Atomic Heart

Atomic Heart is a shooter developed by Russian studio Mundfish. The game, long before its release labeled as "Soviet BioShock", was published by Focus Entertainment.

Plot

Atomic Heart takes place in an alternate history. In the 1940s, the Soviet Union revolutionized the field of robotics thanks to the discoveries of Dimitri Sechenov. As part of the Facility 3826 project, he led the construction of machines connected to a neural network, Kollektiv 1.0, which were not only able to replace humans at many of their jobs, but also significantly accelerated city expansion and improved the citizens' living conditions. Sechenov then proceeded to work on an interface known as Thought, supposed to let humans connect to the Kollektiv network - the official reason being to let them control the robots with their minds and provide them with immediate access to information.

A few days before June 13, 1955, the release date of Kollektiv 2.0, which was supposed to make Sechenov's dream come true, things got out of hand. A malfunction at Facility 3826 causes the machines to rebel against humans. The main protagonist, Major P-3, is dispatched to the site, tasked with eliminating the threat and securing the priceless data before it leaks.

Mechanics

The gameplay of Atomic Heart is shown from the first-person perspective (FPP). Throughout the game we explore the extensive research and testing areas making up the Facility 3826. We must be careful, as death lurks around every corner. We'll face aggressive robots, powerful machines and horrifying mutants. Major P-3 is not defenseless, however - he can wield melee weaponry, a wide range of modern firearms and a special experimental glove providing him supernatural abilities (such as electrocuting enemies). As we progress through the game, all these weapons can be upgraded, letting us face greater challenges.

Nevertheless, achieving our goal is still quite challenging. The enemies can communicate with each other thanks to the Kollektiv system and will call for reinforcements if they spot us. Many of them require solid effort to defeat as well. To succeed, we must carefully observe our enemies in search of weak points and wisely manage resources. Sometimes, rather than go on an all-out offensive, it's better to sneak behind enemies, take them down from hiding and hack security systems.

Technical aspects

The visuals of Atomic Heart are definitely its strong suit. The game runs on the Unreal Engine, featuring detailed area designs, enemy models and realistic lighting.

Last updated on 09 February 2023