r/pathologic • u/Neat_Evening8776 • 6d ago
Question Pathologic 2 or classic hd?
Im a beginner and don't know almost anything about the game. Just wondering, which game should I play first for the best experience
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u/Mising_Texture1 6d ago
Start with pathologic 2. If you really like it, play patho 1.
Patho 1 is good, in some cases the writing is better. The problem is that the gameplay is really unpolished, and tedious (although the tediousness is by design).
Patho 2 has a more contained story and better gameplay.
To be brief, patho 2 made me cry a couple of times, cuz the writing and moments were really effective. Cannot recommend enough.
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u/Bartre_Main Alexander Block 5d ago
I think the remakes are fine games, but they're fundamentally attempts to recapture part of the magic of original game. It makes sense to start there and see its echoes.
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u/hjsniper 6d ago
2 is the best place to start, it's very similar to Classic but with better graphics and more refined mechanics/gameplay.
It is slightly harder, since the refined mechanics means fewer exploitable systems, but that just improves the experience.
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u/stars_are_aligned 5d ago
If you want to play it the "traditional way" most folks played it, play Classic HD first.
If you want to be able to ease into the game or have a much less steep learning curve, play Patho 2 first.
Ideally Classic HD comes first, but I totally understand it's an insane game (affectionate) lol.
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u/Patient_Gamemer 6d ago
Dude, P2 was literally on 80% sale up until yesterday.
Oh, and it has a Demo. Play and idk wishlist the game until next sale?
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u/ThanaticaIntern 5d ago
Personal opinion, I’d start with 2. I prefer 2’s writing.
That said, Classic HD is really good and I love it, but if you don’t like the blocky graphics and slightly wonky gameplay you probably won’t like it.
I still think Classic HD doesn’t make you suffer nearly as much as Rule of Rose (I love that game but the combat in it???? Jfc)
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u/_Pumpiumpiumpkin_ 5d ago edited 5d ago
They're very different experiences, and it depends heavily on what kind of player you are.
The Classic HD is my prefered game, and the one I played first, but I'm the kind of person who finds satisfaction in pushing through tedium.
If you're looking for a more... "conventional" experience, P2 would be better, but you'll be missing out on some of the context of the other playable characters.
Edit: I also think P1 is a better experience if you go into it with a little understanding of what to expect - not in terms of spoilers, but the game doesn't, for example, tell you explicitly that you need to read your mail... Or how to access it... Or that it exists...
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u/Asimop Changeling 4d ago
Play classic first to get the most out of both classic and 2. Both fantastic, but both are stronger played in order.
If you need any tips for classic feel free to reach out!
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u/Vivid-Aide-3868 17h ago
I'd love some tips if you wanna send any my way~
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u/Asimop Changeling 16h ago edited 16h ago
Yes ofc!
Food is, as you know, important. On day 1, hoard as much as you can, and loot as many bins as possible. The price of food will go up more than the price of everything else, so if you sell most of your stuff for food day 1, that is how you will save the most money. On day 1, water fountains are active and provide some hunger. Drink up, and dont worry about the exhaustion, you can sleep more than you can eat in this game.
Avoid combat in houses or otherwise cramped areas. Combat in classic is very rhythmic, but you do need some room to back up when the mugger swings at you. When you are spotted by a mugger, he'll toss his knife in the air, then at you. Watch him do the first toss, then immediately turn 90 degrees and walk straight. You will dodge the knife. Feel free to engage in the coordinated dance that is patho classic combat once you dodge. Its lots of stepping forward as you swing, and immediately stepping back. Dont ever step back too far or youll trigger them to run at you which breaks the rhythm. Avoid wasting bullets on muggers. Bullets are better to sell for food or use for more dangerous enemies.
If you ever feel overwhelmed by whatevers aftwr you, duck into a shop or unlocked (plauge or burned) house to reset npcs. If you duck into a house, dont linger. There are dangerous encounters inside as well!
You will get to know the map as time goes on. Start as bachelor. Then your constant map checking is just immersion! He doesnt know where he's going either. Then play haruspex, then finally changeling. It provides the most satisfying progression through the game. The map pauses the game, so no need to rush your map looking!
You will feel like youre running out of time some days. Save often, you might need to "cut the fat" of some of your activities earlier in the day. I tend to save non quest activities until i feel well progressed in each days quests. (Daytime npc trading and nighttime mugger killing).
Patho classic is dialogue heavy. Enjoy the writing and use the walking time you get between bound to consider how you feel about what information you recieved and how you want to go about the rest of the day.
If theres anything i didnt touch on that u need tips on, lmk! I know classic very well. Can help with 2 too of you need!
Ps: its wonderful youre playing classic! It's the strongest game in the series and truly unique among video games as a whole. You are in for a treat. Patho 2 is far better with the context of all 3 routes in classic as well!
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u/Ristrxtto 6d ago edited 6d ago
the proper answer is P2 first imo. Still clunky and feels awkward, but at least is generally a better game
P1 is better aesthetically and writing-wise, but until you've already developed stockholm syndrome with the town and characters, P1 is nigh impossible to actually slog through
Tbh i still feel like combat is better in P1 (horrible in both games), and P1 has more of the sauce that makes Pathologic special, more character, and drastically better music
But especially coming in fairly fresh, P2 is still weird enough to keep you intrigued, has great OST still (more tribal and soft, compared to P1's drugged out steppe house EDM), and certainly is less likely to put you in the nut hut for how boring the walking is
Patho 2 also has a much better economy and crafting system. In all counts Patho is better, on paper, but i just love P1 so much for how fuckin weird and otherworldly it can be. All that said, i honestly wish my first experience with the game was P2, and that I'd gone into it blind
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u/Ristrxtto 6d ago
IF you do go P1 and feel yourself questioning your life choices as you spend 20 mins walking from house to house, honestly don't be afraid to adjust the game speed and clock speed w/ console commands to make it more bearable
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u/Ristrxtto 4d ago
watch out, seems I've offended some of these elitist weirdos lol
play the game how you wanna play it man, P1/P2 are still some of my fave games of all time and I've got tattoos from the game, but my first playthrough of P1 was sped up, just cuz I can't devote 40 minutes to 2 dialogue sessions and looting some trash bins
i love the game, and love the mechanics of it, but at a certain point (especially P1) it no longer respects your time as a player and given its a single player game, nobody should give a damn whether you speed up game time or mod in f150s and bomb the town yourself
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u/Bartre_Main Alexander Block 5d ago
Honestly maybe just drop it and come back when you're ready for it. I think you lose something when you adjust the clock speed. Also it does not take that long to get places. I think traveling from one end of the town to the other is not even 5 minutes.
-2
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u/jacarepampulha2408 6d ago
This question is asked literally every day here lol just search the sub you'll find at least 200 opinions to form your own
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u/Particular_Date_5235 6d ago
ive played pathologic classic about 10 times in my life and ive finished the story only about 3 times. it's very slow and tedious better play the remake first. pathologic 2 is a great game both gameplay and story wise
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u/DopeyyDolphin 5d ago
P2 will be more approachable while P1 will be more substantive. If you can make it through 2, you can try 1 for sure.
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u/QuintanimousGooch 4d ago
P1 if you’re a masochist and able to deal with tedium and frustration. P2 if you like well-designed video game mechanical experiences.
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u/Umpuuu Я забыла, что мира так много 4d ago
Start with 2.
Classic is great and if you end up liking the series definitely check it out, but it's very outdated and janky and requires some getting used to. 2 is more of an actual modern game. It's also the best one to play if you don't end up liking it too much — even if Patho ends up not being the game for you, this one you'd have the best experience with
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u/ClockworkMint Changeling 6d ago
I love the writing of the classic, it's my favorite game of all time. However, it is slow and can feel tedious if you are not someone who is motivated by story alone.
Personally, I cannot imagine playing the second game without the first one. 2 only offers the perspective of one healer while classic offers you all three of them. Playing classic first allowed me to care about EVERYONE in the second game, not just characters closest to the one you play as.
If you do decide to play the classic, give it a try. If it feels too hard and bad, watch a video called "Pathogic is Easy: A guide to surviving the town on Gorkhon" on YouTube that gives a lot of great tips that can make the game incredibly more manageable.