Matt Wales
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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.
Dankovsky is a young doctor and expert in thanatology who travels to Pathologic’s mysterious town at the start of the outbreak in order to advance his research on death. As with the Haruspex’s path, Dankovsky has 12 days to stop the plague, using all the tools of his medical trade. He can, explains Pathologic 3’s Steam page, examine potions and diagnose diseases, cross-check symptoms and prescribe treatments, impose quarantines and curfews, confiscate medicine, vaccinate the population, deploy patrols, and more.
Crucially, though, Dankovsky now also wields the power of time, and can travel forward to witness the future, or go backward to correct mistakes of the past. “Anything you see can tell a story and become a piece of your mental map of the world,” explains Ice-Pick. “Explore the town for new insights, notice details, and connect the dots. Uncover the secrets of the town’s inhabitants. Shape their stories, decide their fates, and talk to their shadows.”
And that’s pretty much everything we know about Pathologic 3 right now, but the current plans is to release it for PC some time next year.