![]() An unadulterated action set piece, the gigantic rolling robot spins through a wide outdoor arena, tearing up dirt and bouncing on the grass as a rocking track from Doom Eternal composer Mick Gordon pumps alongside your shotgun. One early boss fight, adorably dubbed Hughie, is a short-but-sweet example of Mundfish’s game at its best. Nevertheless, there are moments where Atomic Heart does click and become something special. Enemies often get clipped into the environment or de-aggro during fights sometimes entire mechanics will stop working such as telekinesis and the game’s essential SHOK power, a quick electric jolt that attacks enemies and triggers magnetic fields. + 4 If you so wish, you can take drive across the robot-infested roads of Atomic Heart in driving physics reminiscent of a drunk Far Cry.Įven worse, Mundfish’s confused attempt at a Doom-style BioShock is downright broken at times. It’s a shame, as these are usually the most engaging parts of the entire adventure, mostly due to a lack of cringy voice lines. Unless you really want a scope for your Kalashnikov, or a handle for your machete, you’ll never need to explore any of the optional dungeons at all. The open world features explorable buildings with loot, hidden puzzle dungeons with lockable weapon attachments, alert statuses, hackable cameras, drivable vehicles and more, but none of it is essential and it feels like little more than set dressing. After an hour or so of linear play, Atomic Heart becomes an open-world game, but it feels like an afterthought. The confusion only continues in the game’s equally bizarre structure. Unfortunately, with combat more suited to hyperactive, Doom-esque arena fights and a truly useless stealth system, it’s more of an action game in BioShock’s clothing. ![]() In fleeting moments, an intriguing immersive sim leaks through the cracks, filling dungeons with puzzles and lore-supplying PCs. Outside of its cerebral-boring writing, Mundfish’s gameplay systems are just as disappointing. The character even has his own catchphrase - “crispy critters!” - that he says far too many times for it to be enjoyable. The failed comedy duo talk so much that they interrupt their own lines with new dialogue, slicing up essential exposition with swear-filled one-liners that are at best poorly translated and at worst pure nonsense. ![]() Instead, Nechaev talks almost constantly alongside his AI-powered glove Charles. After your first couple of meetings with this machine, the game just forgets about its horny personality altogether.Ītomic Heart’s B-movie story may have been more forgivable if its protagonist was silent, a lá Jack from BioShock. After that, you’ll get attacked by a sexed-up vending machine called Nora that spits euphemisms more than a llama on clozapine. In twenty minutes, you’ll have been involved in a cinematic explosive knockback four times. In your first minutes within Facility 3826, you’ll be blown up twice. ![]() Rather unexpectedly, Atomic Heart is less of an intelligent look at Soviet socialism and reliance on automation and more of a straight-to-DVD parody of a more sophisticated idea. The stakes are high but poorly explained failing your mission could collapse the world’s Soviet-led communist Utopia. Playing as special operations soldier Major Sergei Nechaev, you’re tasked with investigating a robot uprising within the isolated Facility 3826 before the launch of Kollectiv, a worldwide thought device that will let humans telepathically control machines. + 4 On occasion, Atomic Heart comes together in beautiful spectacle, but every moment of gold is buried beneath hours of slag. Its brutalist, Stalinist visuals may adorn the eyes, but it’s a layer of gloss lacquer over one of the dullest, buggiest and most annoying action games of the past decade. Instead of picking its battles, the fledgling development team has made a game full of so many bits and pieces that it fails to keep track of it all. ![]() It turns out that developer Mundfish has decided to make all of the above. Is it an open-world game or a linear shooter? Is it Doom Eternal or BioShock? Is it a corny B-movie or a political thriller? It’s a game that feels confused in every aspect of design other than its visuals. As striking as a current-gen BioShock Infinite, Mundfish’s FPS infuriatingly disappoints in every aspect outside of its stunning aesthetic.Īfter five years of hype, Atomic Heart’s gorgeous art direction and unique setting are woefully wasted by clunky gameplay and horrendous writing. Set in an alternate 1950s where the Soviet Union is the largest world power, Atomic Heart offers one of the most visually distinct worlds in gaming. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |