After taking part in the primary three hours of Atomic Heart, I felt like I had a fairly good deal with on what to anticipate. The upcoming first-person shooter felt like a transparent non secular cousin to Bioshock Infinite, buying and selling within the 1922 skies of Columbia for an alternate historical past imaginative and prescient of the Soviet Union circa 1955. I’d wander by way of darkish corridors, warding off rogue androids whereas unraveling the thriller of a utopian paradise run amok. Simple.
Moments later, a developer shot me ahead right into a small open world the place I used to be hoisting spore-infected monsters into the air with the flick of my wrist and driving a automobile by way of a pack of androids like they have been bowling pins. I’d barely even begun to see the complete scope of the undertaking in these first three hours.
Atomic Heart appears to delight itself on its unpredictable nature. Not even its visually eclectic trailers have actually captured how a lot is occurring beneath the hood in what’s shaping as much as be an extremely formidable debut from developer Mundfish. Based on my few hours with it, Atomic Heart feels just like the type of recreation that’ll be unattainable to pigeonhole. While it’ll be tempting to check it to video games like Bioshock, it’s a wholly distinctive inventive swing for a contemporary studio trying to make a reputation for itself. While I’m undecided if each one in every of its myriad of concepts will land primarily based on my time with it, Mundfish is throwing sufficient darts right here that it’s certain to land just a few bullseyes.
I, Comrade
Atomic Heart is aware of learn how to make an entrance. My demo begins proper on the high of the sport, with an introductory sequence harking back to Half-Life’s iconic journey round Black Mesa. This time, I’m driving down a stream on a futuristic paddle boat. It’s an idyllic imaginative and prescient of the long run, like I’m at a Disney theme park. A pleasant drone flies to me and fingers me a glass of soda, which I sip whereas watching little slice-of-life vignettes happen subsequent to me. It all appears too good to be true.
It is, in fact. The story takes place in an alternate model of 1955 by which the Soviet Union gained World War 2 and develop into a technological powerhouse. After making a marvel materials referred to as polymer, the united states was reworked right into a communist paradise filled with clever robots that dwell in concord with people. One rogue hack later, every little thing goes south and the machines flip into murderous monsters hellbent on killing the protagonist, an intelligence agent tasked with discovering who’s accountable.
Off the bat, I’ll stress that it’s unattainable to evaluate Atomic Heart’s political ambitions primarily based on such a small slice. It takes some clear jabs on the idea of communism however swings simply as laborious at capitalism. It’s unclear early on if it’s trying to make a commentary about both, or if it’s merely excited about irreverent farce a la Far Cry. Publisher Focus Interactive admitted that it was initially hesitant to select it up initially due to that facet, however the label appears assured in the place the ultimate recreation landed tonally, which is encouraging.
“If you need any more proof that the lines between big and mid-budget are blurring, Atomic Heart seems to offer a shining example.”
Regardless of how that exact thread performs out, I already discover Atomic Heart’s narrative focus compelling. While early trailers have purely emphasised motion, I received a way more story-heavy expertise that actually let me indulge in its inventive alt-history universe. My first hour is especially engrossing because it performs with an awe-inspiring scale. I gaze up at hulking statues of USSR leaders, watch a large parade transfer by way of the streets, and get a fowl’s eye view of all the metropolis because of a flying jalopy. Everything concerning the artwork design is triumphant, from its red-soaked streets to its assorted robotic designs.
That’s made all of the extra spectacular by its tech, which looks like an astonishing feat for a first-time studio funded by a AA writer. Like A Plague Tale: Requiem, its hyper-detailed visuals punch nicely above their weight class. More jaw-dropping, although, is that the sport doesn’t characteristic a single load display screen. There are some intelligent load masks right here or there, however my demo has me seamlessly leaping between the opening stream trip, a large palace, that aerial tour of the world, and the darkish corridors the place the motion begins to unfurl. If you want any extra proof that the strains between massive and mid-budget are blurring, Atomic Heart appears to supply a shining instance.
The robotic rebellion
While narrative is on the forefront, Atomic Heart can also be an extremely systems-heavy motion recreation. In reality, I’d barely even perceive half of it till the dev workforce confirmed me an summary video after my hands-on time. Its opening “dungeon” would have you ever considering it’s an ordinary Bioshock-like. After getting attacked by rogue robots, I’m thrown right into a darkish lab and compelled to sneak round corridors as I loot for supplies and face robots. I can sneak up on a foe to deactivate it with a button mash, however a lot of my gameplay would revolve round head-on motion.
Mundfish
My tackle the motion is a little bit skewed, as my demo was mistakenly set to “hard.” And let me let you know: it was, certainly, laborious. Equipped with solely an ax and a shotgun with just some shells early on, I needed to fastidiously duck and weave as agile androids launched a rush of lethal kicks and punches at me. I’d must do some cautious juggling as I pressed B to carry out a strafing dodge and comply with up with a heavy strike. Timing was every little thing, even on the best encounters, as if I used to be taking part in a punishing Souls recreation in first-person. I discovered myself naturally shifting in my chair alongside my character, making fight really feel significantly bodily.
Naturally, the sport is way more forgiving on its regular issue, however the top-level play did expose just a few challenges with its core programs. Chaining exact strikes at a quick tempo in first-person isn’t precisely simple, and I typically discovered myself dying as I backed into some geometry unknowingly and had no manner of escaping a flurry of assaults. The demo was stingy with its checkpointing too, so a demise would power me to take a seat by way of tutorial pop-ups once more or re-loot whole rooms (which may, luckily, be completed simply by holding down the loot button and hovering from object to object).
Though I struggled with components of its melee-driven opening, I rapidly realized that the primary few hours aren’t precisely a full illustration of the particular recreation — not by an extended shot. When I used to be kicked ahead to a mid-game slice, which takes gamers right into a extra open-ended hub world that nearly resembles Halo Infinite’s grassy Zeta Halo, I’m given a a lot greater arsenal. Here, I’m taking part in an over-the-top shooter that mixes gunplay with particular powers. I come up on a pack of drones and press my left bumper to power pull them into the air. After peppering them with just a few pictures from my electrical handgun, I launch the button to ship them slamming into the bottom. Later, I’ll douse some enemies in grey goo and unleash an electrical bolt to paralyze them.
That portion had me extra enthusiastic about fight, as I started to see extra of a sandbox potential to its motion. With 13 weapons, a slew of craftable mods for every, a myriad of particular powers, and upgrades to unlock, I get the sense that Atomic Heart will probably be a dream for individuals who like to tinker with their fight programs. There’s loads of potential to construct particular loadouts, discovering the correct synergy between powers and weapons. All I’m curious to see is how Atomic Heart will get from level A to level B, shifting from that nearly stealth-horror opening to its power-fantasy experimentation.
Full of surprises
After taking part in a very good 4 hours (the core story is anticipated to final 25, although side-content will take it nearer to 40), just one factor is evident about Atomic Heart: it doesn’t wish to bore you. It’s a wholly unpredictable recreation, always constructing on its gameplay, taking part in with style, and making tonal leaps at each flip. One minute, I’m terrified as dead-eyed androids hunt me down. The subsequent, a attractive crafting machine tries to have its manner with me in an absurd — although admittedly crass — comedic bit.
There’s a little bit of a kitchen sink design philosophy at play right here, as Mundfish has loaded this up with as many concepts as it could possibly match. There’s a crafting mechanic, open-world exploration between linear dungeons, a posh AI ecosystem that dictates how enemies act, and way more that went completely over my head throughout my 4 hours. Staff at Focus Entertainment inform me the sport initially had plans for a full co-op mode too, which was ultimately reduce attributable to its ballooning scale. I don’t assume anybody who’s been following the sport’s advertising can have any sense of its scope till they play it – and even then, I get the sense that it’s not going to cease taking inventive swings till the credit roll.
That strategy made way more sense after I spoke to Game Director Robert Bagratuni on-site on the demo occasion. During a chat, I requested him about a few of the video games that influenced the studio’s debut. He talked about the Bioshock comparisons early trailers have earned and form of sighed on the concept. He defined that he sees little worth in merely making “clones” of different video games; anybody who desires to play Bioshock can merely play Bioshock. Instead, Bagratuni desires to genuinely shock gamers, always including new layers to the motion so it by no means looks like the sport has proven you every little thing there may be to see.
It’s an admirable strategy, although one which I think about would be the recreation’s final take a look at. There have been moments after I questioned if the complete recreation may wind up feeling a little bit unfocused. For now, I’m assuming that’s merely a byproduct of being flung right into a mid-game part with most of my powers unlocked, relatively than easing into it naturally. Even so, I’m left a little bit torn by its chameleon nature. Its extra directed opening had me hooked from a narrative degree, however much less engaged in fight. That flipped in a while, as I had extra enjoyable blasting androids in a sandbox on the expense of narrative momentum. I hope to see the 2 meet within the center within the remaining product.
All of it will come all the way down to execution. Mundfish has no scarcity of concepts, but it surely’ll must show that it is aware of learn how to join all of them right into a remaining undertaking that feels cohesive. It’s a tall order for a first-time studio, however the effort and keenness are actually there. Even if it doesn’t wind up touchdown each punch, I think about that its fixed surprises will probably be sufficient to maintain me engrossed in its promising sci-fi thriller. I’ll take some oddball inventive swings from a contemporary studio over a templatized style piece any time.
Atomic Heart launches on February 21 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
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