After 19 years, a cult classic survival horror game's infamous block mechanic was found to be a typo in its code, and thanks to a modder "this oversight is fixed"

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We finally know why Pathologic's blocking just doesn't work

Pathologic
(Image credit: Good Shepherd Entertainment)

Cult classic survival horror game Pathologic has a blocking mechanic that just plain ol' doesn't work, and after 19 years we finally know why.

It's generally well-known among fans of the game that Pathologic's blocking mechanic, which throws your character's fists in front of your face, does nothing at all. Well, it turns out that isn't just bad game design — it's due to a typo in the game's code, and you can officially fix it with a fan-created mod.

"IT'S BECAUSE THEY SET IT TO 0.25 INSTEAD OF 25.0," says a modder going by RoSoDude online. "All I did was change the instruction at 0x0A20 to use 25.0 and now blocking works lol.

"Nearly 20 years later, this oversight is fixed."

RoSoDude is the modder behind the Pathologic Classic mod Reputation Survival and Disease Overhaul, which is described as "the first mod of its kind to alter the underlying game systems and bring out the potential depth that was hinted at but never fully realized in the game." 

Specifically, the mod's aim is to "rebalance the economy and survival gameplay of Pathologic Classic." RoSoDude says much of the original game's notorious difficulty is simply due to "its failure to communicate some of its more obtuse mechanics and systems," and that too many of its systems are "highly abusable", making the original game more like a "walking simulator in which you "tediously grind resources while walking between (admittedly very well-written) character dialogues."

Basically, the point of the mod is to make players experience the game how it was meant to be played by removing various exploits that are used to get around the game's systems. It just also happens to fix blocking, which is a nice little added bonus.

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Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick
Staff Writer

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.