PATHOLOGIC IS GENIUS AND HERE'S WHY [BACKER EDITION]

this is one of the greatest videos ever

yummydirt

I love you. That is all. I am not entitled to knowing your sexual preferences. But, at least as a gamer, you are a glorious sub. And I love that you show me the beauty of games like this and the Lisa Trilogy, games that absolutely contain brilliant and art, but which I could never play through myself. *Goes to hunt down Pathologic 2.....*

Marie Cory

God this video was amazing, and I cannot wait to play Pathologic 2. Thank you for this.

Thank you for narrating your chapter headings. I always watch your videos the first time but I like to fall asleep listening to my favourite youtube videos with the TV screen off.

Louise

Outstanding work

Don Friðrik Ólafsson

That was cosmic.

Dave

Yeah hehe

Charlotte Sisman

This may be your best video. I watched it three times in the span of 2 days.

Can I humbly request some more political content please Hbomb?

You made it, so it's great. Seriously, I stayed up much later than I was supposed to in order to watch the entire thing in one go.

Spencer St. James

I had the exact same trajectory with the game; couldn't finish the original English release because I had no idea what the hell was going on. To the point where I spent many, many hours on the Ice Pick Lodge English forums trying to crack this thing. Finally broke through the wall and I also don't recommend this game for the same reasons. BUT. I think it'd be very worthwhile to look at this game in the context of Ice Pick Lodge's entire catalog. The ramp from Pathologic to The Void to Cargo (?) to Knock Knock (???) is baffling and insane and I can't stop picking at it. To me, The Void is peak Ice Pick Lodge. It's like Pathologic was their training ground for ideas that were perfected there. And I know I'll never agree with HBomb on the value of mechanical difficulty in video games, but for what it's worth, The Void (one of my favorite games ever, definitely top 5) only became enjoyable for me when I used mods to lower the difficulty. So there's that.

Clementine Danger

Electionwatch 2019?

Also...why does one of the NPCs look exactly like actor William Fichtner?

Talia P

I also love how the video itself has its own twists to it. Like realizing hey wait what about the changeling run OH NOOOOOOOO

Talia P

you're right. I thought it would be funny to make a weird literary reference instead of real insult but it's still much ruder than I'd hoped, and I don't intend that - I'll change it.

Hbomb

Ive loved no mans sky when it came out cause I saw it as just a space sim I can fly in.

Talia P

Did you unironically use “it’s not a bug it’s a feature”? Lmao fantastic

Talia P

The line about being the only defender of No Man's Sky is pretty inaccurate, most people have completely turned around on that game over the course of its life. Liking it is by far the most common opinion people have these days.

Dominic Guilfoyle

The bit where you say that a critic who didn't like the game had alcohol in their blood surrogate should probably be cut. Seems needlessly mean-spirited and potentially offensive to some people.

Dominic Guilfoyle

This flows really well, it doesn't feel it's length in the best way. Also, listened to it the second time round at work and I'm really glad I work nights alone because I'd probably have been sacked for how much I laughed at Daniil Dankovsky's Fun Step Vacation and Artemy Burakh's Tortuous Nightmare

Wow this was great, this game looks amazing but ill never play it, ill just enjoy the knowledge that it is out there.

Sean Brocklehurst

I liked this one a lot. Thank you, HBomb.

So does this mean were gonna hear about Ice-Pick Lodge's s 2nd game, The Void.

EriksBlue

This is amazing, i just spent my evening watching a video about a game i will probably never play and i loved every second of it.

I very much second this. I loved the video but there were definitely parts (especially near the end) where I wasn't sure exactly what I was meant to be looking at, which threw off the timing of the cool plot reveals.

Starboi

I love it!

Wow, immediately calling out those RPS articles that led to my interest in Pathologic. I've only played bits and pieces of the game but man it's a game I'm so happy that exists and one that I will enjoy endless thinkpieces about!

Allyson Cygan

There were so many points where the momentum recharged or changed entirely, I really enjoyed the nature of this video! I think it takes more time than your others, but there's a lot more active watching (at least for me) that helps what you're saying stick. Loved the video, and glad you took a risk and made something longer and slightly more involved! Egg.

*tries to fight urge to pick up game*

Millie

I've not played this game but videos like this are genuinely why I subscribe to your channel and am a patron: two hour long rants about a niche topic I don't initially know much ranging to nothing about. What I really appreciate is the depth of analysis and how much YOU care. I think I read somewhere once that what makes a great protagonist is that they want something, doesn't matter what it is. I think that drive is what makes your content so compelling, honestly.

It's pretty remarkable that you got me to spend two hours without a break watching a video about a punishingly hard old game I've never played. I'll definitely check out Pathologic 2.

Sheepless

...what kind of videos do you think Hbomb makes??? Why would he do that???

Wrought

Incredible work, hbomb! Really fantastic stuff all around. P2 probably isn't for me but I might buy it anyway. Will you sometime stream one of these games? Or would that take away from the quiet contemplation of walking.

I am sorry to say that I am also one of those people who listen more than watch... but in my defense, I do watch a lot of your videos while at work...

Hopefully this video will get enough people to buy P2 and fund the other characters

Great vid Hbomb. I watched this nonstop despite telling myself I'd probably take a break and never having heard of the game before. I love your take on games which explore and dwell on 'difficult' emotions.. Before seeing your videos I hadn't really understood this was possible with games in the same way it I felt was a given with other forms of art. So thankyou!

Great stuff as usual. I particularly appreciate the Bomberman Hero background tracks. The ones you used seem to blend well with the Pathologic tracks you highlighted. Guess I'll need to pick up Pathologic 2 sometime in the future.

William Heathcote

Really great Video as always, only one minor criticism, when you are talking about the game acknowledging that you can't go back on the dialogue, it took me like 20 second of searching the screen before i saw what you're talking about.

Possum Laura

"Well , time for bed. What's this, a new hbomb video? Great, I'll let that play on my phone as I drift off." "I put a lot of effort into my visuals. No, it's fine." 0.0 Look, I watched it properly on a big screen the following day, ok? It was really good! Leave me alone!

Gosh, please do one on that dumb anime Darling in the Franxx. It's such an incredibly heteronormative, uninteresting, cowardly trainwreck of a show.

Nalte

I'm assuming there's a reason for all the slowed down Bomberman Hero music. I'm assuming that if I think about what that reason may be for long enough, I'd be able to to tie it in with something you said about the music in Pathologic*. However, I genuinely don't want to know what that reason was. I love the glorious randomness of it, and I don't want you to change it. But I realize that my reasoning is incredibly selfish. So if it must change, then I'll live. But there have been worse justifications for worse creative choices than "Fuck you, it's the Bomberman Hero music.". *Unless I'm overthinking it and it's some sort of play on "hbomberguy," in which case... respect.

Uncle Jam

Well, I must certainly say that you are absolutely right within the first few minutes of the game though according to steam you hardly needed anyone to see this. On day one I got to Isidor’s patron and then the pyre outside and I just could not take it anymore and turned it off. I was really enjoying it but I couldn’t force myself to play it

Arthur Freyn

Well crap. That's some games i need to check out.

RaptorShadow

Hbomb I'm sorry but I'm one of the people that usually listens to your vids instead of watching them. I need stuff to listen to at work don't judge me!!!

Melody Williamson

10/10 video.

Good work, this. Here, have a wall of text as a token of my appreciation: "Oh, this reminds me of the Russian movie 'Hard to Be a God'*, but as an interactive experience. I'm never going to subject myself to this", I thought, somewhere during the first 40 minutes. *a good, slow, gray and bleak Russian film. Highly recommended, if you're into that kinda stuff. I have to admit that Pathologic seems to be so very not my thing that I got stressed just by you describing the mechanics. When the stress wore of, my attention faltered, I didn't pause to read every little bit of text flashing by like I usually do, and it suddenly struck me that you were giving a summary of the plot and only sparingly pointing out the genius. And then you got towards the end of the video (with the twists and the Changelings story). And then the thought struck me that maybe there's a point to this form of presentation from you. Aha! You're doing a internet reviewer gimmick-shtick! The kind were the reviewee replicate whatever theme the thing you are reviewing does (namely reactions of stress and tedium in this case, sparingly punctuated by a much needed joke or interesting observation), all through the medium of an enthusiastically long video essay! Then I got to the absolute last part of the video, and... well... whatever I thought before (and just wrote, above) was probably wrong, and the fault is with me, staying up way too late in the early morning to watch this, groggy with lack of sleep. So, that's my initial response. As for actual criticism, I don't have any. I mean, you managed to hold my interest for two straight hours, without me taking a single break. I had planned to go eat something before watching this, but didn't. The video was too engaging to pause, and I wasn't even entertained the whole time! This is why I am a patron: your takes on pop culture and media is intriguing and entertaining. And really, really captivating, in this case. Finally: [After a quick look at GOG.com:] Shit, the listed PC requirements for Pathologic 2 is quite steep. Regarding suggestions for the poll: It almost feels too indulgent to ask for a video on Bloodlines 1 after this (couldn't help but notice some thematic and mechanical similarities, even before you made explicit references to VtMB1), but since you had that cheeky teasing at 28.29, it feels like you want to do that video sooner rather than later [unless you're referencing something else, which boy howdy sure would make me look like an overconfident fool right now]. And hey, Hbomb responding to and directly discussing a piece of superb criticism from Noah Gervais is really enticing (as well as talking about a game that this one loves, despite all it's shortcomings and flaws) :D So, suggestions for the next video: -Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines 1 -Mass Effect -Deus Ex Human Revolution -Supersize Me/Diet Science (can't remember the exact premise, or where you first mentioned it, and I'm too tired to look it up right now, sorry)

Ruben Rydell-Sandgren

Quote at 40:57 is from La Rochefoucauld's Maxims, number 64.So yes, a philosopher did say it :P

Great video, I've only played some of Pathologic 2 but so much about the way these games operate is infinitely interesting and it really does evoke this raw dread through action and inaction in-game. It's the best thing ever and I can't convince anyone else to engage with it so I'll just have to show them this vid when it gets released I guess.

Boniplatypus

this was incredibly good and made waking up at 5:30 am for no reason suddenly very much worth it

Sunny

Interesting video, you might want to add some highlights to scenes with a lot of dialogue on screen so as to direct attention to which part particularly we're supposed to be looking at. The denseness of the games' writing is a bit difficult to parse properly in a short period of time, so there were a couple times where I was scanning really quickly to try to understand what bit of text you were specifically discussing at that moment, and other times where I missed it or had to pause and read the entire page. It's not video breaking, to be sure, but if you're into making QoL changes that's one I'd throw out there.

Huge fan of patho 1 and 2 here, this was an incredible video. Wonderful job on the structure and pacing of it too, must not have been easy trying to figure out where to talk about everything considering there was so much to talk about.

ArcticMetal

You are literally like, the best human.

The Worm's Hole

Ah, a fellow Bloodlines 1 player :D

Ruben Rydell-Sandgren

Great work, I really enjoyed this! Serious question: is that really how the British pronounce 'inventory' and if so, what the fuck?

I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say the other jumpscare was from Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines during a stealth mission I'm not going to spoil for anyone who hasn't played it. Either way, good video Hbomb! Pathologic is one of the most thought-provoking games I have ever played and I'm glad you made a video about it.

Nick V.

absolutely loved this video- thanks hbomb this is some of your finest work. absolutely excited to share once the full release comes out and honored to be a patron

"If you've been pausing to read the text for some reason"...I feel seen

Dylan Nugent

Just finished. I’d never heard of this game but the passion you have for it really comes through. Amazing work. I’m going to check out the sequel even though I feel like it’s going to freak me out!

~20 mins in and it's great so far! Glad to see you Making Content™ again. . . . . Hbomb I beg of you please do a Prequel defense video. I will give you more money. I will give you a thousand dollars. I will bankroll it myself. I will be your weird Star Wars version of a sugar daddy, which is to say much like a regular sugar daddy except maybe my eyes are coming out of little head tentacles.

Alex Scranton

I need to get up in 6 hours - why are you so cruel? D:

SkaveRat

I was already with you at "Pathologic is Genius", and I am interested to see how you lay it all out.

Eben Sullivan

Hell YES thank you for this bountiful gift

Just started watching it it's 2 hours and I am super excited

It’s 11:00 at night Harry, I have school tomorrow. You can’t do this to me man.

I haven't watched it but it's Harry so it's the best video ever.

Fairweather