Communist technology at your service

Atomic Heart is a shooter set in an alternate version of the Soviet Union. After a Nazi attack that decimates much of the world's population, the world turns to Russian technology and demanded its highly technological robots to supply the demands of the global workforce. But something gets out of hand in the Soviet laboratories and our hero is asked to investigate what might be going on. 

Developed by Mundfish and published by Focus Entertainment, Atomic Heart arrived on February 21, 2023, for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.



Comrade Major Sergey Nechayev presenting for duty

In an alternate reality of the Soviet Union in 1955, we take on the role of Sergey Nechayev, a secret agent sent to investigate a mysterious research complex called 3826. With the help of CHAR-les, an artificial intelligence inserted into his glove, we proceed to find out why the machines have become hostile to humans and have begun a veritable massacre at the Soviet facility. 

We discover that an important scientist ended up sabotaging Kollektiv 1.0, an artificial intelligence network developed by the scientists at research complex 3826. The network is responsible for controlling and monitoring all functions of the complex, from security to conducting experiments. Thus, when it becomes conscious, Kollektiv 1.0 turns against humans and reprograms all the machines to attack them mercilessly. 

Our mission, which was to find and stop the culprit for all the chaos generated in complex 3826, turns into a war against the machines and against Kollektiv 1.0 itself. 



The plot unfolds in a very linear and straight-to-the-point manner, making the game an objective and not-so-deep experience, by the way. The humor is a very present feature that harmonizes perfectly with the atmosphere, turning the game, which is violent and very tense, into an experience like Bad Boys or Pulp Fiction.

The constant arguments between our protagonist and his artificial intelligence are great comic relief, especially if played in EN-BR, because we have the incredible dubbing of Raphael Rossatto, the voice behind characters like Alexios, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, and the actor Chris Pratt, our beloved Starlord.

In addition to the main character and his sidekick, we have other characters that are as striking as they are controversial. Imagine what it would be like to improve your skills and equipment in a 1950s refrigerator while being incessantly harassed by your nymphomaniac urges. Kind of uncomfortable, isn't it?

We also have sexy secretaries, bratty robots, and old ladies armed to the teeth! No wonder Atomic Heart has been so popular. There are several outstanding characters that build an entertaining narrative in a chaotic world full of delicate political issues and references.

If I could sum it up, I would say that Atomic Heart read George Orwell and decided to create its own Bioshock, but with the unrivaled sarcasm of Duke Nukem.



Hammer and Sickle? No way! Take my Shotgun! 

The gameplay of Atomic Heart features a mix of first-person shooter, exploration, and RPG elements. The player controls the protagonist, who has the ability to fight enemies using a variety of weapons and special abilities, ranging from pistols and axes to energy weapons and elemental attacks. In addition, the game also has elements of stealth, allowing the player to avoid direct combat and use hacking skills to destroy his enemies.

Throughout the game, the player must explore the 3826 research complex, collecting resources and items to upgrade their skills and weaponry. The game also features an item creation system, allowing the player to create useful items such as healing kits and ammunition in addition to improving their weapons and equipment. 

To complement its narrative, Atomic Heart features side quests that allow the player to explore different areas of the complex and discover more information about the plot. The game presents an open world to be explored, but it does not have many resources and ends up discouraging exploration since the items to be found are limited to random pieces and weapon upgrades. 



However, one of the great things about Atomic Heart is its puzzles. They are challenging, numerous, and present themselves as a creative alternative to the traditional "find the key" or "jump over these obstacles". Throughout the plot you will find closed doors that need to be opened with synchronized finger snaps, need to cool boilers with spheres carried in tubes, as well as synchronize locks and passages with their respective colors of light, switch electromagnetic poles, use telekinesis, in short ... There are several cool features that are presented to us to catch our breath between intense combats. 

Still, about the gameplay, I missed being able to run with the character. In the game, we can do small sprints, which also serve as dodges, but it does not change the movement speed of the character in a constant way. Also, I felt that the melee combat is sometimes slower than necessary, especially since the game has very intense combat, with humanoid machines flying two-footed shots at the character's chest all the time. 

However, the poorly applied platforming is what got me. You will get frustrated at times by falling off of poorly placed platforms, confused about which directions you should go, and annoyed by challenges that are not fun in theory but will become tedious, such as repolarizing batteries on the ceiling. You'll see...

We can say that the gameplay of Atomic Heart is a mixture of first-person shooter, exploration, and RPG, with elements of stealth, item creation, and choices and consequences that affect the unfolding of the story. It is also worth noting that despite minor framerate drops, the game had no significant bugs/glitches/crashes.



Aesthetics are not a private property

The aesthetic of Atomic Heart is where its true power lies. The game presents us with a retro-futuristic world that blends elements of the 1950s with advanced technology and science fiction features. This aesthetic, totally inspired by the communist aesthetic of the time, presents its main constituent elements, such as the advertisements and ideologies that are presented throughout the game.

One of the clearest references in the art of Atomic Heart is socialist realism, an artistic style developed by the Soviet Union in the 1950s. Socialist realism emphasized the real representation of Soviet workers, peasants, and soldiers by presenting to the world their importance and contribution to the building of a socialist society.

These references are mixed with elements of science fiction and surrealism to create a unique and fascinating world in Atomic Heart. Communist propaganda is seen everywhere, with images of Soviet leaders, slogans, and Communist Party symbols everywhere. In addition, the advanced technology of the game is presented in designs that resemble futuristic devices imagined in the 1950s.



For art history lovers, I leave as a reference the painter Norman Rockwell, who is known for his illustrations depicting American life in the 1950s. Although he has no direct relation with Communism, his illustrations seem to have inspired the aesthetics of the game as well. So I think it's worth checking out. 

Technically speaking, the game executes its graphics very well and presents us with an immersive atmosphere that is very pleasing to the eye. The robots are charismatic when they need to be and aggressive almost all the time. Between the vivid colors of the city and the terrors present in the worst corners of the research complex, Atomic Heart will take you on a truly unique visual experience. 

In addition to the graphics and visual effects, I strongly emphasize the game's sound quality and audio direction. The Soviet soundtrack, which lulls the game at every moment, has been delicately added in a way that implies more and more in the context. I imagined that because they are very old tracks, could generate a certain anachronism, but what I realized was just the opposite, because the game has built a really innovative language to present traditional features. In addition to the classic soundtrack, we have frenetic combat music and sound effects that make perfect sense for the game. 

However, as I could not fail to mention, I must congratulate, once again, the Brazilian dubbing, especially the work of Raphael Rossatto. I consider him a real exponent in dubbing the protagonists in games. He can give life and personality to the characters with mastery, and in a game where humor is present, his ability to build personality is even more evident.

If you have played Assassin's Creed Odyssey with Alexios, you may remember Raphael's voice saying "Malaka! Well, the Soviet "Malaka!" is called "Crispy Critters!". If like me you are a fan of Brazilian dubbing, Atomic Heart deserves a chance precisely because of this.



For this review, Atomic Heart was played on the PC, via Xbox Gamepass.