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* ArrangedMarriage: [[spoiler: Is promised for Capella and Khan, who are from Kain and Olgimskiy families respectively.]]
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* CharacterDevelopment: UpToEleven with EVERY. SINGLE. CHARACTER. Even the bystanders have impressivly realistic and interesting personalities.
** DevelopingDoomedCharacters: Well, they are not exactly doomed - their fate depends on your actions.
* AChildShallLeadThem: [[spoiler: If you choose Haruspex's ending, his Adherents - the town's children will be the future of the city.]]
** DevelopingDoomedCharacters: Well, they are not exactly doomed - their fate depends on your actions.
* AChildShallLeadThem: [[spoiler: If you choose Haruspex's ending, his Adherents - the town's children will be the future of the city.]]
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* CombatMedic: All three main characters can use painkillers and bandages to heal themselves and other characters. Artemiy can also dissect corpses and make drugs from tvirinum and organs.
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* FantasticDrug: Tvirinum.
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* GRatedDrug: Averted with many characters using morphine, and some are explicitly hooked on it.
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* HellBentForLeather: Dankovski's leather gloves and snake-leaher coat. He is even called in-game by some as "That dandy from the capital."
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** This is a very difficult case, because Bachelor's party stand for beauty, art and utopic ideas, while Haruspex's supporters stand for prosperity and simple happiness of life.
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* SiblingYinYang: Andrei Stamatin and Pyotr Stamatin - the former is cheerful, extraverted and prone to violence, and the latter is drug-addicted, shy, introverted and sad.
** [[spoiler: Nina Kain and Aglaya Lilich. Nina was psychotic, passionate and highly emotional, while Aglaya is cold-blooded and efficent. They both, however, are ruthless, highly intelligent and charismatic.]]
** [[spoiler: Nina Kain and Aglaya Lilich. Nina was psychotic, passionate and highly emotional, while Aglaya is cold-blooded and efficent. They both, however, are ruthless, highly intelligent and charismatic.]]
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Misuse - does Bachlor of medicine mean he\'s a general doctor, or a surgeon? Should really explain \"Bachelor of Medicine\" first.
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* NotThatKindOfDoctor: A rather bizarre variation, in that the Bachelor is referred to as a doctor, despite the fact that he's... well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a Bachelor Of Medicine]]...
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* NotThatKindOfDoctor: A rather bizarre variation, in that the Bachelor is referred to as a doctor, despite the fact that he's... well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a Bachelor Of Medicine]]...Medicine...
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* StrangeGirl: Laska, the keeper of the cemetery who communicates with the city's dead, singing to them and bringing offerings to their tombs.
** Ospina, a girl from the steppes who calls herself an evil spirit and keeps creepy dolls lying around her house.
** Ospina, a girl from the steppes who calls herself an evil spirit and keeps creepy dolls lying around her house.
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* WaifProphet / MysteriousWaif / StrangeGirl: Klara, the Devotress.
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* WaifProphet / MysteriousWaif / StrangeGirl: MysteriousWaif: Klara, the Devotress.
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* EnsembleDarkhorse: It's said that Dankoski was a head of the crew of The Thanatica Laboratory, whose goal was actually cheating Death, and the Laboratory was closed by The Authorities and Professor Tehlmann. Despite having so little information, Thanatica is a frequent object of fanart and WMG.
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Hottip cleanup
; see thread for details.
; see thread for details.Changed line(s) 169 (click to see context) from:
* OneStatToRuleThemAll: 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.[[hottip:*: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.]]
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* OneStatToRuleThemAll: 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.[[hottip:*:Among [[note]]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.]][[/note]]
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* SlasherSmile: Several characters find Bachelor's smile unnerving.
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* GambitPileup: Every character has his\her own agenda, secrets and plans. UpToEleven in Bachelor scenario, who has to deal with endless political schemings of ruling families more than other two protagonists.
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** Also, Dankovski, outside of the city, is condemned and persecuted for his unethical experiments by authorities, press and his personal enemies among other scientists.
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* AloofDarkHairedGirl: Maria Kain, resident haughty, cold and aloof FemmeFatale.
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* AdamSmithHatesYourGuts: 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.
** Also inverted on occasion, where prices will sometimes ''decrease'' on the next day. Increases are far more common, though.
** Also inverted on occasion, where prices will sometimes ''decrease'' on the next day. Increases are far more common, though.
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* AdamSmithHatesYourGuts: 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.
**well. Also inverted on occasion, where prices will sometimes ''decrease'' on the next day. Increases are far more common, though.
**
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* AnachronismStew / CultureChopSuey: The world of the game bears resemblance to a typical Siberian outpost city of TsaristRussia, circa the WorldWarOne period. But there are several much more modern elements present, especially in terms of clothing and medicine. Not to mention the many LowFantasy elements, the [[MagicRealism strange]], [[PurelyAestheticEra timeless atmosphere]] and the fact that [[AerithAndBob about a third of the characters have decidedly non-Russian names]]. Essentialy, the setting itself is as enigmatic as the cause of the disease and the [[{{Backstory}} backstories]] of the various characters.
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* AnachronismStew / CultureChopSuey: The world of the game bears resemblance to a [[SettlingTheFrontier typical Siberian outpost city city]] of TsaristRussia, circa the WorldWarOne period. But there are several much more modern elements present, especially in terms of clothing and medicine. Not to mention the many LowFantasy elements, the [[MagicRealism strange]], [[PurelyAestheticEra timeless atmosphere]] and the fact that [[AerithAndBob about a third of the characters have decidedly non-Russian names]]. Essentialy, the setting itself is as enigmatic as the cause of the disease and the [[{{Backstory}} backstories]] of the various characters.
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* CentralTheme: Sickness and decay -- both in the physical and metaphysical sense -- are the most obvious ones, though the theme of sacrifice -- that everything comes at a price -- is also important.
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* CentralTheme: Sickness and decay -- decay, both in the physical and metaphysical sense -- sense, are the most obvious ones, though ones. Though the theme of sacrifice -- - that everything comes at a price -- - is also important.
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* EnsembleDarkhorse: It's said that Dankoski was a head of the crew of The Thanatica Laboratory, whose goal was actually cheating Death, and the Laboratory was closed by The Authorities and Proffessor Tehlmann. Despite having so little information, Thanatica is a frequent object of fanart and WMG.
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* EnsembleDarkhorse: It's said that Dankoski was a head of the crew of The Thanatica Laboratory, whose goal was actually cheating Death, and the Laboratory was closed by The Authorities and Proffessor Professor Tehlmann. Despite having so little information, Thanatica is a frequent object of fanart and WMG.
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* ArchEnemy: Professor Tehlmann, mentioned in the letter in the first day of Dankovski's scenario, who is a biiter enemy of Dankovski and his laboratory "Thanatica".
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* EnsembleDarkhorse: It's said that Dankoski was a head of the crew of The Thanatica Laboratory, whose goal was actually cheating Death, and the Laboratory was closed by The Authorities and Proffessor Tehlmann. Despite having so little information, Thanatica is a frequent object of fanart and WMG.
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* OffstageVillainy: Anna Angel is rumored to be a former member of "Diamond Ace Caravan", an infamous gang of murderers and child kidnappers which was executed a few years before game. It's also heavily implied that she murdered the girl who gave her a shelter.
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* FightingForSurvival: Pretty much everyone once the plague hits, to varying degrees. Each of the three playable characters can't actually save the whole town, but they can work on ensuring that at least a small part of the population - including a supposedly important group of the local children - will survive the epidemic. The game has been often described by the devs as a kind of "simulator of survival in a society collapsing from disaster".
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* PaleSkinnedBrunette: Maria Kain, Katerina Saburov and deaceased Nina Kain.
* OfficerAndAGentleman: Alexander "General Ash" Block.
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* XMeetsY: It's as if the works of [[TheMasterAndMargarita Mikhail Bulgakov]], Creator/FranzKafka, Hieronymus Bosch and ChinaMieville were thrown into a single pot and cooked thoroughly into a delicious MindScrew horror soup.
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* XMeetsY: It's as if the works of [[TheMasterAndMargarita Mikhail Bulgakov]], Creator/FranzKafka, some works of GermanExpressionism Hieronymus Bosch and ChinaMieville were thrown into a single pot and cooked thoroughly into a delicious MindScrew horror soup.
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* ShoutOut: The original Russian title of the game is ''More. Utopia'' (''Мор. Утопия''), being a reference to the most famous work by Thomas More.
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The third storyline is that of Klara, the Devotress, the young woman who many believe is either a messiah, or a demon. She is able to either heal a person or utterly kill them with a gesture of her hands.
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The third storyline is that of Klara, the Devotress, the young woman who many believe is either a messiah, or a demon. She is able to either heal a person or utterly kill destroy them with a gesture of her hands.
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Tall Dark And Bishoujo has been renamed to Aloof Darkhaired Girl. Examples having no context or just appearance will be removed. Do not add them back without suitable context
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* TallDarkAndBishoujo: Maria.
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* PlagueDoctor: Characters reminiscent of plague doctors pop up as the decease spreads throughout the town.
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* DarkerAndEdgier: One review called Pathologic "''[[TheElderScrolls Oblivion]] with cancer, in a good way.''"
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* DarkerAndEdgier: One review called Pathologic "''[[TheElderScrolls "''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]] with cancer, in a good way.''"
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rename
* FromBadToWorse: The infection. And the Executioners are harbringers of this. If you see one, be prepared for some very bad news.
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* ItGotWorse: The infection. And the Executioners are harbringers of this. If you see one, be prepared for some very bad news.
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* MetaGuy: The Executioner and Tragedian are "stage hands". Although, despite this claim, they are surprisingly participant in the main story, usually heralding ItGotWorse. It's likely that this is another layer of MindScrew.
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* MetaGuy: The Executioner and Tragedian are "stage hands". Although, despite this claim, they are surprisingly participant in the main story, usually heralding ItGotWorse.a herald of things going FromBadToWorse. It's likely that this is another layer of MindScrew.
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* NightmareFuelStationAttendant: You will learn to fear the Executioners. Whenever you see them...it's a ''[[ItGotWorse bad sign]]''.
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* NightmareFuelStationAttendant: You will learn to fear the Executioners. Whenever you see them...it's a ''[[ItGotWorse ''[[FromBadToWorse bad sign]]''.
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* ThePlague: A visible cloud of disease that will actively chase you. ''[[ItGotWorse Or a cloud of disease that sometimes appears as a red angel.]]''
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* ThePlague: A visible cloud of disease that will actively chase you. ''[[ItGotWorse ''[[FromBadToWorse Or a cloud of disease that sometimes appears as a red angel.]]''
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* WhamEpisode: Day 6 in the Bachelor's scenario. Up until that point, things have actually been going surprisingly well -- you've managed to set up a hospital and isolation ward, and your fellow scientist Rubin has even managed to isolate a vaccine (albeit at [[ShootTheDog a cost]]). But then [[ItGotWorse everything starts going to pieces]].
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* WhamEpisode: Day 6 in the Bachelor's scenario. Up until that point, things have actually been going surprisingly well -- you've managed to set up a hospital and isolation ward, and your fellow scientist Rubin has even managed to isolate a vaccine (albeit at [[ShootTheDog a cost]]). But then [[ItGotWorse [[FromBadToWorse everything starts going to pieces]].
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* XMeetsY: It's as if the works of [[TheMasterAndMargarita Mikhail Bulgakov]], FranzKafka, Hieronymus Bosch and ChinaMieville were thrown into a single pot and cooked thoroughly into a delicious MindScrew horror soup.
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* XMeetsY: It's as if the works of [[TheMasterAndMargarita Mikhail Bulgakov]], FranzKafka, Creator/FranzKafka, Hieronymus Bosch and ChinaMieville were thrown into a single pot and cooked thoroughly into a delicious MindScrew horror soup.
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A blonde and a brunette - the similarities with the trope end here. The \"love interest\" angle is barely hinted at, and none of them ends up with the PC. I don\'t think we\'re dealing with this trope here.
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* BettyAndVeronica: Eve and Maria in Dankovski's scenario. Subverted, because Maria is only possibly in love with Dankovski. Also, [[spoiler:Eve commits suicide midway through the game]].
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* [[spoiler: GaiasVengeance]]: [[spoiler:The infection is spreading because the ''earth'' is sick.]]
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* [[spoiler: GaiasVengeance]]: [[spoiler:The infection is spreading because the ''earth'' is sick.]]
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Gah, wrong syntax, sorry...
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* BossInMookClothing: The [[spoiler:rebel soldiers]]. They're the only enemies in the game who use firearms -- and, unlike in most video games, they're [[OneHitKill just as deadly]] as in RealLife. Fortunately, they only appear in a select few quests towards the end, but when they do, they appear in droves, requiring /extremely/ careful or quick sniping to dispatch.
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* BossInMookClothing: The [[spoiler:rebel soldiers]]. They're the only enemies in the game who use firearms -- and, unlike in most video games, they're [[OneHitKill just as deadly]] as in RealLife. Fortunately, they only appear in a select few quests towards the end, but when they do, they appear in droves, requiring /extremely/ ''extremely'' careful or quick sniping to dispatch.
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* BossInMookClothing: The [[spoiler:rebel soldiers]]. They're the only enemies in the game who use firearms -- and, unlike in most video games, they're [[OneHitKill just as deadly]] as in RealLife. Fortunately, they only appear in a select few quests towards the end, but when they do, they appear in droves, requiring /extremely/ careful or quick sniping to dispatch.
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->''"Only those who would give their life for you will die because of you."''
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* DeusExMachina: Some see [[spoiler:the Devotress' ending]] as this, since [[spoiler:Klara describes it as a perfect solution, preserving both the Polyhedron and the town, seemingly nullifying the importance of the other options, which have to sacrifice one]]. However, this is subverted once [[spoiler:you actually play the Devotress' scenario, and discover that her solution isn't as perfect as it first appears]].
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* DeusExMachina: Some see [[spoiler:the Devotress' ending]] as this, since [[spoiler:Klara [[spoiler:Klara]] describes it as a perfect solution, preserving both the Polyhedron [[spoiler:the Polyhedron]] and the town, [[spoiler:the town]], seemingly nullifying the importance of the other options, which have to sacrifice [[spoiler:sacrifice one]]. However, this is subverted once [[spoiler:you actually play the Devotress' scenario, and discover that her solution [[PoweredByAForsakenChild isn't as perfect as it first appears]].appears]]]].
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* DiscOneNuke: It's possible to get a revolver and a decent amount of bullets on the first day in both the Bachelor's and Haruspicius' scenarios. Though the revolver isn't the greatest weapon, it'll allow you to survive encounters with relative ease, and you won't get any more guns until day 3 or 4.
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* DiscOneNuke: It's possible to get a revolver gun and a decent amount of bullets on the first day in both the Bachelor's and Haruspicius' scenarios. Though the revolver isn't the greatest weapon, it'll allow This will go a long way towards helping you to survive encounters with relative ease, and you won't get any more guns until day 3 or 4.
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* DeusExMachina: Some see [[spoiler:the Devotress' ending]] as this, since [[spoiler:Klara describes it as a perfect solution, preserving both the Polyhedron and the town, seemingly nullifying the importance of the other options, which have to sacrifice one]]. However, this is subverted once [[spoiler:you actually play the Devotress' scenario, and discover that her solution isn't as perfect as it first appears]].
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:All of Klara's Adherents, if you choose her ending.]]
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* RealIsBrown: The whole town. Possibly justified, as it's in the middle of a steppe and is thus covered in sand and mud all the time.
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* RealIsBrown: The whole town. Possibly justified, as it's in the middle of a steppe (and in the middle of autumn), and is thus covered in sand and mud all the time.
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* ProductionForeshadowing: "After I lay my hands onto you, you’ll have gold, silver and cobalt running through your veins." [[VideoGame/{{Turgor}} Huh.]]
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* SecretCharacter: The Devotress...kind of. She's clearly displayed on the character selection screen, but [[UnlockableContent can only be played if you've completed one of the other two scenarios]].
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* SecretCharacter: The Devotress...kind of. She's clearly displayed on the character selection screen, but [[UnlockableContent can only be played if you've completed one of the other two scenarios]]. She is also played up as the most mysterious of the three healers in the other two scenarios.
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* SoulJar: [[spoiler:Appears to be the primary purpose of the Polyhedron, though that's not all it can do.]]
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[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pathologic_game_cover_5522.jpg]]
->''"Only those who would give their life for you will die because of you."''
A 2005 game, the debut of the small Russian indie game developer Ice-pick Lodge. As for its genre... [[GenreBusting ummm]]...
''Pathologic'' is set in a town in the middle of nowhere, and infected by a strange disease. The game follows the story of three people, healers, who have all come to the town for their own reasons, and have drastically different methods. However, just as you arrive, an epidemic starts, and the town is quarantined. At that point, the game puts you in control and gives you 12 in-game days to do quests and protect yourself and others from the disease, by some very dubious methods.
The first storyline is that of a Bachelor of Medicine, Daniel Dankovski, who has been asked to come to the town to scientifically establish that one of the residents is over two hundred years old. However, the man dies as soon as you arrive.
The second storyline is that of a Haruspex, Artemii Burakh, (pronounced 'Artemiy Boorahk'). He is the son of a resident who has just died, and he wants to take his father's place. However, the people's opinion is that he killed his father, so you always have to be on the run from angry mobs.
The third storyline is that of Klara, the Devotress, the young woman who many believe is either a messiah, or a demon. She is able to either heal a person or utterly kill them with a gesture of her hands.
There are three main families in the game, all in some way fighting against each other for the control of the town. Other than them, there are [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters loads and loads of other characters]], all somehow related to the story.
The game received many good reviews praising its atmosphere. Sadly, the English translation was [[BlindIdiotTranslation absolutely incomprehensible]] at times, which, coupled with the developer being practically unknown outside Russia, resulted in rather bad sales. (Though retranslation projects have been planned, none were ever finished.) Also note that this is not a game for everyone. As with many SurvivalHorror games, ''Pathologic'' has no parts that can really be considered conventionally "fun". From a technical standpoint, it didn't age well, and there's a lot to take in. It is, however, a very powerful, emotionally draining experience, and not to be missed.
----
!!This game provides examples of:
* AcceptableBreaksFromReality: The game notably averts most of these. Many of the gameplay mechanics are surprisingly realistic - the InUniverseGameClock is a [[TimedMission 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 StupidEvil and reducing your KarmaMeter will get you killed, etc. This may be one of the many reasons why the game is [[NintendoHard maddeningly difficult]] and no part of it is described as "fun", even by fans.
* AdamSmithHatesYourGuts: 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.
** Also inverted on occasion, where prices will sometimes ''decrease'' on the next day. Increases are far more common, though.
** KarlMarxHatesYourGuts: All shopkeepers except Gryph and the barkeep for Stamatin's pub have the exact same prices for their wares, and ''your'' items will always sell for half the price it takes to buy them.
* AlienGeometries: The bizarre Polyhedron at the edge of the city.
* AnachronismStew / CultureChopSuey: The world of the game bears resemblance to a typical Siberian outpost city of TsaristRussia, circa the WorldWarOne period. But there are several much more modern elements present, especially in terms of clothing and medicine. Not to mention the many LowFantasy elements, the [[MagicRealism strange]], [[PurelyAestheticEra timeless atmosphere]] and the fact that [[AerithAndBob about a third of the characters have decidedly non-Russian names]]. Essentialy, the setting itself is as enigmatic as the cause of the disease and the [[{{Backstory}} backstories]] of the various characters.
* AnotherSideAnotherStory: All three main characters have their own agenda.
* AntiHero: Most characters, including the playable ones. Particularly the Haruspex, though, who even starts out with [[HeroWithBadPublicity critically low Reputation]].
* AnyoneCanDie: In this case, Anyone Could Die based on your actions.
** Though, more specifically, only the characters who would "give their life to you" will "die because of you".
* BackStab: Doing this with any melee weapon (any ''actual'' weapon, that is, not your fists) will result in a OneHitKill. Just hitting the person's back isn't good enough, though; you need to hit a ''very'' tiny area located around the base of the neck.
* BadassLongcoat: Dankovski. Also, damn near everybody who wears a longcoat.
* [[spoiler:BeautifulVoid]]: [[spoiler:Day 12.]]
* BettyAndVeronica: Eve and Maria in Dankovski's scenario. Subverted, because Maria is only possibly in love with Dankovski. Also, [[spoiler:Eve commits suicide midway through the game]].
* BigFreakingGun: [[spoiler:The army's cannons used in the ending scenes are ''fucking giant''. And they're mounted on railroad tracks!]]
* BlindIdiotTranslation: ZigZagged -- the English language translation is very spotty. At times, it's a train wreck, at other times it's decent, and every now and then the incomprehensibility will actually add to the atmosphere. However, it can make it hard to know what to do. (The worst errors are in Day 3 and Day 6 in the Bachelor's scenario, as well as a letter on Day 12.)
* BoomHeadshot: It's usually a OneHitKill. Try to get the hang of it, since anything that conserves ammo (see below) is a very useful technique.
* BossBattle: Exactly one, and it isn't even necessary to progress the plot -- [[spoiler:Oyun]] in the Haruspicius' scenario, if you discover that [[spoiler:he killed Artemiy's father]].
** Arguably, there's also [[spoiler:the hunchback and [[FlunkyBoss his squad of arsonists]]]] in the Bachelor's scenario, though he isn't much tougher than a regular enemy. And again, it's [[BonusBoss optional]].
* BottomlessMagazines: [[AvertedTrope Forget it]]. Ammo is scarce.
* BreakableWeapons: All weapons have 'durability' scores that go down when you use them. Though weapons can still be used even at 0% durability, the game averts CriticalExistenceFailure; melee weapons will dull and deal less damage, and ranged weapons will become less accurate. Fortunately, you can repair weapons for a modest sum by talking to a certain type of {{NPC}}.
** Equipment also has a durability score that goes down the longer it's worn, though it seems to play CriticalExistenceFailure straight.
* TheCaligula: Nina Kain, deceased mother of Maria, often acted this way, though she still was beloved and respected by the Town's people.
* CentralTheme: Sickness and decay -- both in the physical and metaphysical sense -- are the most obvious ones, though the theme of sacrifice -- that everything comes at a price -- is also important.
** The former is present throughout much of the gameplay: Despite being healers, the three playable characters have to cause a lot of death, and their morals (and general well-being) decay along with those of the towns' inhabitants.
** The latter is especially prevalent in [[spoiler:the MultipleEndings -- there is no truly "perfect" or "good" ending. All three of them are a tradeoff that require the sacrifice of one thing to save another.]]
* ChangingClothesIsAFreeAction: Although the inventory menu is the only one to avert MenuTimeLockout, your character still puts on/removes clothing instantaneously. Yes, even a ''plague mask''.
* ChildrenAreInnocent: [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] [[{{Deconstruction}} to hell and back...]]
* CityOfWeirdos: ''Oh, yes...''
* CityWithNoName
** IAmNotShazam: Some reviewers refered to the city as "Ancient Steppe". While this title is mentioned a couple of times [[AllThereInTheManual in the manual fluff]], the Ancient Steppe is simply the name of the surrounding steppe region. [[BuffySpeak Cause... you know...]] [[CaptainObvious it's a steppe.]]
* CloserToEarth: Compared to [[JudgeJuryAndExecutioner what we]] [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans hear of]] [[AllCrimesAreEqual the other Inquisitors]], [[spoiler:Aglaja]], the only female Inquisitor we know of, is extremely fair, kind, and reasonable. (Only ''relatively'', though -- she's still quite terrifying in her own right.)
** The [[RuleOfThree trio]] of "aristocratic women" (Lara, Julia, and Anna) are also portrayed as much more level-headed and trustworthy than the actual ruling families, who are primarily male.
* CosmicHorrorStory: Of a rather unusual kind, but it still shows.
* CosmicPlaything: [[FridgeHorror Everyone]], including the player character.
* CreepyChild: Laska.
** Ospina, too.
* CriticalExistenceFailure: Limping around and heavily bleeding from innumerable bruises and cuts? No problem -- you'll still be able to walk, aim, and fight exactly as well as when you're at 100% health. This wouldn't normally be that notable if it wasn't for the game's otherwise [[AcceptableBreaksFromReality strict adherence]] [[AvertedTrope to realism]].
** Somewhat averted with the exhaustion and hunger meters: though you won't feel any adverse effects from them until they reach 100%, once they do, your health will begin to drop instead.
** Completely averted with the infection meter, though: the higher it gets, the faster it'll rise, the quicker you'll lose health, and the more disorienting the InterfaceScrew will be every subsequent time you're infected.
** Averted with [[BreakableWeapons weapon durability]]. Melee weapons will get weaker with less durability, and ranged weapons will become less accurate.
* CutsceneIncompetence: 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 PlayerCharacter into a pulp while you watch helplessly.
* CutscenePowerToTheMax: 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 LifeMeter is at critical levels.
* DarkerAndEdgier: One review called Pathologic "''[[TheElderScrolls Oblivion]] with cancer, in a good way.''"
* DarkWorld / GeniusLoci / WorldGoneMad: The entire game...
* DaylightHorror: Absolutely. Could very well be the best example of this trope when it comes to video games.
* DialogueTree
* DieselPunk: The town's architecture, aesthetics and level of technology evoke this, [[UsedFuture in a very dreary fashion]].
* DiscOneNuke: It's possible to get a revolver and a decent amount of bullets on the first day in both the Bachelor's and Haruspicius' scenarios. Though the revolver isn't the greatest weapon, it'll allow you to survive encounters with relative ease, and you won't get any more guns until day 3 or 4.
** In the Bachelor's scenario, one reward for a sidequest on day 4 is a repellent cape, one of the best pieces of equipment in the game. Normally, the cape doesn't appear in shops for ''three more days''.
* DownerEnding: If you refuse to make a decision on the final day, or fail to complete the game properly, you get treated to [[spoiler:a horrific montage of the town overcome by the plague, right before the army comes and destroys everything]].
* EldritchLocation: ''A lot of them.'' But the "[[BedlamHouse Apiary]]", the [[AlienGeometries Polyhedron]], and the town's gigantic Abbatoir take the cake...
* EmpathicHealer: How the Devotress' HealingHands work.
* FanTranslation: One that tries to fix the BlindIdiotTranslation, [[http://ice-pick.com/translate/forum/index.php here.]] (One of the developers is even part of the project!) It's been "in progress" for [[DevelopmentHell half a decade]], though. Don't count on it being finished any time soon.
* FemmeFatale: Maria Kain.
* FindTheCure: Either that or you could at least try to hinder the spreading of the disease (and despair) among the surviving people.
* [[spoiler: GaiasVengeance]]: [[spoiler:The infection is spreading because the ''earth'' is sick.]]
* FireBreathingWeapon: 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... ''[[ItsTheOnlyWayToBeSure guess what they intend to use the flamethrowers for...]]''
* FiringOneHanded: Every weapon except the rifle. Yes, even the SawedOffShotgun.
* FragileSpeedster: 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: GainaxEnding]]
* GatelessGhetto: Avoided. Most of the houses can be broken into. All you need is a lockpick...
* GeniusBruiser: Artemiy.
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: "But I need the dead tissues not [[ILoveTheDead for entertainment]], but for struggle against the illness!"
* GlassCannon: The arsonist enemies. Their firebombs can deal high amounts of continuous damage, and have long range, but they have just as much health as regular townspeople, meaning they can be killed with a single rifle shot.
* GoldenEnding: [[spoiler: Sort of. If you manage to save everybody's adherents during a playthrough, at the end sequence you get to choose between the three endings listed below. ''[[NintendoHard Doing this is very hard]]''. Also, you get some extra Fourth Wall Breaking scenes from the theater too.]]
* GoodOldFisticuffs: Your basic weapon. Nothing special though. More of an EmergencyWeapon at best...
* GreyAndGrayMorality: The line between good and evil can get chillingly thin in this game.
* GuideDangIt: A lot of sections, especially the effects of items -- only a few actually have helpful descriptions, and there's little way to tell which foods are most efficient (bread and smoked meat, by the way). Fortunately, there ''is'' an [[http://www.pathologic-game.com/path_walkthrough_eng.pdf official guide]] that is very helpful.
** There is a specific example that the walkthrough doesn't help with due to a wonky translation -- in day 7 of the Bachelor's scenario, there's a sidequest that involves [[spoiler:collecting the mask and overall of an Executioner]]. However, there's a very narrow window of time for it to actually trigger -- you need to talk to Mark Immortal after performing the penultimate step of the day quest, but before actually completing it. Semi-justified, since the sidequest relates to the day quest, but it's still bothersome that the game doesn't tell you this anywhere.
*** Even more specifically (also due to translation weirdness), there's one that's a GuideDangIt within ''the official guide itself''! In the section describing the aforementioned quest, the guide mentions that [[spoiler:the overall]] is in [[spoiler:a "pit" that's "opposite of the cemetery"]]. These are pretty confusing directions -- what it's actually referring to is [[spoiler:a small, rectangular morgue that's on the other side of the train tracks, across from the cemetery]].
* HarmfulHealing: The childrens' powder is one of the very few ways to [[spoiler:reduce your infection level]], but it takes ''a lot'' of health (around 90%). Considering what it's made of, it's a miracle it can even heal.
** There's "harmful buffing" as well, of sorts - many medicines that boost your immunity have an adverse effect on your health and exhaustion as well, though not nearly to the extent of the powder.
** 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...
* HaveANiceDeath: 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.
* HealingFactor: 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 [[HarmfulHealing they shoot your exhaustion through the roof as well]].
* HealThyself: 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.
* HealingHands: The [[SquishyWizard Devotress']] hands, apparently. Also a subversion, since she can [[LittleMissBadass incapacitate or even kill]] with them via her PsychicPowers.
* HeroWithBadPublicity: 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 CityGuards, who will hunt him down at first sight.
* HobbesWasRight: The overall decay of both the city and human society within is [[PsychologicalHorror downright disturbing]]. ''[[{{PlayingWithATrope}} But]]'', the more you explore and learn of the city's mysteries, it's hinted at that:
** RousseauWasRight: [[spoiler:There is [[NoAntagonist no villain in the classic sense]]. And as unpleasant as things turn out, everything is the result of [[WellIntentionedExtremist good intentions gone wrong]]. The bandits in the streets are just trying to feed their families. The arsonists are trying to rid the town of the plague. [[AntiVillain Just because they try to kill you doesn't make them evil]].]]
* ImprobableAimingSkills: Despite (presumably) never having held a gun before the game begins, the three healers become remarkably adept with their weapons as soon as they pick them up.
* InfantImmortality: [[JustifiedTrope Justified.]]
* InkSuitActor: Most of the main character {{NPC}}s have faces identical with their small photo portraits seen in the conversation menu. [[EasterEgg Some of the actors used for the photos are members of the dev team]] (e.g. Artemiy's portrait shows one of the game's writers).
* InsurmountableWaistHeightFence: Used with both fences and edges of the playing area. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] when in a dialogue, one of the playable characters randomly notes that he can't climb fences and pipes. All the more ironic since he [[GameplayAndStorySegregation does just that]] in a cutscene earlier in the game.
* InterchangeableAntimatterKeys: Subverted. You can only use lockpicks to get into locked buildings. They still inexplicably break when you use them, though.
* InterfaceScrew: [[spoiler: The map switch.]]
** If you get infected, the screen becomes blurry and zooms in and out periodically. If your infection meter is already high, the screen will also black out for a few seconds.
* InvulnerableKnuckles: Attacking unarmed suffers you no penalty, unlike when using a melee weapon, which decreases its durability. Possibly justified in the case of Daniel and Artemiy, since they wear gloves. (Klara doesn't, but she attacks using her PsychicPowers instead, so the issue is avoided.)
* ItGotWorse: The infection. And the Executioners are harbringers of this. If you see one, be prepared for some very bad news.
* JudgeJuryAndExecutioner: Played as straight as it gets with the Inquisitor. Just look at [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMJFwXt5jSc&feature=related Aglaja's introductory cutscene.]]
* JustBeforeTheEnd: [[DyingTown The town has certainly seen better days...]]
* JustifiedTutorial: Once you arrive in the city, the Executioner and Tragedian will be waiting patiently at your doorstep. If you talk to them, they will explain the various game mechanics and survival strategies via colourful metaphors (as is typical for them).
** Added points for lots of fairly funny [[LampshadeHanging lampshading]] [[ExpospeakGag in their expospeak]].
* KarmaMeter: The Reputation meter is an interesting and realistic variation on this. It's actually, for all intents and purposes, another health meter, and one of the most important ones at that. If you squander your Reputation, an already NintendoHard game will become [[UpToEleven even more difficult]], as important {{NPC}}s will refuse to help you or provide shelter, most likely resulting in your unavoidable death.
* [[spoiler:KillEmAll]]: [[spoiler:In the DownerEnding, the army destroys everything.]]
* KnifeNut: You can use a scalpel or a bigger ordinary knife as melee weapons to defend yourself (or others). Firearms are the more powerful and safer to use weapons though, since melee fights in the game are [[SpamAttack fast]] and [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown brutal]].
** Another example of this trope are the looters, who seem to be expert knife throwers. Like, ''ridiculously adept'' at it... Thankfully, you can [[DodgeTheBullet dodge the blades]] if you think and move fast enough.
* KnightInSourArmor: The PlayerCharacter (and, by extension, the player) will definitely become this by the end if you try to play morally.
** A NonPlayerCharacter example: [[spoiler:Aglaja]] has some shades of this. She [[spoiler:wants to find a way to cure the infection with minimal losses -- she doesn't want to go all-out UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans. Her morals and methods are still rather dubious, however.]]
* LetsPlay: There is one for the [[http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3033830 Bachelor]] and one for the [[http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3359432&pagenumber=1 Haruspex]] on the SomethingAwful discussion board.
** The [[http://lparchive.org/Pathologic/ Devotress]] has an archived one with a smoother translation.
** The gaming blog "Pathologistics" has two players playing both characters concurrently. The beginning is [[http://pathologistics.blogspot.ca/2011/08/day-x.html here.]]
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Every storyline character is named and is a major player in the story. The rest are just ragdolls.
* LoadsAndLoadsOfLoading: Every single time you enter/exit a building. Also, that ridiculous fog due to draw distance limitations.
** The fog isn't even good enough to hide the limitations in some areas -- you can actually ''see'' textures appearing and disappearing.
** At least the loading is quick and you won't even notice it on high-end computers.
* MagicRealism: Combined with CosmicHorrorStory. Unfortunately.
* MaliciousSlander
* [[spoiler:MeatMoss]]: Seen in the the city districts and quarters that got hit by the plague. [[MagicRealism On buildings, the paved streets...]]
* MetaGuy: The Executioner and Tragedian are "stage hands". Although, despite this claim, they are surprisingly participant in the main story, usually heralding ItGotWorse. It's likely that this is another layer of MindScrew.
** The Inquisitor Aglaja and General Blok also act like allegorical figures - [[PowersThatBe of a different sort]]...
* MenuTimeLockout: Accessing your map, diary, letters, or status screen pauses the game, and ''you will be thankful for it'', since it's one of the few AcceptableBreaksFromReality the game uses. This is '''[[AvertedTrope not]]''' the case for the inventory menu, though -- see ScrappyMechanic.
** TalkingIsAFreeAction: Time is also stopped during dialogues, which you will be even more grateful for, given how plot-heavy the game is and the [[WallOfText Walls of Text]] in most dialogues.
* MightyGlacier: Not a character, but a weapon; the rifle. It's quite powerful and ''extremely'' accurate, but can only hold one bullet at a time, meaning you'll have to sit through the (long) reload animation every time you fire it.
* MindScrew / EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory: ''Hooooo boy...''
* MoreDakka: [[AvertedTrope Nope]]. An automatic weapon would be useless due to the scarcity of ammo, anyway.
* MultipleEndings: All are [[BittersweetEnding bittersweet]], at best.
** The Bachelor: [[spoiler: Destroy the town to save the Polyhedron.]]
** 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, [[KillEmAll the military destroys everything]].]]
* NameOfCain: The Kain family.
* NeverBringAKnifeToAFistFight: 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...
* NightmareFuelStationAttendant: You will learn to fear the Executioners. Whenever you see them...it's a ''[[ItGotWorse bad sign]]''.
* NintendoHard: It's pretty easy to waste time and resources at the start of the game in a way that will totally screw you over by the endgame.
* NoAntagonist: 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.
* NominalImportance: 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, [[LampshadeHanging it's a creepy ragdoll]].
* NothingIsScarier: The plague-ridden quarters and areas of the city. [[spoiler:Some would argue that the ''whole city'' and its surroundings qualifies.]]
* NotThatKindOfDoctor: A rather bizarre variation, in that the Bachelor is referred to as a doctor, despite the fact that he's... well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a Bachelor Of Medicine]]...
* ObviousBeta / NeedsMoreLove: 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 VideoGameRemake sometime in the future that fixes these issues. Judging by [[DevelopmentHell how badly]] the FanTranslation is going, though, it probably won't happen any time soon.
* OminousLatinChanting: The main menu theme. The rest of the game features examples of ''[[ItMakesSenseInContext Ominous Steppe Nomad Chanting]]'', interspersed with haunting, predominantly [[OneWomanWail female vocals]]. They greatly add to the already gloomy atmosphere of the game.
* OneBulletClips: 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.
* OneHitKill: {{Back Stab}}s and [[BoomHeadshot headshots]] will result in these.
* OneStatToRuleThemAll: 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.[[hottip:*: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.]]
* OneSteveLimit: 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.
* OrganDrops: They're only available to the Haruspex, since [[JustifiedTrope he's the only one who knows how to]] [[{{Squick}} cut them out]].
* [[WizardNeedsFoodBadly Player Needs Food Badly]]: You need to eat and even ''sleep'' regularly, since you can die not only from infection or low health, [[TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything but from hunger and exhaustion as well]]. And if you're wondering how a person can die from starvation within only a couple days, the Tragedician who explains the game's rules at the beginning basically says [[HandWave "that's just how things are around here."]]
* [[spoiler:PoweredByAForsakenChild]]: [[spoiler:All of the healers' methods.]]
** Somewhat related, [[spoiler: the Polyhedron is kept up because of a base that goes deep into the earth. This "wound" getting infected is what causes the disease in the first place.]]
* PowersThatBe: The Authorities.
* PowerTrio: The three lead characters qualify, despite the fact that they don't work as a team at all.
** TheSpock: The Bachelor
** TheMcCoy: The Haruspex
** TheKirk: The Devotress
* PuttingOnTheReich: General Blok is quite fond of a vaguely Nazi-ish salute, though he is by no means evil.
* PsychologicalHorror / SurrealHorror
* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: The three [[UnlikelyHero main characters]]. [[DeconstructorFleet Sort of...]]
* [[RandomEffectSpell Random Effect Item]]: Twyrine. Sometimes it functions like a painkiller, sometimes it messes with your immunity, sometimes it decreases infection slightly. Mentioned in its description, where it says that many of its effects haven't been discovered yet.
* RealIsBrown: The whole town. Possibly justified, as it's in the middle of a steppe and is thus covered in sand and mud all the time.
* [[spoiler:RealityIsOutToLunch]]
* RecklessGunUsage: The reloading animation for the SawedOffShotgun shows the PlayerCharacter using the stock "flick the gun back to close it using its own weight" technique. In RealLife, this is actually a rather dangerous action that can damage the gun.
** There's also the fact that the characters insist on FiringOneHanded with everything except the rifle, despite the fact that trying that with a SawedOffShotgun (or even a [[RevolversAreJustBetter revolver]], depending on the caliber) should result in broken wrists.
* RevolversAreJustBetter: Averted. The revolver is the least accurate and second-weakest gun in the game. Its only real advantage is a (relatively) large magazine size, but MoreDakka is a horrible strategy in this game, so that's not terribly useful. (And just in case you still want to try that, its ammunition is the most expensive as well.)
* RomanticismVersusEnlightenment: The Bachelor's scenario makes a case for the Enlightenment, while the Haruspex is on the side of Romanticism.
* RuleOfThree: Three playable characters, three ruling families, three town districts, three gangs of kids... it goes on.
* SaveScumming: You'll be doing this a lot.
* ScienceHero: Dankovski.
* ScrappyMechanic: Lots.
** ''You can't run. At all. Only walk at a leisurely pace.'' Coupled with the rather brutal InUniverseGameClock, this can cause the game to range from NintendoHard 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 MenuTimeLockout). 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...
* SecretCharacter: The Devotress...kind of. She's clearly displayed on the character selection screen, but [[UnlockableContent can only be played if you've completed one of the other two scenarios]].
* ShowWithinAShow: The Theater puts on a play each night after midnight. Attending it is completely optional and has no tangible benefits, but you might [[PlotParallel learn something]] if you do.
* SlaveToPR: Your player character, quite literally. See OneStatToRuleThemAll, below; managing your reputation is ''really important'' in this game.
** Even moreso if you're playing as the Devotress, as her Reputation decreases constantly. She has a bit of an easier time recovering it than the other heroes, though, due to her HealingHands.
* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: The protagonists are mostly [[HeroWithBadPublicity hated]]. [[HumansAreBastards The people are small-minded bastards]]. Dankovski's "LoveInterest" [[spoiler:commits suicide]]. Guess which side the story's on?
** Here's a quote from [[http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2008/04/11/butchering-pathologic-part-2-the-mind/ a review]] that explains this:
--->"In a single word, Pathologic is dark. And not 'we’re going to make our sequel a darker, more adult experience' dark. Not ‘teen angst’ dark. Pathologic is an endlessly bleak game with an atmosphere that smothers all hope. It’s ‘pensioner breaking a leg in his bedsit and no one finding out until the smell starts to get unbearable’ dark."
* SnarkKnight: Artemiy, all the time.
** Daniel can be like this too, depending on which options you pick in his {{Dialogue Tree}}s.
* SniperPistol: Averted. Every weapon has an accuracy value (a random variance of how far the bullet actually hits from the crosshairs), and the revolver has the worst accuracy. If you want to snipe, you need to use the rifle, but even that's pretty unreliable at low durability. (It's also ''not'' a SniperRifle, i.e., no scope, so aiming over long distances with it can still be difficult.)
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Aglaja/Aglaya/Aglaia. Daniel/Daniil, too.
* SpiritualSuccessor: ''VideoGame/{{Turgor}}'' (a.k.a. ''Tension'' or ''The Void'').
* StandardFPSGuns: Calling Pathologic a "standard FPS" would be laughable, so many of the traits inherent to the guns don't apply, even if the game does use them.
** KnifeNut: There are two kinds, both of which have [[BreakableWeapons limited durability]], undermining their use as {{Emergency Weapon}}s. They can cause a OneHitKill if you use them to attack an ''absurdly tiny'' hitbox located around [[BackStab the back of the neck]], but due to the fact that people shift from side to side when walking, as well as the rather long delay when attacking, it's very hard to actually pull it off.
** {{Handgun}}: The derringer is roughly equivalent to the pistol in most shooters, but you can forget about ammo being plentiful.
*** RevolversAreJustBetter: The revolver actually subverts many of the standard tropes surrounding it; it's more powerful than the derringer, but still one of the weakest guns overall.
** SniperRifle: The rifle is hard to classify, actually -- while it is the most accurate weapon, it doesn't have a scope, so it's not a SniperRifle. It's not a Marksman Gun either, since it can only hold one bullet at a time.
** SawedOffShotgun: You only get it halfway through the game, though it is quite effective at killing large mobs.
* StrangeGirl: Laska, the keeper of the cemetery who communicates with the city's dead, singing to them and bringing offerings to their tombs.
** Ospina, a girl from the steppes who calls herself an evil spirit and keeps creepy dolls lying around her house.
* StupidEvil: Acting this way is one of the quickest ways to doom yourself; going on random killing sprees and [[KickTheDog kicking puppies]] will drive down your [[OneStatToRuleThemAll Reuputation]] ''fast''.
* SurvivalHorror: The most pronounced aspect of the game, at least genre-wise. And an unusual take on the genre at that: You're not fighting monsters, the darkness, etc., but an [[PsychologicalHorror abstract unnerving evil]] in the forms of ThePlague, the effects of [[SanitySlippage insanity]], [[DespairEventHorizon despair]], [[HobbesWasRight and general human senselessness]].
* TalkToEveryone
* TallDarkAndBishoujo: Maria.
* TallDarkAndSnarky: Very arguably Dankovski.
* TimedMission (plus InUniverseGameClock): Basically the entire game. All quests must be finished the day they were received. The game spans 12 days, and you know this from the very beginning.
** There is a way to modify the [[ScrappyMechanic overly speedy flow of time]] [[http://forum.ice-pick.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=4278 by a simple edit of the game's config]].
* TheClan: Three of them. The Kains, the Saburovs and the Olgimskys.
* ThePlague: A visible cloud of disease that will actively chase you. ''[[ItGotWorse Or a cloud of disease that sometimes appears as a red angel.]]''
* ThePowerOfBlood: ''And how...''
* [[TownWithADarkSecret Town Full Of Mind Screw Secrets]]
* TranslationTrainwreck: The game itself has a notoriously awful translation, but isn't ''this'' bad. The manual, on the other hand...
* TraumaInn: Averted for the most part. Though exhaustion will always decrease, you'll only recover health if you take painkillers beforehand. It can also be a double-edged sword: hunger will always increase while sleeping, as will the infection level if you're already infected.
* TrialAndErrorGameplay: Sadly, quite ''a lot'' of it if you're playing for the first time. The aforementioned ScrappyMechanic and InUniverseGameClock don't leave enough room for bigger screw-ups on part of the player.
* TwistEnding: ''And... how!'' More like a series of twist endings, to be precise. Nope, we won't dare spoil it for you. [[spoiler:Your mileage ''will'' definitely vary about whether it's more of a KarmicTwistEnding or CruelTwistEnding...]]
* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: An important theme in the game, but especially in the [[spoiler:Bachelor]]'s ending.
** The game's original Russian title - ''Pestilence: The Utopia'' - hints at this, along with a short throwaway dialogue with one of the town's UpperClassTwit {{NPC}}s.
** Also, russian word for pestilence is "Mor", making the title a ShoutOut of Thomas More and his ''Utopia''
* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: [[spoiler:In-universe, during a bonus scene in the Polyhedron, but minus the "video" aspect of "game." No, seriously.]]
* VideoGamePhysics: It's mainly used just to calculate falling damage - and it's pretty unforgiving about it too. The player characters' legs must be made of plaster to break from such short falls...
* WaifProphet / MysteriousWaif / StrangeGirl: Klara, the Devotress.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Many of the characters who look like they're going to be the BigBad turn out to have their own beliefs, morals, and reasons for their actions, turning them into this.
* WhamEpisode: Day 6 in the Bachelor's scenario. Up until that point, things have actually been going surprisingly well -- you've managed to set up a hospital and isolation ward, and your fellow scientist Rubin has even managed to isolate a vaccine (albeit at [[ShootTheDog a cost]]). But then [[ItGotWorse everything starts going to pieces]].
** Firstly, [[spoiler:Rubin has a MyGodWhatHaveIDone moment because of yesterday's events, and turns himself into the authorities. He is subsequently executed. You're on your own now in your battle against ThePlague.]]
** Secondly, [[spoiler:a plague carrier somehow managed to infiltrate the hospital you set up, causing death and despair. The town is now degrading into madness and hysteria trying to hunt town the perpetrator.]]
** Thirdly, [[spoiler:Saburov has gone mad with power -- power [[NiceJobBreakingItHero you gave him yourself]]. He's now arresting people with wild abandon and little basis. If you don't pay their bail by midnight, the [[JudgeJuryAndExecutioner Inquisitor]] will almost certainly kill them.]]
** Fourthly, [[spoiler:a mob of arsonists is trying to ''burn down the Apiary'' because they believe it's the source of the plague. Even Vlad Senior, the overseer of the place, doesn't seem very concerned about this -- and he later reveals that the infection has indeed found its way into the Apiary...]]
** To top it all off, the [[JudgeJuryAndExecutioner Inquistor]] is poised to arrive the next day, and if you can't stop the disease by then, they are likely to take the reins themselves and destroy the plague [[ItsTheOnlyWayToBeSure at any cost]].
** Probably not coincidentally, this is the point where the red angels of death start appearing in the infected districts.
* WhatTheHellTownspeople: Invoked by Artemiy [[SnarkKnight in a few sarcastic jabs]].
* WiseBeyondTheirYears: Notkin, Capella, and Khan.
* XMeetsY: It's as if the works of [[TheMasterAndMargarita Mikhail Bulgakov]], FranzKafka, Hieronymus Bosch and ChinaMieville were thrown into a single pot and cooked thoroughly into a delicious MindScrew horror soup.
* YouALLLookFamiliar: Every {{NPC}} except the [[NominalImportance named ones]].
* YouKilledMyFather, PrepareToDie: [[spoiler:Oyun killed Burakh's father. He gets what's coming to him.]]
* WhatYouAreInTheDark : One of the main themes of the game. The plague and the methods you employ as a character in order to stop it and save the city could be interpreted as one big SecretTestOfCharacter.
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<<|MiscellaneousGames|>>
->''"Only those who would give their life for you will die because of you."''
A 2005 game, the debut of the small Russian indie game developer Ice-pick Lodge. As for its genre... [[GenreBusting ummm]]...
''Pathologic'' is set in a town in the middle of nowhere, and infected by a strange disease. The game follows the story of three people, healers, who have all come to the town for their own reasons, and have drastically different methods. However, just as you arrive, an epidemic starts, and the town is quarantined. At that point, the game puts you in control and gives you 12 in-game days to do quests and protect yourself and others from the disease, by some very dubious methods.
The first storyline is that of a Bachelor of Medicine, Daniel Dankovski, who has been asked to come to the town to scientifically establish that one of the residents is over two hundred years old. However, the man dies as soon as you arrive.
The second storyline is that of a Haruspex, Artemii Burakh, (pronounced 'Artemiy Boorahk'). He is the son of a resident who has just died, and he wants to take his father's place. However, the people's opinion is that he killed his father, so you always have to be on the run from angry mobs.
The third storyline is that of Klara, the Devotress, the young woman who many believe is either a messiah, or a demon. She is able to either heal a person or utterly kill them with a gesture of her hands.
There are three main families in the game, all in some way fighting against each other for the control of the town. Other than them, there are [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters loads and loads of other characters]], all somehow related to the story.
The game received many good reviews praising its atmosphere. Sadly, the English translation was [[BlindIdiotTranslation absolutely incomprehensible]] at times, which, coupled with the developer being practically unknown outside Russia, resulted in rather bad sales. (Though retranslation projects have been planned, none were ever finished.) Also note that this is not a game for everyone. As with many SurvivalHorror games, ''Pathologic'' has no parts that can really be considered conventionally "fun". From a technical standpoint, it didn't age well, and there's a lot to take in. It is, however, a very powerful, emotionally draining experience, and not to be missed.
----
!!This game provides examples of:
* AcceptableBreaksFromReality: The game notably averts most of these. Many of the gameplay mechanics are surprisingly realistic - the InUniverseGameClock is a [[TimedMission 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 StupidEvil and reducing your KarmaMeter will get you killed, etc. This may be one of the many reasons why the game is [[NintendoHard maddeningly difficult]] and no part of it is described as "fun", even by fans.
* AdamSmithHatesYourGuts: 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.
** Also inverted on occasion, where prices will sometimes ''decrease'' on the next day. Increases are far more common, though.
** KarlMarxHatesYourGuts: All shopkeepers except Gryph and the barkeep for Stamatin's pub have the exact same prices for their wares, and ''your'' items will always sell for half the price it takes to buy them.
* AlienGeometries: The bizarre Polyhedron at the edge of the city.
* AnachronismStew / CultureChopSuey: The world of the game bears resemblance to a typical Siberian outpost city of TsaristRussia, circa the WorldWarOne period. But there are several much more modern elements present, especially in terms of clothing and medicine. Not to mention the many LowFantasy elements, the [[MagicRealism strange]], [[PurelyAestheticEra timeless atmosphere]] and the fact that [[AerithAndBob about a third of the characters have decidedly non-Russian names]]. Essentialy, the setting itself is as enigmatic as the cause of the disease and the [[{{Backstory}} backstories]] of the various characters.
* AnotherSideAnotherStory: All three main characters have their own agenda.
* AntiHero: Most characters, including the playable ones. Particularly the Haruspex, though, who even starts out with [[HeroWithBadPublicity critically low Reputation]].
* AnyoneCanDie: In this case, Anyone Could Die based on your actions.
** Though, more specifically, only the characters who would "give their life to you" will "die because of you".
* BackStab: Doing this with any melee weapon (any ''actual'' weapon, that is, not your fists) will result in a OneHitKill. Just hitting the person's back isn't good enough, though; you need to hit a ''very'' tiny area located around the base of the neck.
* BadassLongcoat: Dankovski. Also, damn near everybody who wears a longcoat.
* [[spoiler:BeautifulVoid]]: [[spoiler:Day 12.]]
* BettyAndVeronica: Eve and Maria in Dankovski's scenario. Subverted, because Maria is only possibly in love with Dankovski. Also, [[spoiler:Eve commits suicide midway through the game]].
* BigFreakingGun: [[spoiler:The army's cannons used in the ending scenes are ''fucking giant''. And they're mounted on railroad tracks!]]
* BlindIdiotTranslation: ZigZagged -- the English language translation is very spotty. At times, it's a train wreck, at other times it's decent, and every now and then the incomprehensibility will actually add to the atmosphere. However, it can make it hard to know what to do. (The worst errors are in Day 3 and Day 6 in the Bachelor's scenario, as well as a letter on Day 12.)
* BoomHeadshot: It's usually a OneHitKill. Try to get the hang of it, since anything that conserves ammo (see below) is a very useful technique.
* BossBattle: Exactly one, and it isn't even necessary to progress the plot -- [[spoiler:Oyun]] in the Haruspicius' scenario, if you discover that [[spoiler:he killed Artemiy's father]].
** Arguably, there's also [[spoiler:the hunchback and [[FlunkyBoss his squad of arsonists]]]] in the Bachelor's scenario, though he isn't much tougher than a regular enemy. And again, it's [[BonusBoss optional]].
* BottomlessMagazines: [[AvertedTrope Forget it]]. Ammo is scarce.
* BreakableWeapons: All weapons have 'durability' scores that go down when you use them. Though weapons can still be used even at 0% durability, the game averts CriticalExistenceFailure; melee weapons will dull and deal less damage, and ranged weapons will become less accurate. Fortunately, you can repair weapons for a modest sum by talking to a certain type of {{NPC}}.
** Equipment also has a durability score that goes down the longer it's worn, though it seems to play CriticalExistenceFailure straight.
* TheCaligula: Nina Kain, deceased mother of Maria, often acted this way, though she still was beloved and respected by the Town's people.
* CentralTheme: Sickness and decay -- both in the physical and metaphysical sense -- are the most obvious ones, though the theme of sacrifice -- that everything comes at a price -- is also important.
** The former is present throughout much of the gameplay: Despite being healers, the three playable characters have to cause a lot of death, and their morals (and general well-being) decay along with those of the towns' inhabitants.
** The latter is especially prevalent in [[spoiler:the MultipleEndings -- there is no truly "perfect" or "good" ending. All three of them are a tradeoff that require the sacrifice of one thing to save another.]]
* ChangingClothesIsAFreeAction: Although the inventory menu is the only one to avert MenuTimeLockout, your character still puts on/removes clothing instantaneously. Yes, even a ''plague mask''.
* ChildrenAreInnocent: [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] [[{{Deconstruction}} to hell and back...]]
* CityOfWeirdos: ''Oh, yes...''
* CityWithNoName
** IAmNotShazam: Some reviewers refered to the city as "Ancient Steppe". While this title is mentioned a couple of times [[AllThereInTheManual in the manual fluff]], the Ancient Steppe is simply the name of the surrounding steppe region. [[BuffySpeak Cause... you know...]] [[CaptainObvious it's a steppe.]]
* CloserToEarth: Compared to [[JudgeJuryAndExecutioner what we]] [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans hear of]] [[AllCrimesAreEqual the other Inquisitors]], [[spoiler:Aglaja]], the only female Inquisitor we know of, is extremely fair, kind, and reasonable. (Only ''relatively'', though -- she's still quite terrifying in her own right.)
** The [[RuleOfThree trio]] of "aristocratic women" (Lara, Julia, and Anna) are also portrayed as much more level-headed and trustworthy than the actual ruling families, who are primarily male.
* CosmicHorrorStory: Of a rather unusual kind, but it still shows.
* CosmicPlaything: [[FridgeHorror Everyone]], including the player character.
* CreepyChild: Laska.
** Ospina, too.
* CriticalExistenceFailure: Limping around and heavily bleeding from innumerable bruises and cuts? No problem -- you'll still be able to walk, aim, and fight exactly as well as when you're at 100% health. This wouldn't normally be that notable if it wasn't for the game's otherwise [[AcceptableBreaksFromReality strict adherence]] [[AvertedTrope to realism]].
** Somewhat averted with the exhaustion and hunger meters: though you won't feel any adverse effects from them until they reach 100%, once they do, your health will begin to drop instead.
** Completely averted with the infection meter, though: the higher it gets, the faster it'll rise, the quicker you'll lose health, and the more disorienting the InterfaceScrew will be every subsequent time you're infected.
** Averted with [[BreakableWeapons weapon durability]]. Melee weapons will get weaker with less durability, and ranged weapons will become less accurate.
* CutsceneIncompetence: 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 PlayerCharacter into a pulp while you watch helplessly.
* CutscenePowerToTheMax: 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 LifeMeter is at critical levels.
* DarkerAndEdgier: One review called Pathologic "''[[TheElderScrolls Oblivion]] with cancer, in a good way.''"
* DarkWorld / GeniusLoci / WorldGoneMad: The entire game...
* DaylightHorror: Absolutely. Could very well be the best example of this trope when it comes to video games.
* DialogueTree
* DieselPunk: The town's architecture, aesthetics and level of technology evoke this, [[UsedFuture in a very dreary fashion]].
* DiscOneNuke: It's possible to get a revolver and a decent amount of bullets on the first day in both the Bachelor's and Haruspicius' scenarios. Though the revolver isn't the greatest weapon, it'll allow you to survive encounters with relative ease, and you won't get any more guns until day 3 or 4.
** In the Bachelor's scenario, one reward for a sidequest on day 4 is a repellent cape, one of the best pieces of equipment in the game. Normally, the cape doesn't appear in shops for ''three more days''.
* DownerEnding: If you refuse to make a decision on the final day, or fail to complete the game properly, you get treated to [[spoiler:a horrific montage of the town overcome by the plague, right before the army comes and destroys everything]].
* EldritchLocation: ''A lot of them.'' But the "[[BedlamHouse Apiary]]", the [[AlienGeometries Polyhedron]], and the town's gigantic Abbatoir take the cake...
* EmpathicHealer: How the Devotress' HealingHands work.
* FanTranslation: One that tries to fix the BlindIdiotTranslation, [[http://ice-pick.com/translate/forum/index.php here.]] (One of the developers is even part of the project!) It's been "in progress" for [[DevelopmentHell half a decade]], though. Don't count on it being finished any time soon.
* FemmeFatale: Maria Kain.
* FindTheCure: Either that or you could at least try to hinder the spreading of the disease (and despair) among the surviving people.
* [[spoiler: GaiasVengeance]]: [[spoiler:The infection is spreading because the ''earth'' is sick.]]
* FireBreathingWeapon: 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... ''[[ItsTheOnlyWayToBeSure guess what they intend to use the flamethrowers for...]]''
* FiringOneHanded: Every weapon except the rifle. Yes, even the SawedOffShotgun.
* FragileSpeedster: 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: GainaxEnding]]
* GatelessGhetto: Avoided. Most of the houses can be broken into. All you need is a lockpick...
* GeniusBruiser: Artemiy.
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: "But I need the dead tissues not [[ILoveTheDead for entertainment]], but for struggle against the illness!"
* GlassCannon: The arsonist enemies. Their firebombs can deal high amounts of continuous damage, and have long range, but they have just as much health as regular townspeople, meaning they can be killed with a single rifle shot.
* GoldenEnding: [[spoiler: Sort of. If you manage to save everybody's adherents during a playthrough, at the end sequence you get to choose between the three endings listed below. ''[[NintendoHard Doing this is very hard]]''. Also, you get some extra Fourth Wall Breaking scenes from the theater too.]]
* GoodOldFisticuffs: Your basic weapon. Nothing special though. More of an EmergencyWeapon at best...
* GreyAndGrayMorality: The line between good and evil can get chillingly thin in this game.
* GuideDangIt: A lot of sections, especially the effects of items -- only a few actually have helpful descriptions, and there's little way to tell which foods are most efficient (bread and smoked meat, by the way). Fortunately, there ''is'' an [[http://www.pathologic-game.com/path_walkthrough_eng.pdf official guide]] that is very helpful.
** There is a specific example that the walkthrough doesn't help with due to a wonky translation -- in day 7 of the Bachelor's scenario, there's a sidequest that involves [[spoiler:collecting the mask and overall of an Executioner]]. However, there's a very narrow window of time for it to actually trigger -- you need to talk to Mark Immortal after performing the penultimate step of the day quest, but before actually completing it. Semi-justified, since the sidequest relates to the day quest, but it's still bothersome that the game doesn't tell you this anywhere.
*** Even more specifically (also due to translation weirdness), there's one that's a GuideDangIt within ''the official guide itself''! In the section describing the aforementioned quest, the guide mentions that [[spoiler:the overall]] is in [[spoiler:a "pit" that's "opposite of the cemetery"]]. These are pretty confusing directions -- what it's actually referring to is [[spoiler:a small, rectangular morgue that's on the other side of the train tracks, across from the cemetery]].
* HarmfulHealing: The childrens' powder is one of the very few ways to [[spoiler:reduce your infection level]], but it takes ''a lot'' of health (around 90%). Considering what it's made of, it's a miracle it can even heal.
** There's "harmful buffing" as well, of sorts - many medicines that boost your immunity have an adverse effect on your health and exhaustion as well, though not nearly to the extent of the powder.
** 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...
* HaveANiceDeath: 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.
* HealingFactor: 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 [[HarmfulHealing they shoot your exhaustion through the roof as well]].
* HealThyself: 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.
* HealingHands: The [[SquishyWizard Devotress']] hands, apparently. Also a subversion, since she can [[LittleMissBadass incapacitate or even kill]] with them via her PsychicPowers.
* HeroWithBadPublicity: 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 CityGuards, who will hunt him down at first sight.
* HobbesWasRight: The overall decay of both the city and human society within is [[PsychologicalHorror downright disturbing]]. ''[[{{PlayingWithATrope}} But]]'', the more you explore and learn of the city's mysteries, it's hinted at that:
** RousseauWasRight: [[spoiler:There is [[NoAntagonist no villain in the classic sense]]. And as unpleasant as things turn out, everything is the result of [[WellIntentionedExtremist good intentions gone wrong]]. The bandits in the streets are just trying to feed their families. The arsonists are trying to rid the town of the plague. [[AntiVillain Just because they try to kill you doesn't make them evil]].]]
* ImprobableAimingSkills: Despite (presumably) never having held a gun before the game begins, the three healers become remarkably adept with their weapons as soon as they pick them up.
* InfantImmortality: [[JustifiedTrope Justified.]]
* InkSuitActor: Most of the main character {{NPC}}s have faces identical with their small photo portraits seen in the conversation menu. [[EasterEgg Some of the actors used for the photos are members of the dev team]] (e.g. Artemiy's portrait shows one of the game's writers).
* InsurmountableWaistHeightFence: Used with both fences and edges of the playing area. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] when in a dialogue, one of the playable characters randomly notes that he can't climb fences and pipes. All the more ironic since he [[GameplayAndStorySegregation does just that]] in a cutscene earlier in the game.
* InterchangeableAntimatterKeys: Subverted. You can only use lockpicks to get into locked buildings. They still inexplicably break when you use them, though.
* InterfaceScrew: [[spoiler: The map switch.]]
** If you get infected, the screen becomes blurry and zooms in and out periodically. If your infection meter is already high, the screen will also black out for a few seconds.
* InvulnerableKnuckles: Attacking unarmed suffers you no penalty, unlike when using a melee weapon, which decreases its durability. Possibly justified in the case of Daniel and Artemiy, since they wear gloves. (Klara doesn't, but she attacks using her PsychicPowers instead, so the issue is avoided.)
* ItGotWorse: The infection. And the Executioners are harbringers of this. If you see one, be prepared for some very bad news.
* JudgeJuryAndExecutioner: Played as straight as it gets with the Inquisitor. Just look at [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMJFwXt5jSc&feature=related Aglaja's introductory cutscene.]]
* JustBeforeTheEnd: [[DyingTown The town has certainly seen better days...]]
* JustifiedTutorial: Once you arrive in the city, the Executioner and Tragedian will be waiting patiently at your doorstep. If you talk to them, they will explain the various game mechanics and survival strategies via colourful metaphors (as is typical for them).
** Added points for lots of fairly funny [[LampshadeHanging lampshading]] [[ExpospeakGag in their expospeak]].
* KarmaMeter: The Reputation meter is an interesting and realistic variation on this. It's actually, for all intents and purposes, another health meter, and one of the most important ones at that. If you squander your Reputation, an already NintendoHard game will become [[UpToEleven even more difficult]], as important {{NPC}}s will refuse to help you or provide shelter, most likely resulting in your unavoidable death.
* [[spoiler:KillEmAll]]: [[spoiler:In the DownerEnding, the army destroys everything.]]
* KnifeNut: You can use a scalpel or a bigger ordinary knife as melee weapons to defend yourself (or others). Firearms are the more powerful and safer to use weapons though, since melee fights in the game are [[SpamAttack fast]] and [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown brutal]].
** Another example of this trope are the looters, who seem to be expert knife throwers. Like, ''ridiculously adept'' at it... Thankfully, you can [[DodgeTheBullet dodge the blades]] if you think and move fast enough.
* KnightInSourArmor: The PlayerCharacter (and, by extension, the player) will definitely become this by the end if you try to play morally.
** A NonPlayerCharacter example: [[spoiler:Aglaja]] has some shades of this. She [[spoiler:wants to find a way to cure the infection with minimal losses -- she doesn't want to go all-out UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans. Her morals and methods are still rather dubious, however.]]
* LetsPlay: There is one for the [[http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3033830 Bachelor]] and one for the [[http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3359432&pagenumber=1 Haruspex]] on the SomethingAwful discussion board.
** The [[http://lparchive.org/Pathologic/ Devotress]] has an archived one with a smoother translation.
** The gaming blog "Pathologistics" has two players playing both characters concurrently. The beginning is [[http://pathologistics.blogspot.ca/2011/08/day-x.html here.]]
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Every storyline character is named and is a major player in the story. The rest are just ragdolls.
* LoadsAndLoadsOfLoading: Every single time you enter/exit a building. Also, that ridiculous fog due to draw distance limitations.
** The fog isn't even good enough to hide the limitations in some areas -- you can actually ''see'' textures appearing and disappearing.
** At least the loading is quick and you won't even notice it on high-end computers.
* MagicRealism: Combined with CosmicHorrorStory. Unfortunately.
* MaliciousSlander
* [[spoiler:MeatMoss]]: Seen in the the city districts and quarters that got hit by the plague. [[MagicRealism On buildings, the paved streets...]]
* MetaGuy: The Executioner and Tragedian are "stage hands". Although, despite this claim, they are surprisingly participant in the main story, usually heralding ItGotWorse. It's likely that this is another layer of MindScrew.
** The Inquisitor Aglaja and General Blok also act like allegorical figures - [[PowersThatBe of a different sort]]...
* MenuTimeLockout: Accessing your map, diary, letters, or status screen pauses the game, and ''you will be thankful for it'', since it's one of the few AcceptableBreaksFromReality the game uses. This is '''[[AvertedTrope not]]''' the case for the inventory menu, though -- see ScrappyMechanic.
** TalkingIsAFreeAction: Time is also stopped during dialogues, which you will be even more grateful for, given how plot-heavy the game is and the [[WallOfText Walls of Text]] in most dialogues.
* MightyGlacier: Not a character, but a weapon; the rifle. It's quite powerful and ''extremely'' accurate, but can only hold one bullet at a time, meaning you'll have to sit through the (long) reload animation every time you fire it.
* MindScrew / EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory: ''Hooooo boy...''
* MoreDakka: [[AvertedTrope Nope]]. An automatic weapon would be useless due to the scarcity of ammo, anyway.
* MultipleEndings: All are [[BittersweetEnding bittersweet]], at best.
** The Bachelor: [[spoiler: Destroy the town to save the Polyhedron.]]
** 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, [[KillEmAll the military destroys everything]].]]
* NameOfCain: The Kain family.
* NeverBringAKnifeToAFistFight: 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...
* NightmareFuelStationAttendant: You will learn to fear the Executioners. Whenever you see them...it's a ''[[ItGotWorse bad sign]]''.
* NintendoHard: It's pretty easy to waste time and resources at the start of the game in a way that will totally screw you over by the endgame.
* NoAntagonist: 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.
* NominalImportance: 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, [[LampshadeHanging it's a creepy ragdoll]].
* NothingIsScarier: The plague-ridden quarters and areas of the city. [[spoiler:Some would argue that the ''whole city'' and its surroundings qualifies.]]
* NotThatKindOfDoctor: A rather bizarre variation, in that the Bachelor is referred to as a doctor, despite the fact that he's... well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a Bachelor Of Medicine]]...
* ObviousBeta / NeedsMoreLove: 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 VideoGameRemake sometime in the future that fixes these issues. Judging by [[DevelopmentHell how badly]] the FanTranslation is going, though, it probably won't happen any time soon.
* OminousLatinChanting: The main menu theme. The rest of the game features examples of ''[[ItMakesSenseInContext Ominous Steppe Nomad Chanting]]'', interspersed with haunting, predominantly [[OneWomanWail female vocals]]. They greatly add to the already gloomy atmosphere of the game.
* OneBulletClips: 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.
* OneHitKill: {{Back Stab}}s and [[BoomHeadshot headshots]] will result in these.
* OneStatToRuleThemAll: 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.[[hottip:*: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.]]
* OneSteveLimit: 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.
* OrganDrops: They're only available to the Haruspex, since [[JustifiedTrope he's the only one who knows how to]] [[{{Squick}} cut them out]].
* [[WizardNeedsFoodBadly Player Needs Food Badly]]: You need to eat and even ''sleep'' regularly, since you can die not only from infection or low health, [[TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything but from hunger and exhaustion as well]]. And if you're wondering how a person can die from starvation within only a couple days, the Tragedician who explains the game's rules at the beginning basically says [[HandWave "that's just how things are around here."]]
* [[spoiler:PoweredByAForsakenChild]]: [[spoiler:All of the healers' methods.]]
** Somewhat related, [[spoiler: the Polyhedron is kept up because of a base that goes deep into the earth. This "wound" getting infected is what causes the disease in the first place.]]
* PowersThatBe: The Authorities.
* PowerTrio: The three lead characters qualify, despite the fact that they don't work as a team at all.
** TheSpock: The Bachelor
** TheMcCoy: The Haruspex
** TheKirk: The Devotress
* PuttingOnTheReich: General Blok is quite fond of a vaguely Nazi-ish salute, though he is by no means evil.
* PsychologicalHorror / SurrealHorror
* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: The three [[UnlikelyHero main characters]]. [[DeconstructorFleet Sort of...]]
* [[RandomEffectSpell Random Effect Item]]: Twyrine. Sometimes it functions like a painkiller, sometimes it messes with your immunity, sometimes it decreases infection slightly. Mentioned in its description, where it says that many of its effects haven't been discovered yet.
* RealIsBrown: The whole town. Possibly justified, as it's in the middle of a steppe and is thus covered in sand and mud all the time.
* [[spoiler:RealityIsOutToLunch]]
* RecklessGunUsage: The reloading animation for the SawedOffShotgun shows the PlayerCharacter using the stock "flick the gun back to close it using its own weight" technique. In RealLife, this is actually a rather dangerous action that can damage the gun.
** There's also the fact that the characters insist on FiringOneHanded with everything except the rifle, despite the fact that trying that with a SawedOffShotgun (or even a [[RevolversAreJustBetter revolver]], depending on the caliber) should result in broken wrists.
* RevolversAreJustBetter: Averted. The revolver is the least accurate and second-weakest gun in the game. Its only real advantage is a (relatively) large magazine size, but MoreDakka is a horrible strategy in this game, so that's not terribly useful. (And just in case you still want to try that, its ammunition is the most expensive as well.)
* RomanticismVersusEnlightenment: The Bachelor's scenario makes a case for the Enlightenment, while the Haruspex is on the side of Romanticism.
* RuleOfThree: Three playable characters, three ruling families, three town districts, three gangs of kids... it goes on.
* SaveScumming: You'll be doing this a lot.
* ScienceHero: Dankovski.
* ScrappyMechanic: Lots.
** ''You can't run. At all. Only walk at a leisurely pace.'' Coupled with the rather brutal InUniverseGameClock, this can cause the game to range from NintendoHard 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 MenuTimeLockout). 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...
* SecretCharacter: The Devotress...kind of. She's clearly displayed on the character selection screen, but [[UnlockableContent can only be played if you've completed one of the other two scenarios]].
* ShowWithinAShow: The Theater puts on a play each night after midnight. Attending it is completely optional and has no tangible benefits, but you might [[PlotParallel learn something]] if you do.
* SlaveToPR: Your player character, quite literally. See OneStatToRuleThemAll, below; managing your reputation is ''really important'' in this game.
** Even moreso if you're playing as the Devotress, as her Reputation decreases constantly. She has a bit of an easier time recovering it than the other heroes, though, due to her HealingHands.
* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: The protagonists are mostly [[HeroWithBadPublicity hated]]. [[HumansAreBastards The people are small-minded bastards]]. Dankovski's "LoveInterest" [[spoiler:commits suicide]]. Guess which side the story's on?
** Here's a quote from [[http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2008/04/11/butchering-pathologic-part-2-the-mind/ a review]] that explains this:
--->"In a single word, Pathologic is dark. And not 'we’re going to make our sequel a darker, more adult experience' dark. Not ‘teen angst’ dark. Pathologic is an endlessly bleak game with an atmosphere that smothers all hope. It’s ‘pensioner breaking a leg in his bedsit and no one finding out until the smell starts to get unbearable’ dark."
* SnarkKnight: Artemiy, all the time.
** Daniel can be like this too, depending on which options you pick in his {{Dialogue Tree}}s.
* SniperPistol: Averted. Every weapon has an accuracy value (a random variance of how far the bullet actually hits from the crosshairs), and the revolver has the worst accuracy. If you want to snipe, you need to use the rifle, but even that's pretty unreliable at low durability. (It's also ''not'' a SniperRifle, i.e., no scope, so aiming over long distances with it can still be difficult.)
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Aglaja/Aglaya/Aglaia. Daniel/Daniil, too.
* SpiritualSuccessor: ''VideoGame/{{Turgor}}'' (a.k.a. ''Tension'' or ''The Void'').
* StandardFPSGuns: Calling Pathologic a "standard FPS" would be laughable, so many of the traits inherent to the guns don't apply, even if the game does use them.
** KnifeNut: There are two kinds, both of which have [[BreakableWeapons limited durability]], undermining their use as {{Emergency Weapon}}s. They can cause a OneHitKill if you use them to attack an ''absurdly tiny'' hitbox located around [[BackStab the back of the neck]], but due to the fact that people shift from side to side when walking, as well as the rather long delay when attacking, it's very hard to actually pull it off.
** {{Handgun}}: The derringer is roughly equivalent to the pistol in most shooters, but you can forget about ammo being plentiful.
*** RevolversAreJustBetter: The revolver actually subverts many of the standard tropes surrounding it; it's more powerful than the derringer, but still one of the weakest guns overall.
** SniperRifle: The rifle is hard to classify, actually -- while it is the most accurate weapon, it doesn't have a scope, so it's not a SniperRifle. It's not a Marksman Gun either, since it can only hold one bullet at a time.
** SawedOffShotgun: You only get it halfway through the game, though it is quite effective at killing large mobs.
* StrangeGirl: Laska, the keeper of the cemetery who communicates with the city's dead, singing to them and bringing offerings to their tombs.
** Ospina, a girl from the steppes who calls herself an evil spirit and keeps creepy dolls lying around her house.
* StupidEvil: Acting this way is one of the quickest ways to doom yourself; going on random killing sprees and [[KickTheDog kicking puppies]] will drive down your [[OneStatToRuleThemAll Reuputation]] ''fast''.
* SurvivalHorror: The most pronounced aspect of the game, at least genre-wise. And an unusual take on the genre at that: You're not fighting monsters, the darkness, etc., but an [[PsychologicalHorror abstract unnerving evil]] in the forms of ThePlague, the effects of [[SanitySlippage insanity]], [[DespairEventHorizon despair]], [[HobbesWasRight and general human senselessness]].
* TalkToEveryone
* TallDarkAndBishoujo: Maria.
* TallDarkAndSnarky: Very arguably Dankovski.
* TimedMission (plus InUniverseGameClock): Basically the entire game. All quests must be finished the day they were received. The game spans 12 days, and you know this from the very beginning.
** There is a way to modify the [[ScrappyMechanic overly speedy flow of time]] [[http://forum.ice-pick.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=4278 by a simple edit of the game's config]].
* TheClan: Three of them. The Kains, the Saburovs and the Olgimskys.
* ThePlague: A visible cloud of disease that will actively chase you. ''[[ItGotWorse Or a cloud of disease that sometimes appears as a red angel.]]''
* ThePowerOfBlood: ''And how...''
* [[TownWithADarkSecret Town Full Of Mind Screw Secrets]]
* TranslationTrainwreck: The game itself has a notoriously awful translation, but isn't ''this'' bad. The manual, on the other hand...
* TraumaInn: Averted for the most part. Though exhaustion will always decrease, you'll only recover health if you take painkillers beforehand. It can also be a double-edged sword: hunger will always increase while sleeping, as will the infection level if you're already infected.
* TrialAndErrorGameplay: Sadly, quite ''a lot'' of it if you're playing for the first time. The aforementioned ScrappyMechanic and InUniverseGameClock don't leave enough room for bigger screw-ups on part of the player.
* TwistEnding: ''And... how!'' More like a series of twist endings, to be precise. Nope, we won't dare spoil it for you. [[spoiler:Your mileage ''will'' definitely vary about whether it's more of a KarmicTwistEnding or CruelTwistEnding...]]
* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: An important theme in the game, but especially in the [[spoiler:Bachelor]]'s ending.
** The game's original Russian title - ''Pestilence: The Utopia'' - hints at this, along with a short throwaway dialogue with one of the town's UpperClassTwit {{NPC}}s.
** Also, russian word for pestilence is "Mor", making the title a ShoutOut of Thomas More and his ''Utopia''
* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: [[spoiler:In-universe, during a bonus scene in the Polyhedron, but minus the "video" aspect of "game." No, seriously.]]
* VideoGamePhysics: It's mainly used just to calculate falling damage - and it's pretty unforgiving about it too. The player characters' legs must be made of plaster to break from such short falls...
* WaifProphet / MysteriousWaif / StrangeGirl: Klara, the Devotress.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Many of the characters who look like they're going to be the BigBad turn out to have their own beliefs, morals, and reasons for their actions, turning them into this.
* WhamEpisode: Day 6 in the Bachelor's scenario. Up until that point, things have actually been going surprisingly well -- you've managed to set up a hospital and isolation ward, and your fellow scientist Rubin has even managed to isolate a vaccine (albeit at [[ShootTheDog a cost]]). But then [[ItGotWorse everything starts going to pieces]].
** Firstly, [[spoiler:Rubin has a MyGodWhatHaveIDone moment because of yesterday's events, and turns himself into the authorities. He is subsequently executed. You're on your own now in your battle against ThePlague.]]
** Secondly, [[spoiler:a plague carrier somehow managed to infiltrate the hospital you set up, causing death and despair. The town is now degrading into madness and hysteria trying to hunt town the perpetrator.]]
** Thirdly, [[spoiler:Saburov has gone mad with power -- power [[NiceJobBreakingItHero you gave him yourself]]. He's now arresting people with wild abandon and little basis. If you don't pay their bail by midnight, the [[JudgeJuryAndExecutioner Inquisitor]] will almost certainly kill them.]]
** Fourthly, [[spoiler:a mob of arsonists is trying to ''burn down the Apiary'' because they believe it's the source of the plague. Even Vlad Senior, the overseer of the place, doesn't seem very concerned about this -- and he later reveals that the infection has indeed found its way into the Apiary...]]
** To top it all off, the [[JudgeJuryAndExecutioner Inquistor]] is poised to arrive the next day, and if you can't stop the disease by then, they are likely to take the reins themselves and destroy the plague [[ItsTheOnlyWayToBeSure at any cost]].
** Probably not coincidentally, this is the point where the red angels of death start appearing in the infected districts.
* WhatTheHellTownspeople: Invoked by Artemiy [[SnarkKnight in a few sarcastic jabs]].
* WiseBeyondTheirYears: Notkin, Capella, and Khan.
* XMeetsY: It's as if the works of [[TheMasterAndMargarita Mikhail Bulgakov]], FranzKafka, Hieronymus Bosch and ChinaMieville were thrown into a single pot and cooked thoroughly into a delicious MindScrew horror soup.
* YouALLLookFamiliar: Every {{NPC}} except the [[NominalImportance named ones]].
* YouKilledMyFather, PrepareToDie: [[spoiler:Oyun killed Burakh's father. He gets what's coming to him.]]
* WhatYouAreInTheDark : One of the main themes of the game. The plague and the methods you employ as a character in order to stop it and save the city could be interpreted as one big SecretTestOfCharacter.
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