by Pathogen stylishly refashions the classic game of Go into a deadly struggle between warring cells and viruses. You’ll face off against one or more opponents in either a single-player campaign or on multiplayer maps, with the end goal being to control more than 50 percent of the squares when the board is filled. Fiendish-yet-simple capture and destroy mechanics combine with cool neon visuals, a map editor, and a variety of stage types to make this a stellar strategic engagement.
Play involves dropping three different cell types onto a grid. Stacking two cells of the same type, or putting a B or C cell atop an A cell, causes an evolution to a higher-classed cell, with the top level being an indestructible wall. All adjacent cells of the same type also evolve, while the outer fringes spread one square outward. Viruses and B and C cells take time to charge, though, so you must use them wisely. It takes some time to learn the ropes, particularly when it comes to the complexities of conquering opponents’ territory. However, the mechanics end up feeling intuitive, and they allow for a huge range of tactical approaches.
The A.I. opponents hold their own fairly well, especially on the 12-chapter, 36-level campaign’s hard difficulty, but multiplayer is where Pathogen really excels. It shouldn’t take more than one practice round to bring your friends up to speed for same-screen or online hostilities, leaving plenty of time for brutal spars where the tide turns repeatedly in a round. You’ll need to think several moves ahead to survive against a skilled player, as luck plays no part in the proceedings.
Different map types require more sophisticated tactical maneuvers, too, thanks to clever layouts of neutral cells and portions of the playfield that are revealed or closed off at set intervals. This variety in level design and rules keeps Pathogen engaging for many repeat rounds — provided, that is, if the repetitive music doesn’t drive you away first. We also hit an odd bug in the campaign that cleared the record of our progress, but left open the chapters we had unlocked; a small annoyance that’ll hopefully be cleared up in the next update.
The bottom line. Pathogen offers a stylish and elegant tactical struggle against computer or human opponents that draws immense depth from a simple set of rules.
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