History YMMV / Pathologic

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: The ruling families are using the crisis as an opportunity to grab power, the citizens are all self-serving {{Jerkass}}es whose only course of action is to go on a massive witch hunt, the three protagonists aren't very pleasant people themselves and they only get more desperate as time goes on, the situation steadily goes FromBadToWorse as the Sand Plague spreads despite all your efforts, there are never enough resources for you to stay healthy, you're always in danger of rendering your game unwinnable, and the atmosphere is unrelentingly bleak and oppressive from beginning to end. Needless to say, this can be a very emotionally fatiguing game to play. [[spoiler:It even ends up being the case for the Bachelor's scenario, as he becomes so disillusioned about everything that he decides the only thing worth saving in the town is the Polyhedron.]]

* HarsherInHindsight: In the early 2020, The game experienced a renewed popularity thanks to the HD port, its sequel, and along with WebVideo/{{Hbomberguy}}'s 2-hour video essay about it. However, all of them came out a while before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out worldwide, which makes the survival in a plagued town feel more real than ever.

* HarsherInHindsight: In the early 2020, The game experienced a renewed popularity thanks to the HD port, its sequel, and along with WebVideo/{{Hbomberguy}}'s 2-hour video essay about it. However, all of them came out a while before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out worldwide, which makes the survival in a plagued town can feel more real than ever.

* ScrappyMechanic: You do a lot of walking around the city, and the lack of fast movement options like a sprint is rather noticeable. This can be rather annoying when being chased by multiple charaters.

* EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame: Its generally agreed that the "story", or at least, the plot and themes, are interesting, and the games re-playability makes it incredibly interesting, but the gameplay is very tedious and frustrating.

* SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments: The Changeling's scenario has a lot of these, mainly since it's largely removed from the endless political scheming and HobbesWasRight events in the other scenarios, making for a more optimistic and upbeat atmosphere. Most of it is simply about a frightened, confused girl who is nonetheless determined to help as many people as possible.
** Specifically, [[spoiler:the HeroicSacrifice of her Adherents]] is particularly poignant.

* ItsHardSoItSucks: Detractors feel that the game is way too difficult and unforgiving, making it likely for new players to abandon the game early on. Most fans would agree with this, but argue it serves the atmosphere and story further.

* ScrappyMechanic: You do lot of walking around the city, and the lack of fast movement options like a sprint is rather noticeable. This can be rather annoying when chased and trying to escape.

* ScrappyMechanic: [[{{Padding}} A lot of walking. And walking. And walking. And walking.]]
* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: The opinion of many who don't get the story. Might be just a side effect of the BlindIdiotTranslation, though.

* ItsHardSoItSucks: Even the game's most staunch fans agree the gameplay is way too difficult and unforgiving for its own good. As mentioned above, [[EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame this is a game where all its enjoyment is the world and story within it rather than the game itself.]]

* EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame: Probably one of the ultimate examples of this trope. The gameplay is generally agreed to not be very fun, and rather frustrating, but also that the game's story, atmosphere, and world are its best qualities and worth seeing.

* ItsHardSoItSucks: Even the game's most staunch fans agree the gameplay is way too difficult and unforgiving for its own good. As mentioned above, [[EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame this is a game where all its enjoyment is the world and story within it rather than the game itself.]]

* EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame: The gameplay is generally agreed to not be very fun, and rather frustrating, but also that the game's story, atmosphere, and world are its best qualities and worth seeing.

* {{Narm}}: In the English version, several lines of dialogue that should be serious end up becoming hilarious due to the infamously poor translation.
** "[[VideoGame/SimonTheSorcerer Simon is a sorcerer?]]"

* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: The Changeling's scenario has a lot of these, mainly since it's largely removed from the endless political scheming and HobbesWasRight events in the other scenarios, making for a more optimistic and upbeat atmosphere. Most of it is simply about a frightened, confused girl who is nonetheless determined to help as many people as possible.
** Specifically, [[spoiler:the HeroicSacrifice of her Adherents]] is particularly poignant.
** In the Bachelor's scenario, you can talk down a drunk and suicidal [[spoiler: Peter Stamatin by running all over town, finding Maria, and bringing back her promise that she would fulfill his plan for the Polyhedron.]] [[VideoGameCaringPotential Or you can just tell him that you care about him.]]

** In the Bachelor's scenario, you can talk down a drunk, suicidal [[spoiler: Petr Stamatin by running all over town, finding Maria, and bringing back her promise that she would fulfill his plan for the Polyhedron.]] [[VideoGameCaringPotential Or you can just tell him that you care about him.]]
* CultClassic: It's hard as hell, was notoriously difficult to find until the HD port came about on Steam, and isn't really fun at all. But what it ''is'' is an incredibly engrossing experience that boasts incredible atmosphere and a fantastic story.

* BadassDecay: In his own storyline, Dankovski is a fearless and determined BadassBookworm ScienceHero, [[UnreliableNarrator but in other storylines]], he's just a selfish InsufferableGenius.

* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: The Devotress' scenario has a lot of these, mainly since it's largely removed from the endless political scheming and HobbesWasRight events in the other scenarios, making for a more optimistic and upbeat atmosphere. Most of it is simply about a frightened, confused girl who is nonetheless determined to help as many people as possible.

** In Bachelor's scenario, you can talk down a drunk, suicidal [[spoiler: Petr Stamatin by running all over town, finding Maria, and bringing back her promise that she would fulfill his plan for the Polyhedron.]] [[VideoGameCaringPotential Or you can just tell him that you care about him.]]

* EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame: The gameplay is generally agreed to not be very fun, and rather frustrating, but also that the game's story, atmosphere, and world are its best qualities and worth seeing. The upcoming remake
* 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.
* HoYay: Bachelor and Haruspex have a good deal of this. When the devs did an AMA on Reddit, multiple people asked whether or not the game was trying to imply that Daniel had feelings for Artemiy during Haruspex's path. [[PeripheryDemographic The fandom seems to have a large number of LGBTQ fans.]] (Naturally, the studio gave no direct answers.)
** During the Haruspex's route, the Bachelor sends you a letter nearly every single day and insists on building a friendship with you from the very beginning to avoid becoming enemies. Several characters also note that his interest in you is not strictly professional, but that he's inquiring after your wellbeing personally. Even without the [[ShippingGoggles Shipping Goggles]], that's pretty heartwarming for a game as lonely and conspiratorial as Pathologic.
** While the relationship between the Bachelor and the Haruspex is far more neutral during the Bachelor's route, the 'first' meeting (As in, the first the game will lead you to) involves a dramatic jailbreak in which the Bachelor murders 3 men to get to the Haruspex. The Haruspex thanks him by completing his request by giving him a tissue sample in the form of a [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic still-beating heart.]]

* ParanoiaFuel: Due to the first-person perspective. There could be a disease cloud or a mugger ''right next to you'' and you won't know until it's upon you. And of course, you can't see behind you either, so you'll be whipping around to check your back quite often...

* EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame: The gameplay is generally agreed to not be very fun, and rather frustrating, but also that the game's story, atmosphere, and world are its best qualities and worth seeing.

* ScrappyMechanic: There's quite a bit to pick from since EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame applies, but perhaps the most frustrating aspect of an already hard and demanding game is that your Adherents can become sick as a result of the failure of the ''two other characters'' to complete their main quests off-screen and there's nothing you can do to prevent it. It is true that cures can be tricky but far from impossible to get, but the annoyance factor is upped tremendously when the Adherent who gets sick is the very one you need to begin or advance the day's main quest. Also you can't get out of it by SaveScumming.

* ScrappyMechanic: There's quite a bit to pick from since EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame applies, but perhaps the most frustrating aspect of an already hard and demanding game is that your Adherents can become sick as a result of the failure of the ''two other characters'' to complete their main quests off-screen and there's nothing you can do to prevent it. It is true that cures can be tricky but far from impossible to get, but the annoyance factor is upped tremendously when the Adherent who gets sick is the very one you need to begin or advance the day's main quest.

* ScrappyMechanic: There's a bit to pick from since EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame applies, but perhaps the most frustrating aspect of an already hard and demanding game is that your Adherents can become sick as a result of the failure of the ''two other characters'' to complete their main quests off-screen and there's nothing you can do to prevent it. It is true that cures can be tricky but far from impossible to get, but the annoyance factor is upped tremendously when the Adherent who gets sick is the very one you need to begin or advance the day's main quest.

* CultClassic: It's hard as hell, was notoriously difficult to find until the HD port came about on Steam, and isn't really fun at all. But what it *is* is an incredibly engrossing experience that boasts incredible atmosphere and a fantastic story.