Pathologic is Genius, And Here's Why
This article or section needs expansion. |
| Video Essay | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Pathologic is Genius, And Here's Why |
| Creator: | Hbomberguy |
| Date(s): | November 21, 2019 |
| Medium: | Video posted to YouTube |
| Length: | 2 hours 11 minutes |
| Footage: | Pathologic Classic HD and Pathologic 2 gameplay |
| Fandom: | |
| Topic: | Pathologic plot and gameplay mechanics, video games as an artform |
| External Links: | on YouTube |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Pathologic is Genius, And Here's Why is a video essay by media critic hbomberguy that dissects the plot of Pathologic, as experienced through the Classic HD version of the game. It is part of Hbomberguy's And Here's Why series. The video summary reads:
Two hours? That sounds like a nightmare. Luckily, so is the game. And what an amazing nightmare it is.
As of September 2022, the video has over 6.5 million views and 128 thousand likes.
The Video
Topics discussed
- A basic explanation of the game's story
- An in-depth analysis of how the game mechanics make the player feel
- The difference between routes
- Bugs and visuals
- Game design and the purpose of games
- Pathologic Classic vs Pathologic 2
Structure
The video has nine parts:
- Part I: What is Pathologic? 3:02
- Part II: Futility & Disempowerment 9:00
- Part II.ii: Day Two 25:29
- Part III: The Writing 40:37
- Part IV: The Jank 56:11
- Part V: The Haruspex or, The Real Pathologic starts here 1:05:54
- Part VI: The Endings 1:21:22
- Part VII: The Changeling Run 1:34:44
- now 1:45:20
- Conclusion 1:52:23
Reactions & Comments
On Tumblr
[permian-tropos]
Because I recommended it to someone, I went back to the hbomberguy Pathologic video essay and watched a bit of it, because I compulsively cannot be reminded of the video without sampling just a piece of it. Soon it’ll be the 1 year anniversary of that video so this is kinda a preemptive anniversary celebration.I scrolled through a lot of comments though, knowing I’d see the same sentiment over and over, “I’ve watched this X many times, here I go again, this is my emotional support video essay, welcome back everyone who’s here for another viewing.” Like it’s become a meme at this point that there’s no reason for people to be rewatching it THAT much.
Finally I came to one comment that basically asked, “WHY. why is this so compelling. yes, hbomb is a good video essayist, yes the content is interesting, yes it’s very relevant to today’s crisis, but we were rewatching this before covid struck. really, what is going on?? does someone want to try to explain the allure of Pathologic is Genius and Here’s Why?”
There’s that part in the video essay where hbomb talks about what he thinks the real meaning of Pathologic is. How art can capture a person in a moment in time, and in some ways make them immortal. How this video is a snapshot of who he is, at that point in time, and that you could almost imagine the video is like the Polyhedron, it’s a Focus, it has a soul.
And that’s my answer to the question of why it’s so compelling. Like in a weird way I think somehow he gave that video essay a soul by making it a journey (through intrigue, through drama, through quite a lot of humor) to that very philosophical notion, and we’re all drawn to it the way the children and the Bachelor are drawn to the Polyhedron.
I know this sounds weird, but I’m just saying.
Also I found another comment saying that the person predicted hbomb would make a Pathologic video months in advance bc he was reblogging burakhovsky fanart on tumblr and I don’t know if I believe it, I didn’t even think he had a tumblr, but *wheeeeze*[1]
[dragoninatrenchcoat]
listening to Pathologic is Genius and Here's Why while I do chores and I'm legitimately quoting it like a favorite film. I guess it is at this point... it's long enough[2]
[djungelskogbear]
Pathologic is genius (and here’s why) isn’t even a video anymore, he’s like a brother to me[3]
[childhoodgrave]
pathologic is genius and heres why is a good video bc it introduces people to pathologic but a bad video in that it drastically over exaggerates how difficult the game actually is to play to the point where it dissuades ppl from playing it while also giving like surface level explanations for the story (which is the best part) [4]
[go-go-devil reblogged from tetrissyndromes]
Tagged: #pathologic #hbomberguy #I can understand what he was going for by exaggerating the difficulty at least #because I think he was trying to illustrate how the average gamer would react to a first-time playthrough #especially since what made patho unique at the time was how it severely punished you for just going around killing everyone #while most games then and now never demand the player to be this careful #but honestly besides the points other reblogs made in their tags #MY biggest criticism is his statement that pathologic is inherently 'not fun' to play at all #like maybe to HIM it's not a traditionally fun experience #but for me this is one of the only gritty 'realistic' survival games that I actually enjoy playing (because the world and story are SO GOOD #I just hate the philosophy that something that isn't traditional cannot be considered 'enjoyable' to anyone...[5]
On Reddit
[u/ADALASKA-official]
YESSSSS, MORE SALES INCOMING.Hbomberguy is a huge thing for Pathologic, he pulls an entirely different crowd than mandalore and grimbeard for example, this is great!
[u/iTzJME]
I'm actually checking out the game and planning on buying it tonight after seeing Hbomb's video of it, so howdy![6]
[u/Phuemaltopia]
It's so comforting to hear the way he explains his experience to be so similar to my own. It goes to show that this game truly achieves its message, without feeling forced. Something almost impossible with most videogame narratives.[6]
Fanworks
References
- ^ permian-tropos Tumblr Post, Archived version Posted 22 October 2020. Accessed 21 September 2022
- ^ dragoninatrenchcoat Tumblr Post, Archived version Posted 16 April 2021. Accessed 21 September 2022
- ^ djungelskogbear Tumblr Post, Archived version Posted 25 February 2022. Accessed 21 September 2022
- ^ childhoodgrave Tumblr Post, Archived version Posted 4 September 2022. Accessed 21 September 2022
- ^ go-go-devil Tumblr Post, Archived version Posted 5 September 2022. Accessed 21 September 2022
- ^ a b Pathologic is Genius, And Here's Why - HBomberguy on r/pathologic, Archived version Posted 21 Nov 2019. Accessed 21 September 2022