Atomic Heart (2023): The Review
Overview
Atomic Heart arrives with ambitious flair, offering a retro-futuristic Soviet setting dripping in eerie atmosphere and surreal sci-fi spectacle. It’s clear the game draws inspiration from titles like BioShock and Prey, but while the presentation is often stunning and the world fascinating, clunky writing, uneven pacing, and repetitive gameplay hold it back from greatness. It’s a visually striking curiosity, one that’s as much style as it is missed opportunity.
Score: 6.5 out of 10
The Positives ✅
One of the first things that stands out is just how visually inventive the world is. Set in an alternate-history Soviet Union, the game throws you into spaces full of surreal architecture, creepy androids, and strange, sometimes beautiful design choices. It’s a bizarre setting, but also one that’s genuinely interesting to explore.
The art and sound design do a lot of the heavy lifting. Enemy animations can be unsettling in the best way, and the music, especially those sharp, haunting stings, adds to the tension. Everything works together to make the world feel off in just the right way.
The weapons are also a big part of the fun. There’s a good variety between ranged and melee options, and the ability to upgrade them or combine them with elemental powers adds a nice layer of experimentation.
Whether you’re deep in the underground labs or out in the weirder parts of the open world, the game’s atmosphere is strong throughout. It keeps things tense and uneasy, and that tone really sticks with you as you go.
And while not everything hits perfectly, there are moments, especially certain boss fights and big set pieces, where the game absolutely clicks. When it leans into chaos and creativity, it can be something special.
The Negatives ⚠️
One of the biggest issues is the writing, especially the protagonist’s dialogue. There’s a constant stream of forced one-liners and over-the-top swearing that doesn’t match the tone the rest of the game is going for. It tries to be edgy, but ends up feeling awkward and exhausting pretty quickly.
The open world might be big, but it doesn’t feel all that alive. A lot of the time, you’re running into repetitive fights or filler objectives that don’t add much. Instead of encouraging exploration, it starts to feel like a chore.
Pacing is another weak spot. The story jumps around, and when key moments do hit, they often feel rushed or flat. There’s not enough weight behind the emotional beats, and important developments just don’t land the way they should.
Combat also struggles to feel satisfying. Melee hits don’t have much impact, enemy AI can be all over the place, and hit detection is often unreliable. It’s playable, but it never feels tight or polished.
And while the game starts with a promising setup, the narrative doesn’t stick the landing. Characters don’t get the development they need, and by the end, you’re left with more questions than answers, and not in a good way.
The Experience 🎮
It took me around 25 hours to finish the game, and while there were definitely some standout moments, especially in the art direction and atmosphere, the overall experience felt uneven. The world is bizarre in a good way, and the weapon variety kept things interesting, but the clunky combat, awkward writing, and underwhelming story payoff dragged things down. There’s fun to be had here, no doubt, but by the end, I was more intrigued by the world than invested in what was actually happening in it.
A bizarre Soviet fever dream that dazzles the eyes but stumbles in almost every other way. 🧠🔧
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