Even though it was on??e of the very earliest showcases of Nvidia's RTX lineup of graphics cards way back in 2019, Atomic Heart hasn't officially supported ray tracing proper. It's been a good looking game, to be sure, b?ut ray-tr??aced it wasn't. Unless you've got the latest update, that is.

Indeed, Atomic Heart has finally received a proper set of ray tracing graphic settings for players to peruse, almost a year and a half after its ??initial release on PC. The update - patch 1.14.4.0 - is fairly exciting in a few different ways, mind, as it comes with a surprisingly comprehensive array of accessibility features and a set of new Steam achievements for one o?f the game's DLCs, but ray-traced graphics are definitely the belle of the bunch. Just note tha??t they're currently still in public beta, as it were.

Atomic Heart's ray tracing support is now in beta

Upon installing the 1.14.4.0 version of Atomic Heart on PC, you'll be greeted with an all-new 'Ray Tracing' graphics setting in the menu. This beta version of the option allows you to set ray tracing to Performance, Quality, or Balance mode depending on your hardware and preference, which will elevate the game's visual fidelity a few notches beyond its already impressive bas??eline.

This, of course, comes with a hefty performance malus. Further, you'll also need a DXR-enabled graphics card with at least 12 GB of VRAM for ray tracing to work properly in Atomic Heart. This is a tad funny in hindsight, of course, as even though Atomic Heart was initially demoed on the now-humble RTX 2000 series of Nvidia graphics cards, it's clear that the g??ame's current ray-traced graphics are still going to push even the latest RT-ready GPUs to the max.

If you're uninterested in ray tracing for whatever reason, Atomic Heart's new suite of accessibility settings might prove more meaningful? to ??you. The new update allows you to tweak all of the following settings however you wish:

• Quick-time event auto-completion
• Colorblind mode (Deuteranopia, Protanopia, Tritanopia)
• Special contrast mode
• Black and white mode
• Environmental object highlights
• Camera shake settings
• Puzzle auto-solving
• Auto-healing

Not bad, right? Patch 1.14.4.0 is now available for all PC players of Atomic Heart on PC, so give it a whirl.

The post Atomic Heart is finally getting full ray tr??acing support appeared first on Destructoid.

Back in the U.S.S.R.

Yesterday, my Review in Progress for Atomic Heart went live, focu?sing on a few of my thoughts covering the first ten hours of the game. When I submitted my draft for edits, I honestly didn't know where I stood with the game.

There were elements I liked about it, mostly centered around its art direction, as well as some design choices that didn't necessarily sit well with me. With a lot of games, ten hours is more than enough time to draw a clear conclusion about how you feel about it. With Atomic Heart, I needed to see it through to the end.

And then I needed ??to see it through to its ??other end.

[caption id="attachment_364428" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Atomic Heart (PC, PS4, PS5 [reviewed], Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Mundfish
Publisher: Focus Entertainment
Released: February 21, 2023
MSRP: $69.99 ($59.99 on Steam)

The opening moments of Atomic Heart can best be described as a Stalinist's wet dream with how it depicts its idealized vision of the Soviet Union. A city, floating in the clouds, with people lining its streets and waterways conversing about how great life is under communist rule as they prepare to learn about the future of their empire. Dmitry Sechenov, arguably the most famous scientist in all of the Soviet Union, is set to unveil Kollectiv 2.0, a neural network that will ?connect all Soviets using?? a small invention known as the THOUGHT.

Its full launch is imminent, but before it can be brough?t online, some matters need handling. Back on the surface world, an area known as Facility 3826 is no longer operational. Robots, built with a substance known as Polymer that has been the backbone of the Soviet's successes, have lost control and killed most of the workers at the facility. To mitigate this disaster, Sechenov employs Major P-3, who, along with his Polymer-powered talking glove, CHAR-les, sets out to get to the bottom of this robot rampage.

The early hours of P-3's journey across Facility 3826 are easily the most troublesome he'll face. With just a melee axe and a gun at his disposal, players will have to adapt quickly to Atomic Heart's combat system lest th??ey fall victim to the many robots ??that are out for blood. P-3 will have three different attacks at his disposal, including guns, melee weapons, and glove skills. As he kills robots and the other creatures that have ravaged this once-picturesque land, he'll collect Polymer and materials he can use to craft and upgrade his skills and weapons. The first glove skill he unlocks is Shok, which lets him cast out an electrical charge that can stun enemies for a very brief time.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQOeZPLHook

Other glove skills include a frost attack and shield, but Atomic Heart's choice of control scheme really limits a player's ability to use their full suite of skills. While Shok is always equipped via the triangle button, P-3 can only equip two of his other glove skills at once, and only one of those can be used at a time. You can switch between these two skills by hitting up on the D-Pad, but I didn't find it to be an intuitive system when trying to survive an onslaught of robots. Switching between weapons is just as cumbersome on a controller as you scroll through them pushing left or right on the D-Pad. Given that most of Atomic Heart's menus point to a game that was primarily optimized for a mouse and keyboard rat?her than a controller, the controls on the PlayStation 5 leave something to be desir?ed.

That's not to say I struggled with the game. In the early buildings of Facility 3826, I did encounter the Game Over screen more than I would have liked to, but it wasn't an issue with the controls. Part of that was me getting into the rhythm of the combat. But it was also due to just how quiet these robots can be. You really have to be aware of your surroundings in this game because these robots enjoyed trying to take me from behind. And it wasn't unusual to face off against several robots at once and have one or two try to sneak their way around me when I was distracted by other enemies. It's a sound tactic, one I was able to counter once I gathered enough Polymer to improve P-3's speed and dodge capabilities. Once I did that, I was able to peel back the curtain on Atomic Heart's combat and realized it was rather elementary.

Certain enemies do have elemental w??eaknesses that you can learn via scanning, but if you don't have any weapons boosts that can exploit said weaknesses, then all you can do is hit them with a combination of dodges, melee attacks, gunshots, and whatever glove skills you have equipped at the time. While that combination might sound ripe for experimentation, the anemic nature of the glove skills can be a real letdown. Shok was the only consistent glove skill in my arsenal, though I got a good amount of use out of a skill that hangs your enemies in the air, letting you swing at them like pinatas. That's pretty much how I spent all my Polymer beyond upgrading P-3 himself, and honestly, it was all I needed.

The game does attempt to amp up its difficulty?? by hitting you with clusters of enemy types, but as long as you stay on top of upgrading P-3's capabilities, once you get out into the open area of Facility 3826, you probably won't face too much trouble.

[caption id="attachment_364441" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

What you may have trouble with, however, is caring about Atomic Heart's story. It's a rather basic tale of people in power trying to tighten their control of the world with P-3 standing in the middle. Social commentary is kept to a minimum, though various audio logs, emails, and audio attachments within emails do add some flavor to the world and show that life in the Soviet Union isn't as glorious as they would like you to think it is. As for P-3, the secret to his backstory is largely predictable given that several early bits of dialogue tell you exactly who he is. Speaking of the dialogue, it's atrocious in English, so you're better off turning on subtitles and switching the language option over to Russian. Just know that, because Atomic Heart?? is heavy on the conver??sational dialogue between P-3 and CHAR-les, you might miss a great deal of exposition when trying to read the tiny subtitles during the heat of battle.

I was hoping the story would actually have something new to say, but there's nothing here that hasn't already been said countless times before. While the narrative threads do touch on some interesting topics, such as how Russian robots are c??hanging life for workers in America, it ultimately plays it rather safe with two equally unsatisfying endings. When looking at P-3, he do?esn't venture far from his initial view of the Soviet Union. He comes into this journey as Communism Fanboy #1 and rarely ever bends.

I actually become frustrated by his lack of growth given the many conversations he has that should have been the catalyst for some introspection. Not that I'm arguing his adventure should have ended with him getting a massive erection for western capitalism, but this dude straight-up waffles on basically every piece of information he gets. I thought perhaps the developers were molding him to be a d??umb ??hero who just doesn't absorb anything he's told, but he's not dumb. He just chooses to ignore most of it because it clashes with the beliefs he already has.

If I were being generous, I would say that P-3 was Mundfish's way of critiquing those who refuse t?o change their points of view despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, but that might be giving the developers too much credit.

[caption id="attachment_364426" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

What I can say is Atomic Heart's narrative does not do its setting justice. Facility 3826 is a monumental achievement of design, with an outstanding representation of Stalinist Architecture and Socialist Realism. From the propaganda posters to the statues that tower over the land, Mundfish has crafted a Soviet Union that, outside of the fl?oating cities and advanced robotics, feels like something Stalin and Lenin could have achieved if they weren't so busy murdering their own people. There are so many breathtaking sights that I would often stop playing just to soak it all in. Credit where credit is due, the environmental artists and programmers who brought this world to life did an outstanding job.

It's a shame, then, that the gameplay does this world a disservice by filling it with so much bloat. In the early hours, the bloat can be seen by a??ll the keys you need to fetch to open doors. P-3 even comments on how he's a magnet for shitty door-locking mechanisms. Once you get outside and into the fresh air, you can feel the developer padding the game time again with an open world that connects all the different stations that make up Facility 3826.

On paper, a sandbox open world sounds like a good idea. Why not connect all these intricate locations with the actual land and houses the worke?rs of this facility call home? In practice, however, it's mostly just a lot of open space. You can take your time and hoof it from place to place on foot, fighting robots and avoiding sensors along the way, but the game will supply you with poorly-controlled jalopies that hasten travel time. Though, given that most roads are littered with disabled vehicles and robots for you to crash into, you're going to have to walk through these sections more than you might plan to.

[caption id="attachment_364425" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

If there is anything that makes these long treks across the land worth it, it's the outstanding music you'll hear along the way. Admittedly, the game is a bit overeager to explain why so much music that would never exist in 1955 Soviet Russia can be heard here, but that re??ally doesn't matter when the soundtrack is this good. Composers Mick Gordon, Geoffrey Day, and Andrey Bugrov did an outstanding job scoring this game, whether it's music that sounds like it was ripped from an?? old Russian propaganda film or the ear-shattering metal that accompanies some of its fight sequences.

While you can wrap up Atomic Heart in about 15 hours, there are ways to extend your stay in Facility 3826, including puzzle-based training facilities that unlock upgrades for the weapons you can craft. After publishing my Review-in-Progress, the game was updated with a patch that added a way to return to the grounds of the facility after beating the game, allowing me to go back and finish up any tasks I may have missed. It's a nice addition, but I honestly don't have much reason to return to Atomic Heart other than to gawk at its architecture.

And really, unless an extensive photo mode is added in a future update, I don't see myself ever booting up Atomic Heart again. I admire the gusto with which Mundfish approached its debut game because it's created one hell of a world to explore. But beyond its pristine setting and ass-kicking soundtrack, it's largely forgettable. Maybe if the gameplay evolved beyond its basic beginnings or if the story was �I don't know, good �I might be willing to give it another go. However, given how unlikely such a monumental change like that would be, Atomic Heart is ?destined to be ?a one-and-done type of experience.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Atomic Heart appeared first on Destructoid.

For the motherland

Before I get into this Review in Progress, I should probably discuss the elephant in the room. Atomic Heart is the debut title from developer Mundfish, who, in recent weeks, has come under pressure to be more transparent over its ties to Russia. According to a Eurogamer article, which goes into far more detail on the matter than I will here, Mundfish's investor is the Russian firm GEM Capital, which is run by Anatoliy Paliy, ??who used to work for the state-owned Gazprom. The developer bills itself as a multinational developer with team members in 10 different countries, including Poland, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates. However, the original development team was based in Russia, and Russian-state med??ia has referred to the studio as Russian in reports on the game.

Without more concrete answers from the developer on its ties with Russia, it's all still kind of up in the air. What we do know for sure is composer Mick Gordon, best known for his work on games like Killer Instinct and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, has donated his fee from the game to Red Cross Australia's Ukraine Crisis Appeal. I'm not going to lecture anyone on whether they should buy this game or not, as there are plenty of people online who are ready to do that. But, I will say, maybe take a?? peek at that Eurogamer piece before dropping $??60 on something that, so far, feels like it's better suited for a rental than a purchase.

[caption id="attachment_364167" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Atomic Heart (PC, PS4, PS5 [reviewed], Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Mundfish
Publisher: Focus Entertainment
Released: February 21, 2023
MSRP: $69.99 ($59.99 on Steam)

Atomic Heart takes place in an alternate version of the Soviet Union in 1955. The country has experienced a tremendous amount of growth and prosperity thanks to its discovery of Polymer, a substance that paved the way for the advanced robotics that have allowed the nation to flourish. Y??ou play as Major P-3, a hardscrabble sort of guy who descends from the city in the clouds to Facility 3826 on a top-secret mission. A terrible atrocity has taken place in this wide-open facility that serves as the birthplace of the Soviet's robotics empire. Blood stains the streets, and robots that were once considered peaceful are now kil??ling everyone in their path. With the impending launch of the neural network known as the "Kollectiv" that'll allow people to control robots with their minds, P-3 is dispatched to the facility to find the source of the tragedy before word leaks out.

And these robots are not willing to go down without a fight. As I do with all games I review for Destructoid, I started my time with Atomic Heart on the "normal" difficulty, thinking that it wouldn't cause me too much trouble. But I quickly realized these robots are built Tonka tough when I emptied a clip into a mustachioed hum??anoid bot only for it to still come after me lik??e it was the fucking T-1000. It went down with a couple of whacks from my fire axe, and it was then I knew I couldn't just run and gun my way through place. I would have to be more methodical about it, switching between P-3's firearms, melee weapons, and assorted glove skills.

Nestled snuggly on his left hand is CHAR-les, a highly adaptive talking glove that can shoot lightning from his hand while dropping some exposition. As you slaughter robots and other creatures ?at Facility 3826, you'll collect Polymer and other ingredients you can use to ??upgrade P-3's arsenal. With Polymer, you can unlock new skills for CHAR-les, including an electrical shock attack, a freeze attack, and a Polymer shield that protects you from damage. You can also use Polymer to improve P-3's basic abilities, and I highly suggest you unlock his faster movement speed and double dodge as soon as you can.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=WplTw-DSGYc

You'll need those skills unlocked because this game ain't playing around. Even on "normal," I constantly found myself surrounded and in unwinnable situations. Part of the problem is these robots are awfully light on their feet, and it can be difficult to hear them creeping up behind you. It doesn't take that many hits from them to completely drain your health bar, and when you get three or four robots all attacking you at once, you can be finished off in seconds. The other problem is, as I said above?, these robots often require a lot of damage before they're put down. On the one hand, that can make for some exhilarating fights for survival. On the ot?her hand, in the early hours at least, you can see these encounters quickly drain you of all your ammunition, leaving you with less-than-ideal first-person melee combat.

Unfortunately, most of the fights I've encountered so far �including the several bosses I've faced —haven't really reached a level I'd call "exhilarating." Most of them have been pretty rote in their execution, and they become more pedestri?an as I continue to upgrade my arsenal. So far, the game's best strategy has been to swarm me with several enemies at once. In the early hours, that was pretty effective as I had several encounters where all I could do is shock, dodge, and swing as I didn't bring enough ammo to get any use out of my guns. But now that I've unlocked so many skills and upgrades, the game is going to need to think of a new trick if it wants to keep me feeling challenged.

It also needs to start doing a bit more with its story. Right now, it's all pretty elementary, with P-3 caught in the middle of a mystery where he doesn't completely know who he can trust. Nothing too unpredictable has happened yet, and the game is starting to foreshadow some pretty obvious twists. For anyone who watched a trailer for this game and thought it was nothing more than "Soviet Bioshock," that's pretty much all it's been so far, right down to the audio logs and some of the game's chosen settings. There is still plenty of time for Atomic Heart to forge its own path, one that doesn't immediately draw comparisons to Ken Levine's creations, and I'll let you know if it does i????n the full review.

[caption id="attachment_364166" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Before I wrap up, I want to touch on the dialog and voice acting. I've been playing in English for most of the game, and it's been less than stellar. Nobody seems to have a Russian accent, P-3 talks like he's living in our modern era and not in 1955, when the game takes place, and it's clear the developers are trying to make his catchphrase �"Crispy Critters" �a "thing." There is a Ru??ssian voice-over option, which is how I think this game shou?ld be played.

However, Atomic Heart's dialog is conversation and banter heavy, with P-3 and CHAR-l??es pretty much talking throughout the adventure. In English, it's easy to follow along. When I switch to Russian, I have to rely on the way-too-small subtitles ?that will be ignored if they're chatting it up while I'm in the heat of battle. That's not to say that every word they say is gold, but a lot of important exposition has reared its head while I was busy dodging robot lasers.

I'm going to try not to miss any more conversations as I continue to work my way toward the heart of Atomic Heart. Ten hours in, I still don't know where I stand with it. It's big and beautiful with plenty of potential. And there is something quite captivating about this version of the Soviet Union that Mundfish has created. All ??that said, the gameplay hasn't yet shown itself to be anything more than a standard shooter, and the story has a long way to go to get out from under the sha??dow of the franchise it so clearly wants to replicate.

_{[This review in progress is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review in Progress: Atomic Heart appeared first on Destructoid.

A new development in the controversy surrounding Mundfish

Mick Gordon, the composer for Mundfish’s upcoming FPS, Atomic Heart, has announced that he will be do?nating the fees her received for scoring the game to the Austrailian Red Cross' Ukraine Crisis Appeal for use in their humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.

[embed]//twitter.com/Mick_Gordon/status/16254?95826247319556?s=??20[/embed]

The announcement is significant as it comes following the concern that developer Mundfish is allegedly supported by investors with hands in Russia’s war in Ukraine; or that funds from Atomic Heart’s sales may directly help the Russian government. While Mundfish is based in Cyprus, there have been allegations that it's mainly headquartered in Moscow.

Moreover, the studio allegedly has investors that have relations with Russian state-owned energy corporation Gazprom. While nothing has been directly proven, a lot of allegations have been brought up, and Mundfish hasn’t exactly stepped in to set the record straight itself, stating that it simply does �a href="//twitter.com/mundfish/status/1614903979267309568?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not comment on politics.�/p>

While Mick Gordon has not specifically commented on these accusations, this move is at least one that may help offset some of the concerns. However, it’s not the same as if Mundfish itself donated proceeds to aid Ukraine. I would encourage you to do your own research into Mundfish’s connection with the war in Ukraine, reach your own conclusions, and decide for yourself if purchasing Atomic Heart is reasonably moral for you.

Mick Gordon has scored titles such as Wolfenstein: The New Order, Killer Instinct, and Doom Eternal. Atomic Heart is available February 21 for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox ?platf??orms.

The post Atomic Heart compo??ser Mick Gordon to donate fees to Red Cross for Ukraine appeared first on Destructoid.

A Soviet retrofuture in stunning detail

With its uncanny robots, fearsome enemies, and slick style, Atomic Heart has to be one of my most anticipated games of 2023. It somehow manages to reference all of our favorite blockbuster games while still managing to carve a path of its own -- naturally I'm excited to see a game going all out to try something new. We've gotten to see a nice lineup of trailers since Atomic Heart was announced back in 2017, and now we've got one more to add to the list. During Nvidia's CES 2023 showcase, the devs behind the game??, Mundfish, let fans in on how amazing the game's ray-tracing and particle effects will look, especially in 4K.

This new trailer came along with an announcement that Nvidia DLSS, or deep learning super sampling, technology will be supported on 33 upcoming games, of course including Atomic Heart. The company describes DLSS as "a revolutionary breakthrough in AI-powered graphics that massively boosts performance." That sounds great to me, but I'm also assuming you have to have the latest graphics cards and processors to be able to run it. Not to mention a 4K monitor and? all the fixins that go along with it. I'll likely play it on the PS5, because I'm probably the least tech savvy person in all of gaming. I hope the computer whizzes out there have fun though.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah74ys4t3Fs

I can say with confidence that Atomic Heart is going to look incredible with top-of-the-line graphics, but I also think it's going to be a gorgeous game regardless of specs. It has such a fun, distinct art style and atmosphere, I think Mundfish will have it locked down regardless of which platform we choose to play the game on. I've certainly been let down before, but if nothing else, it's cool to see a studio putting something out that's so ??different from what we've seen in the past few years. Nice?? graphics are just icing on the cake.

The post Atomic Heart puts i??ts ray-traced beauty on full display in new trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

The unreal shooter arrives early next year

Atomic Heart is locking in a date, after years of development and trailers. Mundfish's surreal shooter Atomic Heart will launch on February 21, 2023.

The first-person shooter has been in development for a few years, blending its BioShock influence with Soviet imagery and surreal surroundings. Every trailer for it has looked pretty fascinating though, as the magic and m?achinery mix to make something that looks unique, at the very least.

Mundfish dropped a new trailer today alongside the date. You can fi?nd that below:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3Iee7ZHHZE

The new FPS is slated to hit PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. It's also headed to Xbox Game Pass.

Right to the heart of it

Atomic Heart is about a society where humans live in peace with their robot companions and servants. Well, at? least until something goes wrong and the robots, well, turn on them.

Now, mutated robots are turning on their creators, and your protagonist Major P-3 is sent?? in to "minimize consequences" and secure classified info.

It looks like this plays out in a very frenetic manner, as your newfound robotic foes are pretty lethal. So Major P-3 gets some tools of their own, wielding ??powers through a special glove to wreak havo?c.

Atomic Heart has had my eye for a while, both for the influences its drawing on and the incredible art style Mundfish is crafting. I dig the surreal, dystopian retro-future the team has imagined. Although I could do with fewer clowns.

We'll see what the retro-future holds when Atomic Heart hits its launch date on February 21,?? 2023 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Serie?s X|S, and PC.

The post Atomic Heart locks in an offici??al release date for February 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

The power of technology and a fistful of bullets

First-person action RPG Atomic Heart has a new trailer today, showcasing the upcoming game's combat. And from wild powers to melee weapons ??and gun?s, it looks like you'll have a pretty fun arsenal to play with in this game.

Developer Mundfish released this trailer today, spotlighting how t??he player can fight against hordes of mechanized combatants. They look pretty dangerous, from the regular automated grunts to giant bosses.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbIc2_FwReE

Atomic Heart is set in a future where a failure at a Soviet facility has led to a machine uprising. As Major P-3, you have to go in, minimize consequences, ?and prevent ??critical info from leaking.

You'll need weapons though, to deal with all the angry robots. And it looks like you get a pretty decent variety of them. Atomic Heart is absolutely giving me BioShock vibes, in a very good way. Freezing enemies and lifting them into the air with your power-charged glove, then battering them wit?h a makeshift melee weapon looks like a blast.

Atomic punk

We've been seeing bits and pieces of Atomic Heart over the last few years, as Mundfish has continued to work away on the project. We've seen combat, exploration, story, and even one very unsettling clown enemy. Not looking forw?ard to that fight in particular.

It's a game that's continued to impress me a little more each time I see new footage. And from what we saw today, it really does seem like Atomic Heart is coming together well.

The question at this point is, when will it launch? Mundfish published the trailer today, alongside?? a tweet that says it will launch on console and PC in late 2022.

It looks like this holiday season might see?? us freezing, smashing, and bashing robots in?? this retro-future universe.

The post Atomic Heart shows off more o?f its combat in new trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

Be still my Atomic Heart

Atomic Heart stirred up a lot of interest when it was initially announced back in 2017. It looks like it has a really unique Soviet-retro-future aesthetic, but will pull inspiration from classics like BioShock and Half-Life. I've kind of kept this game in the back of my mind since I saw that first trailer, but with updates being so few and far between, it had sort of? started fading out of my mind. That was until I saw that the game just got a re?lease window.

The game's publisher Mundfish just released a new story trailer, which of course gives us an ever bigger look into what the game will actually be -- which includes bombastic action, intense set pieces, some body horror, and lots and lots of robots. I'm hesitant to trust game trailers these days, if this one is an accurate representation of what Atomic Heart really is... I think it looks amazing. I don't want to speak too soon, but I think it has the makings to be a GOTY contender. In the midst of an oversaturated genre, its worldbuilding and aesthetics are imaginative in a way I haven't seen from games much recently, and desperately miss. Of course, we'll just have to? wait and see if they follo??w through on a promising trailer, but I'm certainly rooting for them.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4VENshiOkw

The end of the trailer gives us the info for a release window, and they take their sweet time building the anticipation of revealing that Atomic Heart is coming out sometime this year. We also got a message that says "#######BER," so we know that they're planning to release sometime within the last four months of the year. Especially with the uncertainty of development during the pandemic, this was a smart move so they don't h?ave to delay later, if that kind of thing would be necessary down the line.

The post BioShock-inspired shooter Atomic Heart gets a n??ew trailer, release window appeared first on Destructoid.

Putting a '50s flair on a classic genre

Set in a 1955 Soviet Union where technologies like the internet and robots have already been invented, first-person shooter Atomic Heart looks li??ke it's going to deliver on a tru?ly unique experience. We were treated to a new trailer at Microsoft's Games Showcase, and it looks like a heart-pounding, highly stylized campaign we'll be looking forward to.

Atomic Heart is coming to Game Pass day one on co??nsole, PC, and cloud.

The post Retro-insp??ired shooter Atomic Heart gets a?? new trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

Back in the USSR

Alternate timelines are a staple of the RPG genre, offering up worlds and situations that verge just on the precipice of believably. The latest example of such fiction can be found in Atomic Heart – a first-person action RPG currently in development at?? Russian studio Mund?fish.

Atomic Heart is the story of the rise of both Soviet Russia and the technological revolution. T?he country has amassed an army of robotic servants, holograms, and drones, successfully hitting the zenith of manufacture ??way ahead of its own timeline. Of course, as is often the case with such stories, something has seemingly gone very wrong with these impressive mechanical marvels, which spells trouble for our protagonist, a KGB officer currently locked down in one of the union's most prolific factories.

The video below offers a brief glimpse at Atomic Heart's steampunk-horror style. Produced in coordination with NVIDIA GeForce, the short preview shows off the visual effects that will bring Mundfish's world to life, spotlighting the title's ray-tracing and DLSS effects, as powered by the GeForce RTX card. It looks pretty snazzy, and with its intriguing setting and bleak storyline, Atomic Heart might prove a sleeper hit well worth keeping an ?ey??e on

The post Atomic Heart ?is a harsh ?tale of a Soviet robot revolution appeared first on Destructoid.