How Pathologic 3’s Multiple Timelines Affect Its Story and Gameplay

Since its release in 2005, Pathologic has been a cult classic thanks to its intricate narrative, uncanny setting, and intense difficulty. Developer Ice-Pick Lodge followed up with Pathologic 2 after the first received an HD remastered version. It was more akin to a softer reboot versus a proper sequel though. Pathologic 2 streamlined some of the original’s aspects while keeping the unsettling atmosphere and complex survival mechanics intact. Notably, it pared the original three storylines down to a single character, the Haruspex, with the developer promising to continue the other two threads later. Fans can now look forward to Pathologic 3 depicting the Bachelor’s story next, with HypeTrain Digital publishing the third installment.

When it releases in 2025, Pathologic 3 will contain all the hallmarks of the unique series while also adding a new time travel mechanic. Game Rant recently spoke with Ice-Pick’s creative director and founder Nikolay Dybowski about how this new wrinkle will let players digest multiple versions of reality as the Bachelor. We also spoke about how this ties into Pathologic‘s gameplay and core themes.

Pathologic 3’s Approach to Time Travel and Alternate Realities

In keeping with series roots, Pathologic 3‘s time travel mechanic relates closely to its deep explorations of philosophical issues. Dybowski stated that the Bachelor is attempting to “conquer death using an outdated, Newtonian worldview—a seemingly impossible task.” The Bachelor will need to “break apart his worldview and reassemble it” to grapple with the deadly disease that’s descending on the town, offering new levels of introspection. This breaking apart, reassembling, and introspection are all important elements of Pathologic 3, Dybowski said:

This applies to fundamental concepts: time, space, and humanity. We wanted the player to experience a world shattered into fragments—a familiar world made strange that must be pieced together anew.

Pathologic 3 will once again examine humanity’s place and purpose in the world by presenting players with a vision of reality as a kaleidoscopic, fractured structure. The Bachelor, alongside fans, will be asked to think outside the bounds of normal perceptions to fully understand and resolve the situation. The Bachelor’s re-evaluation of his mindset and grasp on the nature of reality is intended to be directly reflected in the player’s experience throughout and inform how both will be potentially changed in the process.

How Pathologic 3’s Time Travel and Multiple Worlds Tie Into Gameplay and Story

Pathologic 3‘s layers of time travel and alternate realities are intrinsically linked to its other elements. In terms of how this relates to gameplay, Dybowski said that it emphasizes the moment-to-moment feeling rather than, for example, collecting relevant information in a prescribed order. Pathologic 3 endeavors to impart the sensation of playing as a character unstuck in space and adrift in time, yet still able to make informed decisions and affect events:

We wanted players to feel like “everything, everywhere, all at once”—similar to Billy Pilgrim in ”
Slaughterhouse-Five
.” Different versions of reality coexist simultaneously, creating a “quantum” feeling. The time travel mechanic is an opportunity to correct mistakes, or even to make deliberate ones, in order to unlock new paths and ideas. It is like a “sanctioned save scum.”

This suggests Pathologic 3 will feature the ability to replay various sections with more freedom regarding consequences and progression. With a “sanctioned save scum” system, players may be able to try a range of tactics and make different choices with fewer penalties, subsequently witnessing the (perhaps extreme) changes in the Bachelor and the Town itself as they both fluctuate between realities. Coupled with its established elements, Pathologic 3‘s gameplay and timeline look to evolve the formula through this more free-flowing structure and design, promising plenty of interesting outcomes and surprises in the upcoming entry.