Atomic Heart is a winning one-two punch for narrative first-person shooters — Review
What would happen if the Soviet Union won World War II and became the most innovative and advanced technological powerhouse on the planet? Atomic Heart from developer Mundfish answers this question through a BioShock and Prey-tinted lens whilst making a powerful statement about the flaws of communism worth of George Orwell.
Knowledge is powerAtomic Heart puts you into the boots of Major Nechaev, a young soldier rescued from death in the war by a brilliant scientist and the man responsible for the source of the USSR’s technological revolution, Dmitriy Sechenov. Polymer is an incredible substance that allowed the world to benefit from robots serving them in every way. Nechaev has a few holes in his memory due to his injuries in the war but vehemently supports Sechenov for saving him, which is why he doesn’t bat an eyelid when he gets sent to Facility 3826 and is immediately attacked by what should be safe machines.
Related: Foolishly brave streamers are already getting banned for playing Atomic Heart online
Nechaev is an unreliable narrator for reasons you’ll explore in-game, but that’s perfect for the story Atomic Heart tells. The world is ruled by a communist regime and is on the brink of launching a new system that will see every human and robot in the world connected by neurotransmitters. As you’d expect, there are flaws in this system created by greed, an insatiable need for power that’s always at the heart of any communist regime’s downfall.
If this all sounds rather serious, that’s because it is. Atomic Heart doesn’t shy away from the genuine implications of the issues it deals with. It isn’t without personality, though, and Nechaev brings some much-needed humor to the title. He is your voice, and you’re never mad
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