Weird, bleak cult survival horror follow-up Pathologic 2 is finally out in May Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Weird, bleak cult survival horror follow-up Pathologic 2 is finally out in May PC first, Xbox One later this year. News by Matt Wales Reporter Updated on 29 Mar 2019 13 comments Developer Ice-Pick Lodge has announced that its ambitious, long-in-the-works open-world survival horror follow-up, Pathologic 2, is finally coming to PC on May 23rd. Pathologic 2 is a bit of an odd one, falling somewhere between not-quite-remake, not-quite-sequel. Instead, it's something of a re-imagining of Ice-Pick's notoriously wonky, narrative-focussed original cult-favourite - which charted the strange, bleak deterioration of a plague-ridden town from the perspective of three different characters - expanding on core events, enriching the existing lore, and more. The ultimate goal in Pathologic 2, as was the case in the 2006 original, is to explore the town, talk to its very odd inhabitants, and survive the 12 in-game days that make up the experience. There are fights to be had, food to be scavenged, and side-quests to complete - some of which might ensure the survival of secondary characters and reveal more behind the weird events that have befallen the town. That amounts to a deeply atmospheric, wildly unsetting jaunt into the terrifying unknown. For instance: Pathologic 2 has been a long time coming, having originally been Kickstarted back in 2014. As a result of that extended development time (during which Ice-Pick Lodge released a still-somewhat-wonky HD remaster of the first game and a free demo-like side-story), the team made the decision last November to split the game into three episodes. The first of these, due on May 23rd, follows the character of Haruspex, and Ice-Pick says it intends to watch how players experience the episode in order to "fine-tune the other two". It seems Ice-Pick is keen to avoid the mistakes of its janky, frequently impenetrable, original. As for Pathologic 2's other characters, Ice-Pick previously explained that The Bachelor's and the Changeling's stories would arrive "later" - although there's still no suggestion of a release date, and the studio says it's unsure if future episodes will launch as DLC "or something else". That might be a dealbreaker for those hoping to experience all three stories as one, given that the narrative revelations borne of playing from three separate perspectives was one of the great appeals of the first game. An Xbox One version, incidentally, is due later this year. Despite all the faff, many have fond memories of the original Pathologic, a game that was, by turns, deeply intelligent, relentlessly creative, bleak, horrifying, fascinating, and, yes, quite a bit broken. Whether or not Ice-Pick Lodge manages to smooth enough of those rough edges in Pathologic 2 to create an experience that can be enjoyed by a wider audience remains to be seen. We can but hope though. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 61 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 5 Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 11 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Sennheiser's legendary HD 599 open-back headphones are just £70 at Amazon in the Prime Early Access Sale Comfortable with neutral sound and a wide sound stage. Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. 1 Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 61 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store