Botherer

Review: Pathologic

by John Walker on Aug.30, 2006, under Reviews

There’s a term currently bandied around in gaming discussion with wilful abandon. “Living city”. It’s something of a misnomer. If anything, the term is used to describe the most static of towns, where NPCs amble around with no fixed agenda, perhaps occasional unscripted scuffles of no consequence are used as set decoration. These cities aren’t living. The reality is, the city only ever lives when you start changing it.

Pathologic offers a dying city. It’s Oblivion with cancer. A pustule encrusted town where events carry on regardless of your presence, slowly wasting away despite you. This is a fascinating game. And a very broken one. And as such, I’m in something of a pickle.

This was a very tough review to write. If you can blag a copy, have a look at Pathologic. Especially if you’re a developer.

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