Atomic Heart: Is the scanner tutorial broken?

Atomic Heart’s first hurdle is a tutorial. Whatever struggles you’re having while learning how to use the scanner, know that it’s not a bug (probably).

You’d be forgiven for getting stumped right at the start of this first-person shooter, out now for PlayStation, Xbox, and Windows PC.

How to use the Atomic Heart’s scanner tutorial

You can use the scanner by entering Atomic HeartYou can find it here. Double-tap R1 in PlayStation or RB on Xbox, then hold R1/RB until the second pressing.

The written directions (“Hold R1 + R1” on PlayStation) read like the sort of tip where you’re supposed to press two different buttons, and the NPC — who exists solely to justify the tutorial within the game’s tenuous fiction — tells you something to effect of “holding both of your hands up.”

The general bugginess and annoyance of Atomic Heart, no one would blame you for assuming the text instruction is in error, or for repeatedly trying to hold down L1 and R1 at the same time instead — one shoulder button for each hand. This writer has been charged with a crime.

How to find items with Atomic Heart’s scanner

Image: Mundfish/Focus Entertainment via Polygon

Atomic Heart’s scanner works a lot like most scanners work from most games: It helps you analyze your surroundings. When you scan objects, overlays with different colors will be created to highlight them. The game cannot explain this.

• BlueYou can find chests, drawers and other containers with resources that you can steal.
• Orange indicates enemies. If you hold the scanner over a specific enemy, you’ll be able to see a list of their resistances and weaknesses, plus a rundown of the loot they’ll drop when defeated. Note that using the scanner doesn’t pause time entirely; you’re still susceptible to attacks.
• Weiß indicates objects you can interact with — save stations, elevator call buttons, that sort of thing.
• Purple indicates story-essential items. Most of the time, Atomic HeartAlthough the scanner is very generous in its waypointing, there are rare instances when you will need to complete the task yourself. For instance, during the “Made in the USSR” mission, you have to find the “voice, the symbol, and the sprout of the Motherland.” Activating the scanner will highlight the three items — a radio, a hammer, and a plant — you need to progress. They’re all in the same room.