Atomic Heart Entertains But Does Not Fully Reach Its Potential
I first heard of Atomic Heart several years ago and aside from brief and sporadic updates; the progress of the game seemed to be a slow process until a few months before release.
I was eager to try a game that was described as a mix of Fallout and Bioshock as a fan of the two franchises, the new entry seemed like a game that I would enjoy.
The game is set in a fictional future filled with advanced scientific discoveries and playing as an agent assigned to the rollout of a new facility; players will soon find things have gone very wrong when the robots assigned to serve have begun brutally attacking and killing all they encounter.
Players must travel deep into an underground facility to find weapons and materials which they can craft into more powerful weapons as they take on an increasingly difficult series of enemies and puzzles.
Using a special glove that can heal and move objects, players have to at times do a series of timed jumps to navigate the damaged facility and complete necessary tasks.
While all of this sounds good, the game at times throws too many puzzles at you as having to decipher locks repeatedly tends to take away from the action, and dealing with the over-amorous upgrade machines goes from being amusing to tedious quickly.
Another issue I had was a recent patch broke the game for me as I was unable to start the game from the main screen and had to delete and install the game again to resume my play. There is also the matter of why the agent sounds like he should be in an office in California as his tone and mannerisms do not reflect the character.
Atomic Heart does provide entertainment I found the combat and graphics to be dated and that aspects of the game grew old very quickly. The best strategy for me was to play the game in segments and take a break of a few days between sessions which gave me a fresh perspective versus trying to do things in a series of extended sessions.
In the end, the game is enjoyable for those willing to be patient and accept the game for what it is and hopefully, with a few more updates the full potential of the game will be achieved. The game is available on the Microsoft Game Pass and is worth a look.
3 stars out of 5
About the Author
gareth Syndicated movie & game critic, writer, author and frequent radio guest. His work has appeared in over 60 publications worldwide and he is the creator of the rising entertainment site and publication “Skewed and Reviewed”. He has three books of film, game reviews and interviews published and is a well-received and in demand speaker on the convention circuit. Gareth has appeared in movies and is a regular guest on a top-rated Seattle morning show. He has also appeared briefly in films such as “Prefountaine”, “Postal”. “Far Cry”. and others. Gareth is also an in-demand speaker at several conventions and has conducted popular panels for over two decades.
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