Pathologic 2 is a harsh, unwelcoming experience that took a lot out of me, but everything in it, no matter how odd or seemingly inconsequential, is setup for an eventual payoff. Players capable of embracing its dour atmosphere will be rewarded with one of gaming’s greatest narrative accomplishments — it’s an epic-length refutation of the idea that gratification can only come through success, that stories need to be about heroes, that “fun” is the only metric by which a game’s quality can be measured. Pathologic 2 is a masterpiece not in spite of its shortcomings, but because of them. There is truly nothing else like it.

Pathologic 2 is a surrealist drama wrapped in a survival game's tattered clothes. It's frustrating and haunting all at once. It's also one of the most atmospheric games ever made.

A very difficult game that can be frustrating at times, but ultimitely does keep you entertained. Worth adjusting the difficulty to make it more playable.

A gruelling mystery game that smothers its big ideas with dour survival mechanics.

Pathologic 2 is a weird and unique experience, besmeared by some optimization and balance issues. Its narrative, story, and atmosphere are suffocating under the weight of its mechanics and I'm pretty sure that heavy reliance on meta-gaming to avoid hitting a roadblock wasn't something its creators intended.

Pathologic 2 looks unlike anything on the market, and its genuinely surreal and emotionally twisted tale and graphics are at least unique, if not actually appealing. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but neither was Carmac McCarthy’s The Road. Miasma of poorly explained and confusing systems and unforgiving survival mechanics are more clearly a problem and they make Pathologic 2 nearly impossible to enjoy on any level, and certainly not fun.

An interesting narrative and eerie ambience are present, but frustratingly tedious survival features, poor combat, and performance issues plague the title.