Gamers Have Already Tried Pathologic 3 — First Reviews Are In

Following today’s release of the psychological horror Pathologic 3 on Steam, the game has received its first wave of player ratings. As of this writing, it holds a preliminary score of 88% positive reviews.

Most players are praising the game’s optimization, though some users have reported experiencing freezes during the opening cutscene.

In terms of player numbers, Pathologic 3 saw around 3,000 concurrent players on Steam on its first day.

By the way, Pathologic 3 is available at a 20% discount until January 23. Owners of Pathologic 2 or Classic HD can claim an additional 15% off.

Pathologic 3 is a psychological horror game with a strong narrative focus, challenging players to save a provincial town from destruction by an unknown epidemic in just 12 days. The protagonist, Daniil Dankovsky, is a doctor from the capital who finds himself in an isolated settlement searching for the secret of immortality, only to be confronted by a disaster he failed to prevent the first time.

Gameplay centers on medical investigation, crisis management, and racing against time. Players personally examine patients, collect symptoms, make diagnoses, and gradually work toward developing a vaccine—all while navigating lies, half-truths, and the hidden agendas of the townsfolk. At the same time, you’ll have to make tough administrative decisions: imposing quarantines and curfews, reallocating resources, carrying out vaccinations, quelling riots, and deciding what price the city’s salvation is worth.

A key feature is the ability to return to the past, analyze the consequences of your mistakes, and change the course of events. Your choices affect not only the spread of the epidemic and the fate of individual characters, but also the very face of the city—from widespread violence to the illusion of celebration. The psychological state of Dankovsky plays a crucial role: apathy and manic episodes can alter your perception of events, unlock new interpretations, or even lead to tragic outcomes.

Pathologic 3 combines non-linear storytelling, moral dilemmas, and time pressure, offering players not so much victory as a complex and ambiguous experience of survival—both of the mind and of society—in the face of inevitable catastrophe.