[regawdless]

Thanks for the OT title @Nada

 

[regawdless]

Review embargo lifts:

05:00 PST, 08:00 EDT, and 13:00 GMT on February 20th​

Metacritic

PS5: 75
PC: 77
Series X: 72

Atomic Heart critic reviews

Metacritic aggregates music, game, tv, and movie reviews from the leading critics. Only Metacritic.com uses METASCORES, which let you know at a glance how each item was reviewed.

www.metacritic.com

Atomic Heart review – Kollektivly incredible

The saying goes “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”. That’s at least initially how I felt about Atomic Heart. It had all the trappings of my kind of game, from setting to gameplay and more, and I’ve wanted so badly for it to

gamingtrend.com

Atomic Heart Review - IGN

Atomic Heart is a highly imaginative, atompunk-inspired attempt at picking up where the likes of BioShock left off that makes missteps but definitely has the ticker to punch well above its weight.

www.ign.com

Atomic Heart Review in 3 Minutes - A Weird FPS That Works

Atomic Heart Review in 3 Minutes: Mundfish has created a weird BioShock-like FPS that ultimately works, despite its strangeness.

www.escapistmagazine.com

Atomic Heart Review - Noisy Pixel

Noisy Pixel's Atomic Heart Review from developer Mundfish and publisher Focus Entertainment, available now.

noisypixel.net

https://gamerant.com/atomic-heart-review/

Review: Atomic Heart (PS5) - Alt History Shooter with an Identity Crisis

SovietShock

www.pushsquare.com

Atomic Heart - Review

Mundfish is taking a crack at a BioShock-style game with this action-heavy title set in an alternate Soviet Union.

www.gamereactor.eu

Atomic Heart review: a mad science experiment that yields mixed results

Atomic Heart is an alt-history Soviet shooter that veers between superb gunplay and tedious busywork, with surprisingly little to say about its setting.

www.rockpapershotgun.com

Atomic Heart review: Rage against the machines

Atomic Heart Review - Crispy Critters

Atomic Heart lacks follow-through on its most interesting narrative concepts and plays it safe with its first-person shooter gameplay.

www.gamespot.com

Atomic Heart review: "A messy game with big ideas that are in desperate need of refinement"

With an incomprehensible storyline, weightless combat, and frustrating first-person platforming, Atomic Heart is left to stand in the shadow of the video games that so clearly inspired it

www.gamesradar.com

https://www.dualshockers.com/atomic-heart-review/

Atomic Heart Review – An Electrifying Journey Through An Atom Punk USSR - GamerBraves

If there's anything genuinely bomb-dropping about Atomic Heart it's the game's ambition. This FPS is the first game created by indie developer Mundfish over the course of seven years. Now that it's finally here, I can say that while this Heart has a couple of missed beats, it overall shows a...

www.gamerbraves.com

Review in Progress: Atomic Heart

Atomic Heart Review in Progress: The narrative first-person shooter from Mundfish releases February 21, 2023.

www.destructoid.com

Atomic Heart Review | TechRaptor

Atomic Heart has had quite a journey to launch, and now the game is here. Does it manage to be exciting, or should this heart stop beating?

techraptor.net

Atomic Heart Review - Polished Soviet BioShock

Atomic Heart is a very well-made narrative driven first-person shooter game inspired by BioShock. It's also extremely well optimized on PC.

wccftech.com

 

[regawdless]

Q&A with the Game Director.

Part 1:

Atomic Heart Final Q&A Part I - Mundfish Head Talks About DLCs, Delays, and Team Geographical Distribution

We chatted with Mundfish founder and Atomic Heart Game Director Robert Bagratuni, only a few weeks ahead of the game's long-awaited launch.

wccftech.com

Can you speak to the specifics and rationale behind relocating the company to Cyprus? Is the entire development team now working there?

We are exceptionally excited to share some details about Atomic Heart as that is set to release in weeks, and will look forward to sharing the story of Mundfish in the future. For now, as you can imagine, our total focus is on Atomic Heart which has been in development and planning since 2017 in Cyprus. Our excitement and anticipation, the work and tireless focus of our global team is culminating to this moment.

Can you share a ballpark of how many developers worked on Atomic Heart?

Today, we have 130 talented and dedicated developers on our global team located in Poland, Ukraine, Austria, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Israel, Armenia, UAE, Serbia, and Cyprus. At different stages, we engaged contractors who worked with major AAA games in all areas - from Art to QA. All the hours, creative and technical sessions, and discussions were worth it - the level of production, innovation, and caliber of talent and development is worth playing Atomic Heart.

Part 2:

Atomic Heart Final Q&A Part II - Mundfish 'Impressed' by DLSS 3; FSR 2 Confirmed; Old Consoles Will Be Fine

In the latter half of our Q&A with Mundfish, we discussed the DLSS 3 implementation in Atomic Heart and got confirmation of AMD FSR 2 support.

wccftech.com

Atomic Heart is confirmed to support NVIDIA DLSS 3. What was your impression of this new technology? Do you feel AI-based Frame Generation is the future of rendering to keep up with advanced ray tracing effects?

Yes, we feel that AI-based frame generation is the future. We were impressed with it. It just works - thanks to NVIDIA.

Does Atomic Heart support FSR 2 and/or Intel Xess on PC?

Atomic Heart supports FSR 2. But we do not plan to support Xess before release.

The game is also coming out on last-generation consoles. Can you reassure PlayStation 4 and Xbox One users on performance?

Absolutely, we have made a mind-blowing optimization and literally ripped up the engine with a can opener to make it possible for the game to use all possible CPU cores on all platforms, to the fullest. We've moved a lot of critical code to async threads. The code traditionally runs only on the game thread in Unreal Engine. It was a challenge and not an easy thing. But it was worth it. I'm not hinting at anything, but we were even able to run the game on a device with 3 cores.

 

[regawdless]

Another Q&A session:

Some of the hands-on previews said the game was buggy. How old was that build? Are you confident most, if not all, of the bugs have been squashed for the final release of Atomic Heart?

Robert Bagratuni: Indeed, some players were only able to access last year's build of the game so far. However, our team is constantly making improvements and polishing the game, and we have eliminated many uneven moments now. And the release version of the game will be even more polished and technically balanced. So, yes, we're pretty confident that with a final release our players will receive the best gaming experience possible.

Another complaint I've read is that enemies felt a little too much like sponges, making fights longer than perhaps necessary. Is that by design? Will there be any setting to tweak this?

The enemies are already rebalanced from the previous build version, and we succeeded in keeping the fights tough and enthralling, and now even more swift, satisfying, and rhythmic. And I can share more - for those players, who desire to modify their walkthrough and make it more or less difficult, our team developed 3 difficulty levels: easy story mode, normal difficulty mode, and the hardest one for those players who enjoy true challenges. So regardless of their skills, players will be able to choose their preferred difficulty level to best enjoy Atomic Heart.

A few articles described Atomic Heart as a more traditional shooter in the veins of Wolfenstein or DOOM rather than BioShock. Is that an accurate description, or will the full game change their minds, in your opinion?

To be honest, I don't think this is an accurate comparison. While our game does have some parallels with such great games like DOOM, Wolfenstein, and Bioshock, we wanted to construct Atomic Heart to feel unique and fresh. If there is a need to compare, then our game, like Bioshock, surely contains a greater level of immersion, possibilities for combinations of weapons, and special abilities compared to some others of the genre. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, our game will leave players with completely new feelings, and they will understand that the Atomic Heart stands out with a mix of intriguing stories, ruthless battles, and amazing segments with challenging puzzles.

Can you describe the technical differences between the next-generation consoles and the PC version running on a high-end configuration? Do consoles support any form of RT, and if so, how does it compare with PCs?

The difference between the next-generation consoles and the PC version is that high-end PCs will, of course, provide higher frame rate and higher quality since we also have higher graphics preset on PC.
We are constantly implementing the latest available complementary technologies in the game and some replace each other. The consoles will not support RT for now, but we strive to give our players the best and most optimized visual experience possible. Rest assured, players will experience the most complementary and advanced graphical result.

That being said, the Gen9 graphics preset is pretty much balanced, and it looks close enough to a high-end PC in terms of overall visual quality!

Does Atomic Heart support the DualSense controller's features (haptic feedback, adaptive triggers)? If so, will it also work on PC when using the DualSense controller?

Yes, Atomic Heart supports DualSense controller's features, such as haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, but only with the PS5 console - these features are not available on PC.

Are there Field of View (FoV) settings on consoles?

Atomic Heart already features a wide FoV, higher than many other games, so it was not included in the settings on consoles and PC.

Do PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X users get multiple graphics presets to choose from?

We worked a lot on optimization for consoles, providing one graphical mode with dynamic 4K 60FPS and even native 4K with a solid 60FPS in some parts of the game. We're also looking to continue to bring more performance enhancements in the future and will keep you posted when we do.

Can you share the target frame rate and rendering resolution for the Xbox Series S version?

Of course, the Xbox Series S will have Full HD and 60FPS.

You released the minimum and recommended PC requirements a while ago. Which resolution, frame rate and graphics preset do these target? Also, can you share the required specs to play the game at 1440p@60 with Ultra settings and 4K@60 with Ultra settings?

Of course! We've conducted a lot of hardware tests and can now confirm the following complete requirements indicated in the attached table.

It's also important to note that specified everywhere in the table FPS is the minimum one that the players will get during fierce battles in the most crowded locations. In fact, in most locations and game situations, the FPS will be much higher. For example, with the GeForce GTX 1650 graphical card, the players will get a minimum of 60FPS, while a maximum indicator in most locations will be 100FPS.

As for memory, you can play with 8GB RAM if you disable the shaders optimization option in the settings. In that case, you might have stutters when entering a new location. But if you want to play without stutters, you need to have at least 12GB of memory to be able to precache PSO for faster runtime-shaders compilation.

To clarify, does Atomic Heart support shader compilation before entering the game?

It starts before the game and you can see the progress, but it's up to you to skip this process and go straight to the game and finish the shader compilation later.

Atomic Heart Bonus Q&A - Exclusive Full PC Specs Reveal & Shader Comp Info; Devs Talk Final Build Improvements

Atomic Heart Game Director Robert Bagratuni reveals the full PC specs and other tech/final release info exclusively to Wccftech.

wccftech.com

 

[regawdless]

Atomic Heart skills and skill trees explained

Best Atomic Heart skills and skill trees explained

Atomic Heart skills provide a variety of buffs that can drastically improve your weapons and abilities, but you’ll need to save up the Neuropolymer first.

www.pcgamesn.com

 

[Nada]

Planning to pick it up next week, I really hope this plays as good as it looks!

 

[regawdless]

If anyone has a good idea for a thread title, I'm open for suggestions. I'm currently sick and my brain isn't working, can't come up with something that works.

 

[Nada]

Atomic Heart - Pfizer edition
Atomic Heart - From Russia with love
Atomic Heart - Let's not 'Fallout' over this game too...
Atomic Heart - Hart to Hart
Atomic Heart - We stand with Ukraine
Atomic Heart - Be still my KGBeating heart

 

[regawdless]

Atomic Heart - Pfizer edition
Atomic Heart - From Russia with love
Atomic Heart - Let's not 'Fallout' over this game too...
Atomic Heart - Hart to Hart
Atomic Heart - We stand with Ukraine
Atomic Heart - Be still my KGBeating heart

That was fast. Thanks, OT title added!

 

[HE1NZ]

Full game has leaked to torrents. No protection.

Apparently it's an autumn build though, unfinished.

 

[regawdless]

Full game has leaked to torrents. No protection.

Apparently it's an autumn build though, unfinished.

There's also a 5h gameplay leak that I've seen.

Hope the game turns out well. Kind of a wild card.

 

[Phunkydiabetic]

Ugh, I really hope this game isn't shitty.

 

[regawdless]

File sizes are weird.

78.66GB on Xbox Series X
41.68GB on PS5
47.8GB on PS4

Huh.

 

[and 3 others]

Looks good. Wish I could buy it.

 

[Nobel 6]

I so cannot wait until this game releases. Initially I didn't pay any attention to then I saw a trailer and fell in love with it. The art is fantastic, and the story looks really compelling. I'm counting down the minutes until it's ready on Game Pass. I just hope it's even half as good as it looks.

@regawdless this is a really great OT, thank you for making it.

 

[Bernd Lauert]

Ugh, I really hope this game isn't shitty.

I expect a clunky piece of shit where if you ignore the clunkiness it turns out to be a really good game. Classic eurojank.

 

[TaySan]

Both Series X and PC versions are pre-loaded. If they fucked up the PC version i will continue on Series X

 

[Phunkydiabetic]

Both Series X and PC versions are pre-loaded. If they fucked up the PC version i will continue on Series X

It's a console port to pc, you know damn well its gonna be fucked up in some form or another

 

[regawdless]

It's a console port to pc, you know damn well its gonna be fucked up in some form or another

The devs seem very confident regarding the games performance on PC. They say the fps figures from the system specs are the minimum fps and that the game will run with signifcantly higher fps in general.

 

[CloudNull]

I'm rooting for this. My backlog is already massive but I would love for another gem to drop.

 

[JORMBO]

 

[regawdless]

PC metacritic sits at 78. IGN gave it an 8/10.

Trying to catch up with the reviews and posting links.

 

[Dreamlord]

 

[Vow]

Kind of disappointing. The metacritic scores seem better, seems like it creates very different impressions, which is interesting.

This is the top review, seems he loves it. He loves Bioshock, I guess if you're into these kinds of games you might love it.

Atomic Heart review – Kollektivly incredible

The saying goes “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”. That’s at least initially how I felt about Atomic Heart. It had all the trappings of my kind of game, from setting to gameplay and more, and I’ve wanted so badly for it to

gamingtrend.com

 

[Ferdinand the Cowfish]

Reviews seem to be all over the place.

I wonder how many of the lower reviews are from reviewers or publications who docked the game because it's Russian developed?

 

[Thing on a Spring]

ACG liked it and his reviews are the only ones I can give a shit about these days. I'll get it pre-loaded after work.

 

[HE1NZ]

Gman review made me want to check it out. Some time later though.

 

[Neil Young]

Looks awesome! A couple of the reviewers may need a history lesson about what happened in WW2 though.

 

[WesternBlood]

ACG liked it and his reviews are the only ones I can give a shit about these days. I'll get it pre-loaded after work.

I was going to say the Skill Up v. ACG reviews really give the breadth of differing opinions of what a reviewer deems important and how that manifests in their suggestion to buy or not.

I would tilt towards the ACG review, since I tend to be able to overlook some technical issues and or ai/gameplay missteps due to growing up as consoles evolved from the arcade. I still look back fondly on games like Singularity, Wolfenstein 2009, etc... even if they weren't perfect games.

The game looks like a good first attempt at a new story, and I'm glad the developers took a chance on a science fiction, single player narrative with some interesting ideas. It beats multiplayer focused flavors of the month any day of the week.

 

[TaySan]

The game is playable now on PC if you change your timezone to New Zealand.

 

[Hostile_18]

Added to the directory. Nice work!

 

[TaySan]

Made a trip to New Zealand and about 30 minutes in on PC. Game runs well and the into feels like something out of a sequel to Bioshock Infinite. The main characters dialogue feels out of place imo

 

[TaySan]

Spoiler

Just killed the first boss

Taking a break now to get ready for work. Audio/visual presentation is fantastic and feels Bioshock af and the combat is fun once you get the hang of the controls. The only major con I have is the insufferable dialogue and the glove is annoying af. Turning off the dialogue would be a net positive for the game lol

 

[New Yorks Finest]

OT looks LIT OP

Ima be honest, I luv every goddamn thing about this gm!!..A legit surprise HIT for me.

Looks freakin insane on S|X +OLED, performance is flawless, zero complaints, Combat is hella satisfying not just smash n pass, there's some tactics involved, plus all the upgrades you can play around beefin up you're toys/abilities

Intro and first look at the city looked gorgeous AH very thick of richness and artistic design --- you jus know it's one of those where it grabs you instantly !! What can i say, I'm a fan, keeping this on my SSD, trussssss!!

 

[Bernd Lauert]

Don't trust journo activists. The game is legit. Based slavs. High hopes for Stalker 2.

 

[Allnamestakenlol]

Spoiler

Just killed the first boss

Taking a break now to get ready for work. Audio/visual presentation is fantastic and feels Bioshock af and the combat is fun once you get the hang of the controls. The only major con I have is the insufferable dialogue and the glove is annoying af. Turning off the dialogue would be a net positive for the game lol

One question, how did you feel about the Saint's Row reboot's dialogue?

 

[regawdless]

Positively surprised that this turned out to be this polished, good job by the devs!

Spoiler

Just killed the first boss

Taking a break now to get ready for work. Audio/visual presentation is fantastic and feels Bioshock af and the combat is fun once you get the hang of the controls. The only major con I have is the insufferable dialogue and the glove is annoying af. Turning off the dialogue would be a net positive for the game lol

Wait why is the glove annoying? Does it... talk??

 

[TaySan]

Positively surprised that this turned out to be this polished, good job by the devs!



Wait why is the glove annoying? Does it... talk??

Yes it talks ALOT.

 

[regawdless]

No All Gender Restrooms no buy.

 

[prag16]

This might be interesting.