Key facts
- Pathogenic is a new roguelite twin-stick shooter where players control a pathogen.
- The game involves navigating through different body zones, from skin to heart, facing immune cells and rival pathogens.
- Players collect upgrades and DNA helixes to mutate and customize their pathogen's abilities and weapons.
- The game features procedurally generated levels and a meta-currency for unlocking permanent upgrades.
- Pathogenic has achieved over 100,000 sales and an 'overwhelmingly positive' review score on Steam.
Pathogenic, a new roguelite twin-stick shooter developed by Aberrant Labs, allows players to embody a pathogen as it invades a human body. The game begins after a lab accident, with the player starting in the skin and progressing through organs like the intestines, liver, stomach, lungs, and heart, each ending with a boss battle. Victory is achieved by defeating the heart, with an optional secret brain boss for additional challenge.
Gameplay centers on fast-paced, twin-stick shooting mechanics, where players dodge bullet-hell projectiles and enemy attacks while targeting foes. Similar to 'The Binding of Isaac,' procedurally generated zones include combat rooms and safe spaces for power-ups, which can be purchased with in-game currency. The core of the game lies in its modular upgrade system, allowing players to plug various powerups into their pathogen. These upgrades can modify weapons with effects like fire or electric damage, add new projectile or melee weapons, and grant active abilities. Some upgrades allow for 'overcharging' to provide bonuses to other connected nodes under specific conditions, reminiscent of 'Spore.'