Atomic Heart is an upcoming action RPG by Russian indie developer, Mundfish. It will be the team’s first full game release, having previously only worked on the now discontinued Soviet Lunapark VR, which never made it out of early access in 2018. In the game’s latest trailer, Mundfish revealed that Atomic Heart will be released in the last third of 2022. The trailer also gave viewers some more insight into the game’s combat mechanics, which are excitingly similar to those popularized by the BioShock franchise.
The first two games in the BioShock franchise were set in the underwater dystopia of Rapture. Drastic scientific developments in the city led to the discovery of the gene-altering “ADAM,” harvested by the game’s iconic Little Sisters. In turn, scientists found ways to harness its power to create genetic plasmids useable by humans. These granted the player powerful abilities such as telekinesis, pyrokinesis and electroshock. BioShock‘s combination of these plasmids with more traditional gunplay mechanics gave players a fresh variety of fun combat options. Atomic Heart looks set to mimic and expand upon this popular formula.
Atomic Heart’s protagonist is KGB agent Major Nechaev, whose arsenal includes several ranged and melee weapons as well as a special polymer glove. This glove, controlled by his mind, grants him a variety of combat abilities similar to those granted by BioShock‘s plasmids. For example, trailers and screenshots of the game have shown similar telekinesis, freezing and electrical powers.
The variety of plasmids available in BioShock gave players the choice of an all-out attack or a more stealth-based approach to combat. On one hand, they could use the Winter Blast plasmid to freeze enemies before quickly switching back to another weapon to shatter and finish them off. On the other, if they preferred to remain undetected, players could use the Target Dummy plasmid to draw enemies’ attention elsewhere. Atomic Heart looks like it will also include these sorts of different gameplay options. This is an incredibly exciting prospect for those wanting to personalize their playthrough and use the polymer glove’s abilities in unique and creative ways.
According to Mundfish’s website, in Atomic Heart, players will be able to “turn everything into a weapon: environment, objects, [their] own body, and even enemies themselves.” This interactivity could elevate the game’s combat to exciting new levels. Just as BioShock encouraged environmental interaction to aid in battles, Atomic Heart looks set to offer players a similarly exhilarating experience. Each fight will therefore present different challenges to the player, who will have to figure out the best plan of attack by utilizing all of their surroundings.
The polymer glove is not the only weapon available in Atomic Heart, though. Players will also have access to everything from simple pistols and axes to rifles and rocket launchers. The way BioShock combined these types of weapons with the use of plasmids led to some wonderfully balanced gameplay. Atomic Heart looks set to mimic this formula, while at the same time, developing upon it with the inclusion of skill trees and crafting. With more than 30 different weapons available for crafting, players will be able to tailor a unique gameplay experience to suit their own playstyle.
In addition to drawing inspiration from BioShock, Mundfish states that Atomic Heart has also taken guidance from games such as Fallout and DOOM. The sway of Fallout‘s RPG mechanics and the frantic shooter style of DOOM is clear to see. However, Mundfish is also keen to state that it doesn’t want to simply clone what’s come before, saying “We do not copy the old — we create the new.” With this in mind, it will certainly be intriguing to see the true range of the polymer glove’s abilities and to what extent it will feel fresh.
Although they’ve drawn a large amount of inspiration from a variety of franchises, Atomic Heart‘s developers have also expanded upon these premises. For example, there is the potential to upgrade the polymer glove’s abilities, a mechanic that has yet to be fully seen. The crafting system and weapon customization further add to the intrigue. By combining these two gameplay pillars, Atomic Heart looks to bring its own twist to BioShock‘s brilliant dual-combat mechanics.
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