Pathologic: Difference between revisions

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{{tropelist}}
 
* [[Acceptable Breaks From Reality]]: The game notably averts most of these. Many of the gameplay mechanics are surprisingly realistic - the [[In-Universe Game Clock]] is a [[Timed Mission|major constriction]] and is constantly ticking, enemies take few hits to kill but ammunition is scarce, using weapons or wearing clothes decreases their (very limited) durability, being [[Stupid Evil]] and reducing your [[Karma Meter]] will get you killed, etc. This may be one of the many reasons why the game is [[Nintendo Hard|maddeningly difficult]] and no part of it is described as "fun", even by fans.
* [[Adam Smith Hates Your Guts]]: Justified by the epidemic and supplies not coming into the isolated town anymore. Fortunately, the value of your items and the quest rewards scale as well.
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* [[Cutscene Incompetence]]: At one point, you enter a dungeon reasonably well-armed and with a killing score comprising of dozens of thugs. Then a handful of unarmed mooks approach you and beat the [[Player Character]] into a pulp while you watch helplessly.
* [[Cutscene Power to the Max]]: Subverted. The opening cutscene of Artemiy's scenario shows him beating a group of armed muggers to death with his bare hands...however, once gameplay starts, it becomes apparent that the battle took its toll on him, as his [[Life Meter]] is at critical levels.
* [[Dark World]] / [[Genius Loci]] / [[World Gone Mad]]: The entire game...▼
* [[Darker and Edgier]]: One review called Pathologic "''[[The Elder Scrolls|Oblivion]] with cancer, in a good way.''"
▲* [[Dark World]] / [[Genius Loci]] / [[World Gone Mad]]: The entire game...
* [[Daylight Horror]]: Absolutely. Could very well be the best example of this trope when it comes to video games.
* [[Dialogue Tree]]
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* [[Femme Fatale]]: Maria Kain.
* [[Find the Cure]]: Either that or you could at least try to hinder the spreading of the disease (and despair) among the surviving people.
* {{spoiler|[[Gaia's Vengeance]]}}: {{spoiler|The infection is spreading because the ''earth'' is sick.}}▼
* [[Fire-Breathing Weapon]]: The army that arrives in the city at mid-point in the game's story includes a [http://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/265451-pathologic-windows-screenshot-an-army-checkpoint-set-up-on.jpg creepy-looking squad of flamethrowermen]. Since the army had supposedly arrived there to ensure the area is quarantined and to keep the plague from spreading... ''[[It's the Only Way to Be Sure|guess what they intend to use the flamethrowers for...]]''
* [[Firing One-Handed]]: Every weapon except the rifle. Yes, even the [[Sawed-Off Shotgun]].
* [[Fragile Speedster]]: The marauder enemies. They're extremely agile and skilled in melee combat (traits bolstered by the fact that you fight them in small, cramped rooms), but can be killed with a single rifle shot anywhere on their body.
** A weapon example is the revolver. It's relatively weak and pretty inaccurate, but its large magazine size allows you to fire multiple bullets in quick succession—useful for dealing with large mobs before you get the shotgun.
* {{spoiler|[[Gainax Ending]]: No matter which one you get, it's going to make your brain blow a circuit}}.▼
* [[Freudian Trio]]: The three lead characters qualify, despite the fact that they don't work as a team at all.
** [[The Spock]]: The Bachelor
** [[The McCoy]]: The Haruspex
** [[The Kirk]]: The Devotress
▲* {{spoiler|[[Gaia's Vengeance]]}}: {{spoiler|The infection is spreading because the ''earth'' is sick.}}
▲* {{spoiler|[[Gainax Ending]]: No matter which one you get, it's going to make your brain blow a circuit}}.
* [[Gateless Ghetto]]: Avoided. Most of the houses can be broken into. All you need is a lockpick...
* [[Genius Bruiser]]: Artemiy.
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** Though the powder is perhaps the most prominent example, due to the game's multiple survival meters, this happens for most healing items. Usually, something that restores one bar will reduce the other—for example, eating lemons will decrease exhaustion and increase immunity, but it'll also increase your hunger. Painkillers will allow you to gradually regenerate health, but greatly increase exhaustion. And so on...
* [[Have a Nice Death]]: When you die, you get a short cutscene with the Executioner and Tragedian symbolically playing out your death scene on the stage of the theater.
* [[Heal Thyself]]: You'll be doing that a lot. The only means of restoring your health, though (the actual health, not the infection level), are rest and ''bandages''. That's right, you can even remove the symptoms with a couple of bandages.▼
** Not really. The game wants you to use painkillers and then do rest or cover up the open wounds while the painkillers are in effect so you can heal right. That sleeping and using bandages on their own have a less effective (albeit, instant and cheaper) heal are trivial when you consider how realistic the game is regarding this.▼
* [[Healing Factor]]: Taking painkillers will cause you to regenerate health over time. It's very slow though; don't rely on it. They're best used right before sleeping, especially since [[Harmful Healing|they shoot your exhaustion through the roof as well]].
* [[Healing Hands]]: The [[Squishy Wizard|Devotress']] hands, apparently. Also a subversion, since she can [[Little Miss Badass|incapacitate or even kill]] with them via her [[Psychic Powers]].
▲* [[Heal Thyself]]: You'll be doing that a lot. The only means of restoring your health, though (the actual health, not the infection level), are rest and ''bandages''. That's right, you can even remove the symptoms with a couple of bandages.
▲** Not really. The game wants you to use painkillers and then do rest or cover up the open wounds while the painkillers are in effect so you can heal right. That sleeping and using bandages on their own have a less effective (albeit, instant and cheaper) heal are trivial when you consider how realistic the game is regarding this.
* [[Hero with Bad Publicity]]: Unlike Daniel and Klara, Artemiy starts the game wounded, weaponless and with a very low reputation (due to the accussation of being his father's killer). The first challenge in playing his character is basically restoring his reputation to a bearable amount while not getting killed by the [[City Guards]], who will hunt him down at first sight.
* [[Hobbes Was Right]]: The overall decay of both the city and human society within is [[Psychological Horror|downright disturbing]]. ''[[Playing with a Trope|But]]'', the more you explore and learn of the city's mysteries, it's hinted at that:
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** The Haruspex: {{spoiler|Destroy the Polyhedron to save the town.}}
** The Devotress: {{spoiler|Save everyone in the town, but at the cost of the lives of all of the believers.}}
** {{spoiler|Or, if you refuse to choose any of the endings, [[Kill'Em All|the military destroys everything]].}}
* [[Name of Cain]]: The Kain family.
* [[Never Bring a Knife to A Fist Fight]]: If you've come under attack, it's generally better to cripple your enemy with a firearm first, then hit or stab him. As long as you have ammo, that is...
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* [[No Antagonist]]: Despite their conflicting methods, all the Adherents wish to put an end to the disease and restore order to the town. Even the thugs and bandits only rob out of necessity.
* [[Nominal Importance]]: When you talk to any of the characters, an icon with a black-and-white photo appears in the corner of the screen. With storyline characters, it's a person resembling the model. With random people, [[Lampshade Hanging|it's a creepy ragdoll]].
* [[Not That Kind of Doctor]]: A rather bizarre variation, in that the Bachelor is referred to as a doctor, despite the fact that he's... well, [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|a Bachelor Of Medicine]]...▼
* [[Nothing Is Scarier]]: The plague-ridden quarters and areas of the city. {{spoiler|Some would argue that the ''whole city'' and its surroundings qualifies.}}
▲* [[Not That Kind of Doctor]]: A rather bizarre variation, in that the Bachelor is referred to as a doctor, despite the fact that he's... well, [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|a Bachelor Of Medicine]]...
* [[Obvious Beta]] / [[Needs More Love]]: Definitely. The game's innovative and well-written story and atmosphere are often marred by the rather clunky and buggy engine. There are quite a few annoying bugs that can mess up the gameplay or disrupt its otherwise highly immersive atmosphere. And the wobbly and seemingly rushed English translation and dub needlessly add to the already existing issues...
** Fortunately, the developers say that they're planning to create a [[Video Game Remake]] sometime in the future that fixes these issues. Judging by [[Development Hell|how badly]] the [[Fan Translation]] is going, though, it probably won't happen any time soon.
* [[Ominous Latin Chanting]]: The main menu theme. The rest of the game features examples of ''[[It Makes Sense in Context|Ominous Steppe Nomad Chanting]]'', interspersed with haunting, predominantly [[One-Woman Wail|female vocals]]. They greatly add to the already gloomy atmosphere of the game.
* [[One-Hit Kill]]: [[Back Stab]]s and [[Boom! Headshot!|headshots]] will result in these.▼
* [[One Bullet Clips]]: Sidestepped. The revolver is reloaded offscreen (the character pulls it down to their side first), avoiding the need for custom animations depending on how many bullets it currently has. The rifle ''is'' reloaded on-screen, but it has a ''literal'' one-bullet clip, so the trope doesn't apply. Played straight with the shotgun, however, which is also guilty of the "reload more visible shots than you actually have" subtrope.
* [[One Stat to Rule Them All]]: Keep your Reputation high ''at all costs''. It's the hardest type of health to restore, and has far-reaching consequences if it gets low.<ref>Among other things: Shopkeepers will refuse to sell their wares to you, townspeople will attack you on sight, and most people will refuse to lend you shelter, meaning you'll eventually drop dead from exhaustion.</ref>
* [[One Steve Limit]]: Averted; there are two characters who go by the name of "Alexander". They're both referred to by their surnames, though, so the problems with the trope are sidestepped.
▲* [[One-Hit Kill]]: [[Back Stab]]s and [[Boom! Headshot!|headshots]] will result in these.
* [[Organ Drops]]: They're only available to the Haruspex, since [[Justified Trope|he's the only one who knows how to]] [[Squick|cut them out]].
* [[The Plague]]: A visible cloud of disease that will actively chase you. ''[[It Got Worse|Or a cloud of disease that sometimes appears as a red angel.]]''
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* [[Save Scumming]]: You'll be doing this a lot.
* [[Science Hero]]: Dankovski.
* [[Scrappy Mechanic]]: Lots.
** ''You can't run. At all. Only walk at a leisurely pace.'' Coupled with the rather brutal [[In-Universe Game Clock]], this can cause the game to range from [[Nintendo Hard]] to nigh [[Unwinnable]].
** The weapon selection is annoyingly clunky, since it's only available by opening your inventory (which is the only menu that averts [[Menu Time Lockout]]). This wouldn't be necessarily bad—but imagine you need to switch to another weapon quickly ''in the middle of a fight with a local looter''...
** This is very minor compared to the other two, but... Melee weapons often have multiple attacks—for example, when unarmed, your character may execute either a quick jab with their left fist, or a long windup punch with their right. However, ''there is no way to control which attack is executed'' (it's random), so you have no idea whether you can afford to be right next to an enemy, or if you have to start further back because your character is going to twirl their knife in the air dramatically before plunging it in a downward stab. Given how incredibly important timing is in melee combat, this can be quite irritating.
*** Somewhat related to that: Fortunately, ranged weapons avoid this problem, for obvious reasons...however, just ''drawing'' a gun takes an absurdly long time; the animation for the revolver in particular makes it look like your character's moving through molasses. Needless to say, this can result in problems when you're being charged at by a crazed mugger...
* [[Secret Character]]: The Devotress...kind of. She's clearly displayed on the character selection screen, but [[Unlockable Content|can only be played if you've completed one of the other two scenarios]].
* [[Show Within a Show]]: The Theater puts on a play each night after midnight. Attending it is completely optional and has no tangible benefits, but you might [[Plot Parallel|learn something]] if you do.
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