Disclaimer:This review was made possible by a review code provided by Focus Entertainment.
The company did not see the contents of the review before publishing.
The reality of Atomic Heart’s performance is complicated, however.
These giant metal worms appear frequently in Atomic Heart, although I never expected this one to move.
Atomic Heart’s performance is good but complicated, with aspects falling just short of “great.”
On a technical level, Atomic Heart is not the most graphically impressive game I have ever played.
Atomic Heart is one of the most photogenic games I’ve played in recent memory.
Facility 3826 briefly seems like a utopia, before everything falls apart around you.
I can’t overstate how amazing Atomic Heart looks.
Don’t believe me?
Here are some in-game screenshots I took.
While slow paced, the opening section of Atomic Heart quickly established the art direction for the entire game.(Image credit: Windows Central)
The scope of the game is huge, but it often feels unfocused and as if it lacks direction.
Because of this focused loop, I sincerely loved the first 10 hours of Atomic Heart.
Atomic Heart already tries to do a lot.
Facility 3826 is incomprehensibly massive, with many parts hovering hundreds of feet in the sky via giant floating platforms.(Image credit: Windows Central)
The game even features platforming sections and stealth mechanics.
After its opening act, Atomic Heart begins to feel like it’s trying to do too much.
It all just feels like too much.
This seed vault was overwhelmingly large when I first walked in, but is actually a tiny fragment of Atomic Heart’s world.(Image credit: Windows Central)
And that core gameplay loop isfun.
Granted, it did take me time to become accustomed to Atomic Heart’s unorthodox movement.
Bosses are understandably more sponge-like, but their individual abilities were usually enough to keep me interested.
Some of the inter-complex transportation tunnels were destroyed by malfunctioning Borav mining worms.(Image credit: Windows Central)
Set in 1955, Atomic Heart takes place in Russia’s Soviet Union, shortly following World War II.
Again, Soviet scientists led a united effort to combat the plague and managed to save humanity from extinction.
It would also allow all humans to directly control robots with their minds.
Rooms like this make Atomic Heart’s world feel truly special, even if other parts of the game don’t keep up.(Image credit: Windows Central)
Nothing is as it seems behind the closed doors of Facility 3826.
Unfortunately, the execution of Atomic Heart’s genuinely interesting story leaves a lot to be desired.
Agent P-3 is, for lack of better words, a one-dimensional asshole, with erratic viewpoints and morals.
Character designs and thematic elements aside, Atomic Heart’s architecture was consistently impressive.(Image credit: Windows Central)
Writing inconsistencies aside, it’s impossible to like Atomic Heart’s protagonist or enjoy his random outburst.
There were more than a few tracks during intense segments that were expectantly awesome.
However, I noticed that the presence of this soundtrack was… hit or miss.
Once you become accustomed to the abnormal movement controls, Atomic Heart’s combat feels great.
Atomic Heart: Accessibility
Atomic Heart is not an accessible game.
Those with joint issues may find this game unbelievably exhausting to play.
Atomic Heart: Should you play it?
Atomic Heart was at its best when it stayed true to its initial linear level design.
In the first act of Atomic Heart, I was ecstatic.
Atomic Heart has a fantastic core, but it’s weighed down by too many odd additions.
I dominated most of my enemies with my trusty ax, which I upgraded to become an elemental monster of a weapon.
Facility 3826 celebrates the impending launch of Kollectiv 2.0, which harbors dark secrets.
Agent P-3 has to travel to various complexes to finish his mission.
Such a beautiful world, but it’s built on hidden intentions and false promises.
Spilled vats of polymer create strange constructs that defy physics and allow you to access hard-to-reach areas.
The first act of Atomic Heart was something special, before the game got too big for its own good.
I won’t easily forget the world of Atomic Heart, and I’m glad I played despite the flaws.
