Atomic Heart review in progress: a thrilling fps with Bioshock vibes

I’m 10 hours into Atomic Heart And the end isn’t in sight. It feels as though the game has just completed its throat clearing, and now it is opening up to reveal some strange, Sci-Fi Soviet secrets. It’s violent and familiar, like so many other first-person shooters. However, I am able to see the core of Atomic Heart, I wonder whether this game is what it appears to be — or if it’s something much more interesting.

Established in 1955 by the USSR Atomic Heart sees players step into the large shoes of Major Nechaev, also known as “P3.” Nechaev is in the employ of a scientist, Professor Sechenov, a member of a group of Soviet scientific geniuses whose technological marvels propelled the USSR to be the leading scientific nation in the world.

However, this is not the reality. It is not the norm to have semi-sentient robots or advanced botanical research. P3’s main job is overseeing security for various facilities run by Sechenov and the government. It is Sechenov’s robots and systems at these various facilities that begin… well, failing.

P3, as Sechenov’s personal agent, must investigate and figure out just why the robots are turning on their human overlords.

Image: Mundfish/Focus Entertainment, 4Divinity

The spectacle is the first step in the game. It involves observing its beauty, technology, and world. Soviet technological advancements aren’t just colorful set decoration; they’re storytelling devices. Vendor scientists peddle their wares, museums and factories showcase the USSR’s achievements, and Sechenov prepares for a big speech unveiling his latest tech — incidentally providing plenty of juicy context and backstory.

Central to the Soviet aesthetic Atomic HeartThe original should be used. BioShock’s art deco design was inseparable from (and underpinned) its critique of Randian philosophy, or how BioShock infiniteAmerican exceptionalism as the target. Flag waving and American kitsch were used to permeate their city’s skyline.

Just like those utopias. Atomic Heart’s Soviet nation is failing, under leaders plagued by the Icarus complex in which grand ideas come to naught. Stalin is mentioned as a mere leader, recently dead, instead of a ruthless, murderous dictator — which makes sense, I suppose, from the perspective of P3, who is a worker of the state. Two years prior to the game’s start, Stalin died in 1953. Even though the Soviet Union is in decline, it was glorified within the context of this story. SeemsTo have been constructed in a spectacular way for an equally impressive collapse.

At least, that’s where things appear to be heading in the opening 10 hours of the game. Divining what the game intends to say (or doesn’t) about society or culture is particularly challenging, considering its creation. While Mundfish is an international studio that is located in Cyprus, the headquarters of developer Mundfish, which is also a playground for Russian oligarchs, it is still based out of Cyprus. Indeed, Mundfish’s relationship to the Russian state remains murky.

Image: Mundfish/Focus Entertainment, 4Divinity

It will be some time before I can tell where this game’s ideals land. However, I find it easier to be curious about the characters as they are relatable. The snarky P3 military bro is more muscular than he thinks. Charles, his techno-magical glove, is a blunt weapon that he uses to counteract the violence. It’s a talking, tech-magical device named Charles. This aids him in providing information, combat assistance and other intervention. (What’s with this trend of snarky clothing — see, for example, Forspoken.However, Charles and P3 grow closer as the story progresses. It was a fun time to spend time with them.

The P3 fights demon plants and monstrous people, as well as robots. As a character, P3 is able to perform well in combat and game play. You must build melee weapons or guns at crafting stations after you have scavenged the environment for parts and bobs. P3’s search mechanism is exceptional. Simply by pressing the shoulder button, all relevant parts are automatically gathered. The game is stingy with its ammo, so you will be using melee weapons more often than not — but thankfully, the melee works well, especially with P3’s upgradeable dodge maneuver.

Nearly every stage will require that you solve an environmental puzzle. You can use magnets to manipulate lines for trams or power up fans to face hordes monsters. Although I found it frustrating to follow poorly-written directions, I never felt bored. As each puzzle was built upon the one before, I learned organically from my failures.

Image: Mundfish/Focus Entertainment, 4Divinity

Annoyingly, Atomic Heart Accessibility options are lacking: The subtitles in the game make it difficult to use Russian voice acting. While there is a Detective Mode to highlight useful objects, using it forces P3 to move at a snail’s pace, and the items lose their glow the moment you exit the mode. For a game where melee is encouraged, it’s far too difficult to clock incoming projectiles or flanking enemies. Lastly (but perhaps most bizarrely, for a modern FPS), the game doesn’t include a sprint option.

This can feel quite simple. A brutal retro shooter, crafting and inventory management with a strong lead character. But, I’m enjoying the old-school chaos. It’s a beautiful game with clever environmental puzzles, in an enjoyable, bleak, and decaying world replete with incredible set pieces, animation, and two enjoyable leads.

It remains to be seen what Mundfish does with its Soviet aesthetic from here on out, and whether its world has been built up to be rapturously torn down — like those of BioShock, Metro, or Half-Life before it — or if it will remain, ostensibly, an uncomfortable and disturbing source of celebration. I’ll know more as I continue to play.

For now though, P3’s pure joy of exploring the world is enough motivation to persevere.

Atomic Heart The Xbox Series X version will be available on February 21st on PlayStation 4 and 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PlayStation 5. Based on the Series X version provided by Focus Entertainment, these impressions have been written. Vox Media also has affiliate relationships. They do not affect editorial content. However, Vox Media might earn commissions when products are purchased through affiliate links. Find out more. additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.