I do like how Pathologic does not make me feel pity for Daniil, nor does it lead me to see him in a strictly negative light. Instead my feelings about him are this secret third thing I like to call “surely there was a better way to do all that”
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*gestures to the canon model of shirtless Artemy people found* this is why at first I found Daniil the more attractive one. *gestures to peoples beautiful beautiful fatter and hairier drawings of him* and THIS is why I was wrong.
One thing that has consistently kept my mind on the world of Pathologic since my p2 playthrough started a few months ago is these incredibly profound aspects of the characters.
Spoilers for lots of p2 and probably some of my half understood snippets of p1 below.
Firstly it’s stuff like how Artemy’s mother died giving birth to him, he lost his brother, and the day he returned to his home the last remaining member of his family died. But then as if like a reflexive response he was drawn to not only protect but adopt some of the children of the town to build a new family around the broken remains of his previous one. As if he couldn’t bear to not have a family to return to. And for a couple of kids, Murky and Sticky have their own complicated relationships to his father. He took in those his father failed to truly care for in the way they deserved. I think about how the three of them would navigate their feelings about Isidor together especially as the kids grow up and his actions become recontextualized in their minds. To me, the deaths of Murky’s parents and other townspeople in the first outbreak feels portrayed as a preventable mistake by the narrative. How will Murky’s relationship to that tragedy and the love for his family she carries with her shift as she grows up in a new loving household?
On to another non-traditional family dynamic, though this one doesn’t exactly stick, Grace and Peter. I can not stop thinking about what it means that Grace, the sweet girl who can hear the spirits of the dead and tends to all the graves in the graveyard, gravitated to Peter as a father figure, Peter who is haunted by ghosts in his own, much darker way. A little psychic who can hear ghost and her father, a murderer. It’s fascinating. I have so many questions (some which might have answers but I’ve only played p2 and don’t pay attention ✌️☺️) Like, if the ghosts speak to Grace so often, how is it that she doesn’t already know about the murder? Does she know about the murder? What, if anything coherent, can she hear from Farkhad? Does he mutter bitter hatred like a classic scary vengeful ghost? Does he whisper words of forgiveness? What does her trust and familial love of Peter represent? The innocent forgiveness only a child can give? A cosmic will for him to move on from his past and forgive himself? A sinister gap in her information which might, one day, be filled? I’ve scoured dialogue to try to figure this out but I still feel like I’m missing something, which I suppose might be intended. I love their contrast as representations of innocence and guilt.
Also on the topic of Peter, who I may just have become fascinated with because I failed to even meet him in my own playthrough of p2, his psychology and other relationships are endlessly interesting to me. I love how he’s stated to be the real genius between him and his brother, but maybe even because of his immense intelligence Peter is the one who is trapped in the mistakes of his past. You hear it a lot, that a lot of highly intelligent people get trapped in only focusing on their flaws and never reach their full potential because of it. And so Andrey moved on from . . . committing an actual murder, ok bro good on you I guess, and ends up running a successful business. He’s so successful and holds so much influence in the town that Andrey ends up seeing himself as his brothers protector, the one who needs to care for him. Yet the reason Peter appears so ambition-less and helpless in his current state is because of the crime he and his brother committed together. His intelligence is his downfall and I think that’s such an underused character type.
I have something to say about nearly every family dynamic in the entire setting. Even what is implied about the town at large since the first outbreak with the overabundance of orphaned children. P2 has so much to say about what family means to people. What you inherit, what you are owed by family. I appreciate the nuance the theme is given immensely. But I can’t talk about everything here so I’ll leave you with two under qualified adoptive dads and everyone’s favourite twin brothers.
Don’t mind me broaching all these interesting nuanced little points for discussion all at once, they just all fit into a similar place in my mind. I’m curious if people who have gone further into the franchise than me have their own takes. Is this just as fascinating and thought provoking to you guys? Also let me know if I’ve missed anything relevant!
