Pathologic, the acclaimed plague-themed horror series from developer Ice-Pick Lodge, is returning for a third instalment, this time slinging time travel into its gruelling, emotionally draining mix of intentionally dispiriting survival and haunting theatrics.
The newly announced Pathologic 3 is something of an oddity in that it’s technically, sort of, the second chunk of Pathologic 2 – itself a half sequel and half (much-improved) remake of Ice-Pick Lodge’s cult-classic 2005 original. Pathological 1 – which, as with all entries in the series, charts the sudden decline of a strange, small town on the edge of the Russian Steppe as it slowly succumbs to a mysterious plague – memorably had three playable characters and three distinct routes through its 12 days of increasing misery: that of Artemy Burakh (the Haruspex), Daniil Dankovsky (the Batchelor), and Clara (the Changeling).
Due to financial concerns, however, only the Haruspex path made it into Pathologic 2, and while Dankovsky did appear as the protagonist in a short standalone episode, titled The Marble Nest, his full path will now be the focus of Pathologic 3 – albeit significantly expanded.
Pathologic 3 Announce Trailer