Pathologic returns to plague PC gamers

Thanks to Devolver Digital, the cult PC classic Pathologic is making a comeback.

I’ve actually never heard of Pathologic, but apparently there are plenty of other people who have. The game has accrued a cult following and carved out it’s own horrific niche in the horror game landscape. And now, as you see form the headline, it’s on the way back for another go at a whole new round of players.

In Pathologic players embark on a dark journey to explore a remote town built upon old tanneries and butcheries just as a mysterious and deadly disease breaks out. Whilst the disease can be identified by physical symptoms, its roots and origins remain mysterious. The disease is highly infectious and deadly. It affects the neural and the blood-circulating systems, crippling both body and mind. To fight this epidemic local authorities send three agents, one of them a learned doctor, to access the situation and determine the best course of action. Along with the authorities’ agents two volunteers find their way through the town along with the learned doctor, who goes by the name of The Bachelor. One of them, The Changeling, is a strange girl who believes she can heal with her hands, and the other, The Haruspex, is a talented amateur who’s fond of experimental surgery. Taking on the role of one of these doctors, you’ll explore the town, its weird traditions, and the complex relationships of its inhabitants. You will only have twelve days to defeat the invisible enemy called the Sand Plague. You cannot shoot, barter nor reason with this enemy, and only one thing is for certain; you can’t save everyone.

Sounds pretty fantastic no? Officially titled Pathologic Classic HD, the new version of the game comes from developer Ice-Pick Lodge, in conjunction with General Arcade and Gambitious Entertainment. If you played the original, you’ll know what to expect here in part, though the voice cast has been scrapped in favor of a new one, which was one of the main criticisms of the first version according to the press release. And it’s not just the voices that’ve been redone either, as the whole script got a once-over and a tidying up.

It’s also worth noting that Ice-Pick is working on a complete revamp of the game as well, which is currently on Kickstarter. So if you’re waiting on a little more ‘total’ of a rebirth of this horror adventure, that’s might not be all that far off from happening either. No release date for this one just yet, but we’ll let you know as soon as we do.