Pathologic 3’s Creative Director Talks Time Travel, Narrative Vision, and More [Interview]

First released in 2005, Pathologic carved out a niche by containing elements of the survival and RPG genres with a layer of distinctly surreal horror on top. Its eerie world, strange characters, dense philosophical musings, and often unforgiving gameplay created an experience unlike many others. Pathologic's experimental nature and twists on traditional design subsequently made it a cult classic, with an HD remastered version dropping in 2015. Pathologic 2 then launched in 2019 after being successfully Kickstarted, though it was more of a modern reimagining rather than a full sequel, and focused on a single character's tale out of the three contained in the original.

Pathologic 2 was well-received, earning a very positive rating on Steam, and developer Ice-Pick Lodge planned to continue the remaining two storylines that were absent from the 2019 version. However, despite audience reception, sales numbers put its next leg in question for a period. Recently though, Ice-Pick Lodge announced Pathologic 3 and confirmed it is set for release next year, being published by HypeTrain Digital. To delve into the details of the upcoming entry, Ice-Pick founder and creative director Nikolay Dybowski chatted with Game Rant about how Pathologic 3 aims to keep what makes the franchise unique intact while expanding its scope in new and intriguing ways. The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Q: Pathologic 2 is known for being a challenging game, and difficulty sliders were added later. Will Pathologic 3 have these or something similar included at the outset?

A: We’ve done a lot to preserve the vibe, mood, and atmosphere of this world and the unique identity of the game. This is what our studio usually succeeds at best, but with The Bachelor as a protagonist, gameplay will be different. It’s the same Pathologic and the same Town beloved by thousands, but now there’s a different hero. Unlike the Haruspex, The Bachelor is a man of intellect and high status. He doesn't need to fight for survival every moment, so we assume he’ll die far less often. But that doesn’t mean the game will be easier.

Q: It looks like the Bachelor’s Plague Finder is returning. Can you speak more about this and other gameplay elements in Pathologic 3?

A: From the start, we wanted this to be a game about a scientist, not a scavenger. He observes and draws conclusions. He examines and collects data. He shouldn’t rush or act hastily. He needs to scrutinize and think, so the Bachelor’s main tools are:

Q: The time travel mechanic looks to be the biggest new change for the series. How did this idea for Pathologic 3 come about?

A: The Bachelor tries to conquer death using an outdated, Newtonian worldview—a task that seems impossible. He’s chasing after Simon Kain, who holds the secret of immortality, but doesn’t realize he’s not yet ready to comprehend it. He must break apart his worldview and reassemble it. This applies to fundamental concepts of time, space, and humanity. We wanted the player to experience a world shattered into fragments—a familiar world made strange, that must be pieced together anew.