

The way certain upgrades are only obtainable through challenging puzzle dungeons is also a nice touch, incentivizing the player to go out of their way in search of more power.
#Miss atomic heart upgrade#
The crafting system comes into play here, not just letting players upgrade their chosen weapons in different stats, but also making it possible to add the cartridge component to play with fire, ice, and electricity literally. Weapons can also be augmented with elemental cartridges in the form of fire, electricity, and ice enhancements, adding more utility to your melee and ranged weapons when dealing with enemies of all kinds. There is always a new combination that can be found through trying things out, and that’s always a good thing. Perhaps you have a penchant for freezing and burning enemies at the same time, or Mass Telekinesis is your jam, allowing you to level the playing field when fighting against several enemies at once. With only two skill slots, making a decision on which skills to focus on can be hard, but the lack of a penalty when it comes to respeccing makes experimentation in Atomic Heart a pleasant endeavor. Any Polymer players collect from defeated enemies or from the environment can be invested in the skill tree, with a bunch of character-enhancing passives alongside the more active skills such as Shok or Frostbite. Additional layers in the form of glove skills, elemental damage, and many of the 94 different skills that make up the skill tree in Atomic Heart actually have much potential. Outside of enclosed arenas that force you to use all the skills at your disposal, Atomic Heart can overlook its own combat systems to its detriment. The amount of looting that can be done in Atomic Heart will keep most players healthy when it comes to ammo and other components, and since inventory space dictates a selection of favored weapons, you should always have enough bullets to eliminate resistance, especially if you are a good shot from afar. Once firearms come into the mix, from pistols, assault rifles to experimental energy weapons, then the combat enters another phase, where melee becomes less of a focus outside of generating energy for the corresponding weapons. Players who are into lore and history will find a sweet home as the main character, Major P-3, who is often given more context as to the events leading up to the twisted plot in the game, as well as the long-running history of the country and its relationship with technology. Set in a dystopian world where the Soviet Union has risen to immense power and technological advancements, it is probably the setting and worldbuilding that is the most interesting aspect of Atomic Heart.


Having made a splash back in 2018, Mundfish and Focus Entertainment’s Atomic Heart is finally upon us, and while this first-person, action roleplaying shooter has almost always generated a buzz with its trailers and reveals, the real deal is less exciting than that, delivering an experience that is reminiscent of many other titles, but never at the same level of polish. Video game marketing is always a hit-or-miss affair, and sometimes, things just get players hyped no matter how long the game actually takes to come out.
