Right, let’s get this clear then:
- Pathologic is a mid 00s first person adventure horror survival … thing that is something of a cult classic despite being massively broken and woefully translated.
- Pathologic Remake is a Kickstarted reimagining of it that made just over $300k on the dream machine about a year ago.
- Pathologic Classic HD is a newly-announced re-release that will include a retranslation, flashier graphics and cloud saves, among other things.
Right? So here’s the trailer for that third thing.
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So why are they doing this when the full remake is still very much in development and due for release some time next year? In a Kickstarter update, Ice Pick Lodge explain:
“Change is inevitable. During the Remake production we’ve found ourselves in quite a conundrum: ideally, we need to reevaluate the old means of expression, make sure that they work, and invent new ones when they don’t. And the “means of expression” aren’t just the graphics or soundtrack, but rather the whole bulk of expressive techniques, from non-core plotlines and character mannerisms to the puns they make; from survival mechanics to soundscape switching solutions.
“Change is inevitable—and it is inevitably controversial. What may seem obsolete or redundant to us, can also be dear and important for someone else (and vice versa). Taking “the Pathologic you know and love” away from you with the Remake is the last thing we want to do, but we also need the freedom to make new creative choices without looking back at every step.”
This also gives them the chance to make sure the game is compatible with more recent operating systems and redo the translation. That’s their most significant change in the rerelease, and the most important one, as far as they’re concerned. Having promised the original game as part of some backer tiers, they weren’t comfortable with the quality of the product it would mean giving to them. They admit that they’re not really sure how they ever garnered an English-speaking fanbase at all, as happy as they are for it. A retranslation has allowed for the restoration of some text that was totally removed too, so there are new plot points to discover beyond the ones that have been refined by better wordage.
It’s been created with the help ofGambitious Digital Entertainment and General Arcade, who did most of the visual improvements. It’ll be$12.99/£9.99/€12.99 on release some time soon, though no specific date has been given. I might give it a shot, given the unbelievable praise its received in certain circles over the years. How about you?