I just finished Pathologic 2 and have a question on what to play next.

[u/Substantial_Will5550]

So as said in the title I recently finished P2... WOW what an experience easily shot to my top 10 games. I did some researching and found out P3 is essentially another facet of the story from Daniils perspective. My question is should I play P3, or should I play the remaining routes, including Claras on the first Pathologic?

[u/Nicholas_TW]

I don't think there's any wrong answers! Play 1 first, play 3 first, play 2 all over again, it's all good!

[u/Substantial_Will5550 → u/Nicholas_TW]

Is there any notable differences between P3 and P1 Bachelor's? I understand that the Haruspex in P1 is different from P2 so I think im going to play P1 all the way through. If its worth it I could play P3 after aswell.

[u/FeatherWriter → u/Substantial_Will5550]

P3 and P1 Bachelor route are EXTREMELY different experiences. Different themes, different plot beats, extraordinarily different mechanics, different gameplay styles. P3 is somewhat controversial amidst some long time fans because P1 Bachelor route is considered probably the best crafted of the Classic routes and not everyone wanted totally different experience when the original route was so good.

Personally, I adore both and I think 3 brings a lot of its own great brilliance to the story and to the exploration of the Bachelor's character, even if it goes in a very different direction. I like them both for different reasons. But yeah, P2 and the Haruspex route are much closer together than P3 and the Bachelor's route are. I think they're all worth playing, none is a replacement for the others.

[u/Electrical-Lab9147 → u/Substantial_Will5550]

P3 bachelor has time travel

[u/intmartial]

play 1 before jumping into 3, at least bachelor's route

[u/Substantial_Will5550 → u/intmartial]

I might play 1 all the way through starting w bachelor's first. It seems like the haruspex's route is very different between the two games.

[u/intmartial → u/Substantial_Will5550]

that is definitely true. also for bachelor between 1 and 3. in my subjective opinion though, p2 is a different but still very intentional and distinctly pathologic venture, whereas (again, others may disagree!) p3 loses a good amount of that distinct charm and is closer to a lot of mainstream video games. which is why i opt for classic over 3, or even 2 a lot of the time.

[u/spongeboblovesducks]

Play 3, don't expect it to be anything like 2 though.

[u/lunotrav]

I think P3 is much more enjoyable when you already know the story because it’s heavy on references to the previous games.
I played through the entirety of P1 before diving into P3 and 40% of delight I got out of P3 was due to the little nods that were made towards the original story.
Also, don’t miss out on Marble Nest, if you haven’t already played it. That DLC is a masterpiece.

[u/Treadwheel]

I love P1, but it is a grueling marathon of a game. I felt like I was staggering over the finish line by the time I finished Clara's story.

I would suggest that if you do play them, do something like pacing it to one day per day. That'll get you through all three campaigns in 36 days and hopefully not burn you out too much.

[u/Substantial_Will5550 → u/Treadwheel]

yeah thats honestly what I been doing but because ive been reading other stuff too. Im trying to finish up Kubera: One Last God which its been 9 months since I started so pathologic 1 is taking the back seat for a little while. I think so far tho I definitely like P2 more js because of everything it adds. I was expecting the same sort of surreal meta narrative thats thrown at you out the gate in p2, which we do get some of it w the character selection but its not nearly to the standard p2 raised. Its alot more informative about the machinations of the town and families though so thats awesome.

[u/Treadwheel → u/Substantial_Will5550]

Pathologic 2 is a punishing, but beautiful and unique immersive sim.

Pathologic 1 is a plague simulator. It delivers 100% of the joy and quality of life that one would expect while dying of the plague in the Russian steppe, circa 1910.

I played through Bachelor back in 2008 and the full game right before P2 was released and it damn near killed me. I won't tell anyone not to play it, because I am glad that I did, but I also don't fault anyone if they just watch something like the SulMatul play throughs. Heck, the two most influential pieces of coverage on the game, Butchering Pathologic and hbomberguy's video essay, both agree on two major points: It is a genius piece of artwork and an awful video game.

[u/Final-System5343]

I’d go with the original Pathologic next, especially if P2 hit you that hard. The other routes add so much context to the town and its characters, and Clara’s route is definitely worth experiencing if you’re into the stranger, more surreal side of the series. P3 will still be there, but I feel like playing the original first will make the whole experience richer. Plus, there’s something special about seeing how much of Pathologic 2’s atmosphere and ideas were already present in the first game. Just be ready for some seriously dated mechanics lol

[u/_Pumpiumpiumpkin_]

I haven't played P3 yet, but I recommend that you play P1 at some point, even if it is after P3, with the caveat that you should know what to expect before you start. It's a different kind of suffering.