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Mundfish's FPS action RPG, Atomic Heart, will be available to players globally as reviews have streamed in for the sci-fi-inspired shooter game. With the game's impending release around the corner, it has been subjected to much controversy over its Russian influences, given the game's release date is in proximity to the anniversary of the Ukrainian invasion.
The developer has affirmed their stance as "a pro-peace organization against violence against people" despite a recent report by Eurogamer investigating the studio's Russian ties. But what do critics say about the game as we highlight some notable reviews for this sci-fi FPS game and if it's worth buying?
Is Atomic Heart Worth Playing?
Atomic Heart transplants players to the 1950s in an alternate post-WWII reality where robots have become retainers to humans. Set out to live together amicably, a robotic rebellion emerges, and it's up to humanity to stop them from taking over the world and bringing calamity to humans.
As a soldier sent from the Intelligence office, you have been instructed to investigate the details surrounding the rebellion and bring back stability to the neurolink infrastructure that was deliberately sabotaged. You'll be stepping into an "unforgiving world" where you'll have to defeat multiple AI, who is on the verge of insanity while combating mutants derived from secret experimentation and on the hunt for weak and vulnerable humans.
You will have to adjust your playstyle to your character's unique skillset by farming resources and combining them with your skills and abilities and your upgraded gear which should assist you in overturning the tide against the machines. Most of your combat abilities stemmed from a power glove, but you'll also have access to various weapons and tools to use against your enemies in frenzied battles.
To gain an advantage over your enemies, you must study and learn from their movements and behaviors, as each encounter will vastly differ from the previous fight. Amidst this war between humans and machines, you must uncover abandoned areas, massive research facilities, and various test sites to learn more about the trust behind the uprising.
Locate documents and folders into the experiments, the researchers conducting them, and the hidden "soviet secrets" to find more chaos and destruction in store. While the gameplay overview footage showcases the "explosive" combat mechanics and its futuristic yet stellar environments, it does boast some similarities with Wolfenstein, Dishonored, Deus Ex, and BioShock, making it quite a tough sell to players.
With the review embargo lifted, reviews have been mixed with praises on various aspects of the game's story and design, with criticism aimed at the game's over-bloatedness and generic shooter gameplay. The game can be too complex at times, and there needs to be more balance which can be too intense, but the opening hours are enjoyable at best.
Below are some of the reviews you can check out for more on the game:
"P-3 will spend a lot of time questioning why doors are so hard to open or why he's even doing a given task, and players will be too. It feels like P-3 and the player are getting double-crossed at every turn. Atomic Heart's story, gameplay, and world design have promise, but the payoff is lacking across the board."
"There are quite a few parts of Atomic Heart that just don't neatly fit together, and those disparities create an experience that often feels at odds with itself. That disparity is most evident in how the history of the world in Atomic Heart is interesting and sets up an intriguing conversation about the nature of free will and collectivism, but then the unlikable protagonist repeatedly prevents that topic from being explored."
"Atomic Heart is a messy video game with big ideas and a desperate need for refinement."
"Atomic Heart is a deeply ambitious, highly imaginative, and consistently impressive atompunk-inspired attempt at picking up where the likes of BioShock left off – something it’s done with a lot of success. It certainly makes missteps, chiefly with an irritating leading man and a self-indulgent habit of using the same tired tropes it tries to make fun of, but this stern, superpowered, and stringently solo shooter has worked its way under my skin despite these flaws."
"This mashup of shooter, stealth, and RPG wears its influences proudly but rarely matches them. Its alt-history setting is interesting and there are plenty of ways to approach the robot-killing, but these elements are at odds with messy storytelling and characterization."
