore some of the issues to fully enjoy it. But, on the other hand, such novelty is so hard to find in mainstream games that you if you want to try something new you should give Pathologic a go.

 

[Prime crotch]

It's a very interesting game with lots of creativity and original ideas (life as a theatre, the "Theatre of mind" at the end of each day, the "real time" structure, etc.). It's a real shame, however, we have to see such good ideas so badly implemented in terms of gameplay: e.g. you have to *walk* around an enormous town and this alone is something that could make you stop playing the game.
I don't think it's a game that's fun to play. As Endow said, you have to "prepare yourself" and ignore some of the issues to fully enjoy it. But, on the other hand, such novelty is so hard to find in mainstream games that you if you want to try something new you should give Pathologic a go.

Only the first days can be, and are in some ways, a chore, later on when the infection starts to spread and you have to manage your stats it gets impossible to keep yourself alive and at the same time completing the quests.

 

[NotWii]

Ok, something in the universe is forcing me to play this, I had a friend recommend this to me for the last few days and now this thread pops up...

 

[Moobabe]

I figured this would be the best place to ask - 'Pathologic' was on sale on Gamersgate the other day so I rushed to buy it and then download it.

However, it won't install. I've redownloaded the files twice but still get the same error;

Geometries.vfs

An error occurred while trying to copy a file:
The source file is corrupted.

Has anyone had similar issues? Should I just keep redownloading until I can get it to work?

 

[Acosta]

I bought it because that review really impressed me back in the day ( I just read half of it to avoid any spoiler, if it was so awesome I wanted to experience it unspoiled)

Let me tell you, it´s a hard nut to crack, like really hard, nothing is easy in this game, not even playing. I put 2-3 hours on it and I had no idea of what the hell I was doing. It's in my list of to-do list with The Void, but you need a lot of patience.

 

[Clevinger]

It's a fantastic surreal story/setting unfortunately stuck in some awful gameplay and design choices. Thankfully, while still some odd gameplay, The Void mostly gets that part right, too.

 

[Mister_Bubbles]

Pathologic is an enigma. A spooky, atmospheric, disease-ridden enigma. I got to act 2 a while back and stopped playing for some reason, keep meaning to get back to it as it's a fascinating and amazing experience, but as others have said, it's mired down with some janky gameplay and awful translation issues.

 

[FoneBone]

I've read the RPS review - it sounds absolutely fascinating, but the chances I would ever have the patience to play through it are pretty much zero.

 

[Ashes]

What's up with these follow up posts? seems like comments under a game review. Nothing related to the poster who actually bumped this.

To the bumper: I guess you ought to ask gamersgate.

edit: oh I get it now. People are answering the op, not realising that it's an old thread. Well my mistake.

 

[Brobzoid]

I figured this would be the best place to ask - 'Pathologic' was on sale on Gamersgate the other day so I rushed to buy it and then download it.

However, it won't install. I've redownloaded the files twice but still get the same error;

Geometries.vfs

An error occurred while trying to copy a file:
The source file is corrupted.

Has anyone had similar issues? Should I just keep redownloading until I can get it to work?

ask gamersgate about it, they are a nice bunch of people.

 

[TheJollyCorner]

sounds interesting.
I'm a survival horror nut and I've never heard of this, for some reason... :/

Can a moderate PC play this? I'm not a PC gamer, so I don't have an advanced graphics card or anything.

 

[Mortrialus]

How odd. I was actually preparing to pick this one up. From what I've heard it isn't very good from a game sense, but it is definitely really enjoyable from an experience sense. The game has some solid music as well.

Main Theme
Wandering Night
Diseased House

 

[Mister_Bubbles]

edit: oh I get it now. People are answering the op, not realising that it's an old thread. Well my mistake.

Oops.

@TheJollyCorner: It's not that surprising you've not heard of it, it's a bit of a wild card. As for the graphics thing, that's not a problem - it's not at all system intensive.

Word of warning though; it's not 'Res Evil' style survival horror. It's more Silent Hill meets Stalker meets Drug Wars, with a touch of Twin Peaks and very minimal combat.

 

[TheJollyCorner]

Oops.

@TheJollyCorner: It's not that surprising you've not heard of it, it's a bit of a wild card. As for the graphics thing, that's not a problem - it's not at all system intensive.

Word of warning though; it's not 'Res Evil' style survival horror. It's more Silent Hill meets Stalker meets Drug Wars, with a touch of Twin Peaks.

Sounds... perfect.
I actually enjoy, er, 'abstract', games.

I will check it out and report back.

 

[nincompoop]

Speaking of weird Russian FPS/Survival Horror games, is Cryostasis any good? Gamersgate has a double pack with it and Necrovision on sale for $4.50.

 

[Varjet]

I figured this would be the best place to ask - 'Pathologic' was on sale on Gamersgate the other day so I rushed to buy it and then download it.

Protip:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=404267
/backseat modding

 

[K.Jack]

sounds interesting.
I'm a survival horror nut and I've never heard of this, for some reason... :/

Can a moderate PC play this? I'm not a PC gamer, so I don't have an advanced graphics card or anything.

Well... what are your CPU/GPU?

 

[Mister_Bubbles]

Protip:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=404267
/backseat modding

The Gaming questions thread? Er... thanks for the link, I guess.

 

[I should be doing hw]

On the other hand, the team is working on a new and totally redone translation patch, which might see the light of day in 09...I hope.

Did this ever end up happening?

 

[Varjet]

The Gaming questions thread? Er... thanks for the link, I guess.

Welp, quoted the wrong person, I'm a terrible backseat mod

 

[Strummerjones]

Did this ever end up happening?

The official forum for the retranslation project is here. From the looks of the place, the answer to your question unfortunately seems to be "no".

From one of the few intelligable posts before the spambots took over, it seems that the project is on hold until they finish their next game, which doesn't sound promising.