Pathway Reviews
Pathway overall feels like a lite version of a turn-based game, and the monotony sets in fairly quickly. There are no plot twists to keep the story engaging, because there really is no story but rather the shallow foundation of one. Although the game can be beaten in 10 to 20 hours, it's questionable whether many gamers will see it through to the end. It may suck players in for a while, but the game simply is not dynamic enough to maintain interest long term. In the end, Pathway feels all the more dissatisfying because it had such potential. Robotality’s creation can be compared to an itch under the skin that can almost be scratched, but not quite.
Pathway brings together RPG tactics and roguelite progression with a unique Indiana Jones setting, but it doesn't have the depth to feel replayable.
Crisp combat let down by boring enemies, repetitive missions and a disconnected story.
Pathway is a workmanlike XCOM-lite whose breezy tone stumbles into some tired tropes.
I think it’s a generally inoffensive game with extremely charming presentation that’s badly suited for the ritualistic plonking down of oneself in front of a chunky desktop PC
Pathway is a competent game. Just competent. Definitely not great, maybe not even good, but certainly competent. It's blend of randomized storytelling and XCOM-style combat is well done, but it doesn't prove to remain consistently entertaining in the long run. Those of you who are absolutely starved for this kind of game may want to cautiously investigate. Otherwise, just pick up the XCOM 2 Collection or Mario + Rabbids for a much more enjoyable take on the genre.
Overall, Pathway is a game for fans of the adventure genre and stands out thanks to its archeological spin. The story is a bit cheesy, but not in a way that feels generic and unoriginal, and traveling through the desert fighting Nazis and cultists while rationing gasoline and supplies is a fun challenge that's not too overwhelming. While it's disappointing that the game suffers from technical issues on occasion, in general, it runs well docked, and offers engaging gameplay that doesn't overstay its welcome on Nintendo Switch.
Pathway can count on an outstanding art direction, but there are many issues preventing the players to fully enjoy the game.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Pathway achieves its goal in an excellent way, not adding anything revolutionary to the most traditional formula of its kind but without fully adhering to its structures. The product distances itself from the canons enough to be decidedly deserving: bluntly recommended to fans of the genre, who for about ten hours will be able to surprise themselves at every new crossroads, living with curiosity every event, every clash and every new random discovery.
Review in Italian | Read full review
A worthwhile excursion, Pathway's unrealized potential hurts my heart.
Pathway throws in a lot of different gameplay elements, but it does everything well. The strategic combat is simple and fluid, and doesn't outstay its welcome. The vignette-like adventures are palatable and entertaining. And perhaps best of all, it's one of the best looking pixelized games in recent memory.
Sure, the idea’s aren’t genre defining and the story itself is a bit of a cheesy romp, but when my biggest complaint is that the port to Nintendo Switch could really have done with narrative and UI text that isn’t minuscule, there’s not a lot wrong. Pathway is a wonderfully upbeat ode to adventure flicks of old. The deliberately arcane pixel art shines though while the tone and setting never make gameplay a second fiddle.
The journey is long, the adventure is dangerous, your chances of success and survival? Well that's up to you... It's time to load up.
While Pathway has a lot of interesting ideas, none of them are executed in a way that makes them compelling. Chucklefish nails the setting of the pulp era but not the feeling.
Pathway still overall does a great job of feeling like a procedurally generated Indiana Jones adventure, as you take a motley crew of 1930s adventurers on a quest to beat the crap out of Nazis and prevent cultists from unleashing doom. The variety of options, whether it's the lengthy list of characters, possible events, or combat scenarios, help make this game a joy to play and even revisit. There might only be five campaigns, but the well-done procedural generation makes each run unique enough to warrant a repeat viewing.
An enjoyable game that leaves you longing for a bit more depth and complexity. While it may feel like it's a missed opportunity at a great concept, it may yet turn out to be a real gem.
Elevator pitch time: Set off on an adventure with a party of your choosing with a wide variety of skills...
Pathway has a lot to offer. It’s got aspects of a tabletop roleplaying/board/resource management/strategy game all in one. And while that may sound like a confusing mash-up, it’s executed quite well. Really, my biggest complaint is the steep difficulty curve, as each mission seems significantly more difficult than the one before it. While there are options to reduce the difficulty, even still it felt needlessly hard at times. The last thing I’d like to mention about this game is something I haven’t encountered before: the ability to turn off the violence against the dogs in the game. Sometimes you will be attacked by dogs, and there is an option that when you defeat them, rather than dying, you can have them simply run away. As a lover of doggos (especially my derpy dog, Link), I found this to be a wonderful addition to the game.
Pathway is a serviceable roguelite built around the fun idea of tailing Nazis across the desert in a jeep. However it lacks personality, character and narrative worth getting invested in. Its combat will satisfy for a time but quickly becomes too familiar for genre fans, and too dull for anyone else to jump aboard.
Whether it's the allure of recruiting a new teammate or uncovering lost treasures in ancient tombs, there's always something to expect when you play Pathway.