The new Game Pass atomic bomb in 2023! We played it

Preview The new Game Pass atomic bomb in 2023! We played it

A Bolshevik dystopia

Mundfish studios revisit History with a capital H and set their plot at the heart of a utopian Soviet Union… in appearance at least. Atomic Heart depicts an alternate history, that of an all-powerful USSR following its advances in robotics during the 1930s and its crushing victory over the forces of the Third Reich in 1941. Faced with immense loss of human life, the country became automated. The work is then entrusted to robots placed under the control of a collective hive mind. We are now in 1955 at the dawn of a major change for the “mother country”, that of the discovery of neuro-polymer, a programmable material based on living tissues, and the launch of Collectiv 2.0. Unfortunately, nothing will go as planned. Only Special Agent Major Nechaev aka P-3 is able to save the day.

From the first minutes, one of the main inspirations that gave birth to this Bolshevik dystopia is obvious. Atomic Heart is the heir of Bioshock Infinite, but not only. The very existence of the underground base 3826 of which the hero is a prisoner is strongly reminiscent of a certain Black Mesa (Half-Life) complex. Other players could also perceive there a strong homage to Control by Remedy with its various laboratories with very marked atmospheres. The game published by Focus Entertainment can be defined as an open world with the particularity that it consists of several semi-open areas linked together by this famous 3826 complex serving as a “central hub”.

Atomic Heart is an open world which does not prevent it from emphasizing the story. The adventure, which lasts between 25 and 30 hours according to the developers, is intended to be highly narrative and offers many cutscenes that perfectly punctuate the progression. Even better, this FPS takes its time even if it means opening the doors of its open world only after a handful of hours wandering through a playful labyrinth. The emphasis is thus placed on a highly oppressive atmosphere and a hard learning of the rules that govern the dystopia imagined by the creative teams of Mundfish.

The artistic direction which mixes brutalist architecture, retro-futurist past and 50s is to be credited to the designers who have built a credible and coherent universe always quick to amaze us. The technique is not left out. The first videos promised a graphic slap in the “soviet”, and the studios delivered the goods. Atomic Heart stands out for its stunning visuals, both in their production and in their creativity, and there is no doubt that P-3’s adventure in the 3826 complex still has many surprises in store for us. And as if that weren’t enough, the game is fully dubbed and subtitled in French (VF + VOSTFR). The people are satisfied!

Asimov’s Nightmare

Atomic Heart belongs to the first person shooter genre and in fact offers its share of confrontations which will quickly prove to be full-bodied. The FPS from Munfish studios spares nothing (or almost) to those who dare to tread on the technological flagship of the USSR. From the first enemies, the tone is set. Between hand-to-hand combat and exchanges of fire, Major Nechaev strives to survive as best he can against a varied bestiary made up of robots, mutants and other fun things born from the fertile imagination of Russian scientists. To do this, he can count on a glove equipped with an AI named Charles which, beyond his wise advice, gives him skills that will prove essential to survive.

Mundfish studios were inspired by Bioshock, among others, to design this Bolshevik journey, and therefore integrated a Light-RPG dimension offering players the opportunity to personalize the hero and his equipment. As P-3 progresses, he is invited to unlock passive skills, powers and to enrich-improve his arsenal in order to oppose a certain resistance to a particularly belligerent local “fauna”. On this point in particular, Atomic Heart is not surprising, but is conscientious. It is very pleasant to discover the technological skills of the Major and to customize weapons with many variantsthen put them to the test in a fierce fight against the minions of the Collectiv 2.0 or even a devious boss.

Impossible to leave the 3826 complex without approaching the exploration of this open world erected to the glory of the USSR and the simple pleasure of discovery that results from it. Atomic Heart is regularly renewed, both visually and from a playful point of view, in order to offer players a memorable epic. Beyond the visuals mentioned earlier and the mysteries hidden everywhere, ever more clever puzzles calling on the skills of the hero mischievously test our savvy. This FPS is not content to make the powder speak. It plays with our nerves, encourages reflection and demands abnegation and curiosity.