Atomic Heart: The Soviet BioShock That Will Blow Your Mind (and Your GPU)

Let me be honest with you. When I first saw the trailers for Atomic Heart, I thought it was too good to be true. A first-person shooter set in an alternate universe where the Soviet Union became a technological paradise? Beautiful robot ballerinas, creepy mechanical monsters, and a protagonist with a talking glove? It looked like BioShock had a baby with Wolfenstein in a Russian lab.

And somehow, the game mostly delivers on that promise.

Atomic Heart is not a perfect game. The protagonist says “Crispy Critters” way too many times. The open world can feel empty. The puzzles get repetitive. But when this game hits, it hits hard. The combat is brutal and satisfying. The art direction is absolutely stunning. And the story, despite its flaws, will keep you guessing until the very end.

Let me break down everything you need to know before diving into Facility 3826.

Quick Info Table

Category	Details
Publisher	Focus Entertainment (Worldwide), 4Divinity (CIS)
Developer	Mundfish
Release Date	February 21, 2023
Genre	First-Person Shooter / Action-Adventure / Sci-Fi
Platforms	PC (Steam), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Detailed Game Description

Let me start by giving you some context. Atomic Heart is the debut game from Mundfish, a development team originally based in Russia. The team has since relocated to Cyprus, but the game is soaked in Soviet aesthetic from top to bottom . And for a first game? The level of polish and ambition is genuinely impressive .

The Alternate History Setting

The year is 1955. But not the 1955 you know from history books. In this timeline, the Soviet Union became the dominant global superpower. After World War II, Soviet scientists made a breakthrough discovery. They created a programmable polymer, a living material that could store energy and interface with human consciousness .

This polymer changed everything. The USSR built a utopian society. Flying cities. Fully automated robotics. Neural interfaces. Everything seemed perfect.

The game takes place at Facility 3826, a massive research complex that serves as the crown jewel of Soviet technology. This is where the polymer was perfected. This is where the robots were built. And this is where everything went terribly wrong .

The Story and Protagonist

You play as Major Sergei Nechaev, code name “P-3.” He is a veteran agent, tough, no-nonsense, and absolutely terrible at taking hints . He has been sent to Facility 3826 after the facility went silent. Something has gone wrong with the robot control system. The machines have turned against their creators. And P-3’s boss, the legendary scientist Dmitry Sechenov, needs him to fix it.

But nothing is as it seems.

Almost immediately, P-3 meets Charles, an AI that lives inside his polymer glove. Charles is calm, analytical, and constantly trying to get P-3 to think instead of just shooting everything . Their banter throughout the game is one of the highlights, even if Charles talks a bit too much sometimes.

The story gets genuinely complex. There are plot twists. There are betrayals. There are moral dilemmas. And depending on your choices at the very end, you get one of two endings . The game does an excellent job of slowly revealing that the utopia you see on the surface is built on something very dark.

The Combat: Brutal and Elemental

This is where Atomic Heart really shines. The combat is fast, fluid, and deeply satisfying.

You have two main tools at your disposal. First, your standard weapons. These are classic FPS tools. You have an axe for melee. A pistol. A shotgun. An assault rifle. But they all have a Soviet twist. The designs are chunky, industrial, and beautiful .

Second, you have your polymer glove abilities. This is like the plasmids from BioShock. You can unlock different powers:

Shock: Stun enemies and disable robots
Telekinesis: Pick up objects and throw them at enemies
Polymer Jet: Cover enemies in sticky polymer that you can then ignite
Frost: Freeze enemies solid

The genius of the combat system is how these elements interact. Shoot polymer on the ground and then use Shock to electrify it. Freeze an enemy and then smash them with your axe. Set a group on fire and watch them panic .

Each enemy type has different weaknesses . Some are weak to fire. Some are weak to electricity. Some are bullet sponges unless you use the right ability first. You have to think on your feet.

The boss fights are particularly memorable. The twins, the ballerina robots you see in the trailers, are the final boss. They are fast, deadly, and absolutely terrifying .

The Upgrade System

Here is where things get a bit confusing, and many players have complained about this .

You upgrade your weapons and abilities at special machines called NORA. And NORA is… a lot. She is a sentient upgrade station with a very obvious sexual attraction to the protagonist . Her dialogue is inappropriate, uncomfortable, and some players find it funny. Others find it annoying. Either way, you cannot avoid her.

The upgrade system itself is deep. You can find blueprints for new weapons and attachments in “Testing Grounds,” which are optional puzzle dungeons scattered around the open world . You also need resources to craft upgrades. You vacuum up resources using your glove, which is a very satisfying mechanic .

The problem is that the UI does not explain things well . Many players, myself included, spent hours confused about whether upgrades stacked, how cartridges worked, and what the difference between various attachments was. You will need to experiment or look up guides.

The Open World: Beautiful but Empty

Atomic Heart is not a fully open world game. It is a linear story-driven game with open hub areas . You have the main story missions that take you through linear corridors, laboratories, and underground complexes. And then you have the surface, a large open area connecting these story locations.

The surface is gorgeous. Lush forests, Soviet statues, futuristic buildings. But there is not much to do out there . You can find Testing Grounds, which are worth doing for the upgrades. You can fight random robot patrols. You can collect resources. But there are no real side quests with stories or characters .

This leads to a weird pacing issue. The main story missions are tense, linear, and exciting. The open world sections feel like filler . Many players recommend just running past enemies on the surface instead of fighting them, which is not a good sign for an action game.

The Puzzles: Love Them or Hate Them

Atomic Heart has a lot of puzzles. And I mean a lot.

Most of them are “lock puzzles.” You have to connect wires, match symbols, or rotate rings to open doors . They are not difficult. But they are everywhere. Some players enjoy the break from combat. Others find them tedious and repetitive .

The Testing Grounds are full of more complex environmental puzzles. These are actually quite fun. They remind me of Portal-lite, where you have to use your abilities to navigate through obstacle courses.

One major complaint: you cannot skip cutscenes or dialogue in this game . On your first playthrough, that is fine. But on replays, sitting through the same 30-minute intro sequence again is painful. There is a workaround involving renaming video files in the game folder, but that should not be necessary.

The DLCs and The Ending Controversy

Here is where I need to be honest with you. The base game’s ending is… abrupt . You face the final boss, make your choice, and then the credits roll. Many players felt cheated. The story seemed to end halfway through.

That is because the rest of the story is in the DLCs .

Mundfish released four story DLC chapters:

Annihilation Instinct: Continues immediately after the base game ending
Trapped in Limbo: A surreal journey through P-3’s subconscious
The Enchantress’s Secret: Explores the mystery of the twins
The Crystal Complex: The final conclusion, setting up Atomic Heart 2

If you buy the base game alone, you get an incomplete story. If you buy the Atomic Pass (the season pass) or the Ultimate Edition, you get all four DLCs and the complete narrative experience .

Is this a scummy business practice? Some players think so . Others appreciate that the developers continued supporting the game with substantial content. I will let you decide.

The good news is that the Ultimate Edition is often on sale. And the DLCs are genuinely good. They add new weapons, new abilities, new bosses, and proper closure.

The Graphics and Performance

Atomic Heart is a beautiful game. The art direction is incredible. The lighting, the textures, the character models. Everything looks top-tier .

The game runs on Unreal Engine 4. It is well-optimized for a modern title. Even on mid-range hardware, you can get stable performance .

One complaint from some players is that the game has no FOV slider on launch, but this was added in a later patch . The DualSense controller support on PS5 is excellent, with haptic feedback and adaptive triggers .

How Long Is the Game?

A normal playthrough focusing on the main story takes about 16 hours .

If you do all the Testing Grounds, find all the upgrades, and explore thoroughly, expect 25 to 30 hours.

To 100% complete the game and find every collectible, you are looking at around 35 hours .

The DLCs add another 8 to 10 hours total.

The Protagonist Problem

I have to talk about P-3. He is… annoying .

The developers wanted to create a no-nonsense, tough guy protagonist. What they created is a character who is consistently the last person in the room to understand what is happening. Charles spells out the plot for him constantly, and P-3 still does not get it.

And then there is “Crispy Critters.” This is his catchphrase. He says it constantly. It gets old very fast .

That said, there is some character development by the end. And the Russian voice acting is reportedly better than the English dub. If you can handle the localization, playing with Russian voices and English subtitles might be a better experience.

The Reception

Atomic Heart has a user score of 7.4 on Metacritic . The reviews are all over the place.

The Good: Beautiful graphics, unique setting, fun combat, creative enemy designs, satisfying resource gathering, excellent boss fights .
The Mixed: Repetitive gameplay, empty open world, too many puzzles, protagonist is annoying, story is predictable .
The Bad: Base game ending is incomplete without DLC, no cutscene skip option, confusing upgrade UI .

One reviewer called it “BioShock from a parallel universe where everything is slightly off” . Another said it starts strong but loses steam in the second half .

The game has sold over 10 million copies worldwide as of 2026 . That is not a small achievement for a debut title.

Atomic Heart 2

Yes, a sequel is planned. Mundfish has confirmed that Atomic Heart 2 is in development . The DLCs set up the next chapter. If you enjoy the universe, there is more coming.

What is the System Requirement for Atomic Heart?

Now let me talk about the technical side. The system requirements for Atomic Heart have changed since the game was first announced. Early requirements in 2021 were much lower . The final release requirements are higher but still reasonable.

The game requires 90 GB of storage space . That is a lot. Make sure you have room.

The developers strongly recommend installing on an SSD . The game will run on a hard drive, but you will experience longer loading times and potential texture pop-in.

Minimum System Requirements (For 1080p / Low Settings / 30 FPS)

If you just want to play the game at 30 frames per second on low graphics, here is what you need :

Operating System: Windows 10 (20H1 version or newer, 64-bit versions only)
Processor (CPU): Intel Core i5-2500 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200
Memory (RAM): 8 GB
Graphics Card (GPU): NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 (4 GB VRAM) or AMD Radeon R9 380 (4 GB VRAM)
Storage: 90 GB available space (HDD allowed, SSD recommended)
DirectX: Version 12

My advice: The GTX 960 is a card from 2015. The i5-2500 is from 2011. If you have a gaming PC from the last eight to nine years, you can run this game on minimum settings. You will get 30 FPS at 1080p. Do not expect more.

Recommended System Requirements (For 1080p / Ultra Settings / 60 FPS)

For a smooth 60 frames per second experience at ultra settings, aim for this configuration :

Operating System: Windows 10 (20H1 version or newer, 64-bit versions only)
Processor (CPU): Intel Core i7-7700K or AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Memory (RAM): 16 GB
Graphics Card (GPU): NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (8 GB VRAM) or AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT (8 GB VRAM)
Storage: 90 GB available space on an SSD (strongly recommended)
DirectX: Version 12

Can My PC Run Atomic Heart?

The honest answer is: yes, if you have a gaming PC from the last five to six years.

The minimum GTX 960 is an old card. The recommended RTX 2070 is from 2018. Most mid-range gaming PCs will meet the recommended requirements.

The real hurdle is the 90 GB storage space and the SSD recommendation. If you are still using a hard drive, you need to either upgrade or accept longer load times.

Console Performance

Atomic Heart runs on all major consoles:

PS5 and Xbox Series X: 60 FPS at dynamic 4K. Smooth performance.
PS4 Pro and Xbox One X: 30 FPS at 1080p to 1440p.
Base PS4 and Xbox One: 30 FPS at 900p to 1080p. Playable but not ideal.

The game supports DualSense controller features on PS5, including haptic feedback and adaptive triggers .

Steam Deck

The game is not officially Steam Deck Verified. Some players have reported that it runs at 30-40 FPS on low settings. But battery life is poor. Do not buy this expecting a great handheld experience.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

These are the questions people ask most often about Atomic Heart. I have gathered them from forums, reviews, and the developer’s own FAQ.

1. Is Atomic Heart like BioShock?

Yes, very much so. The structure is similar. Linear story missions, open hub areas, unlockable powers, creepy atmosphere, and a utopia gone wrong. The developers have cited BioShock as a major influence . If you loved BioShock, you will feel right at home.

2. How long does it take to beat Atomic Heart?

About 16 hours for the main story. 25 to 30 hours for completionists. The DLCs add another 8 to 10 hours .

3. Is Atomic Heart open world?

No, not really. It has open hub areas between linear story missions. The surface is open and explorable, but there are no side quests with stories. Just optional dungeons (Testing Grounds) and random enemy encounters .

4. Does the base game have a satisfying ending?

This is controversial. The base game ending is abrupt. Many players felt it was incomplete. The story continues in the four DLC chapters. If you buy just the base game, you get half a story. If you buy the Ultimate Edition or Atomic Pass, you get the complete narrative .

5. Does Atomic Heart have multiple endings?

Yes. There are two endings in the base game. You make a choice at the very end, just before the final boss fight. The DLCs continue from there .

6. Can you skip cutscenes in Atomic Heart?

No. There is no cutscene skip option in the game. You have to watch everything. On replays, this is painful. There is a workaround involving renaming video files in the game folder, but that is not officially supported .

7. Is the DLC worth buying?

If you want the complete story, yes. The four DLC chapters add new areas, new weapons, new bosses, and proper closure. They are included in the Atomic Pass (season pass) or the Ultimate Edition. Buying them separately is more expensive .

8. What are the Testing Grounds?

Optional puzzle dungeons scattered around the open world. You find blueprints for new weapons and upgrades inside. They are worth doing. But they are also repetitive. There are 13 Testing Grounds in total .

9. Why is the protagonist so annoying?

This is a common complaint. P-3 is slow to understand the plot, constantly needs things explained to him, and says “Crispy Critters” way too many times. The Russian voice acting is reportedly better than the English dub. Try playing with Russian voices and English subtitles .

10. Is Atomic Heart scary?

It is creepy and atmospheric, but not horror. There are some tense moments. Some body horror with the mutants. But no jump scares designed to make you scream. Think BioShock, not Outlast.

11. Does the game have ray tracing?

Ray tracing was promised during development but was not fully implemented at launch. The game looks great without it. There are mods that add ray tracing effects on PC, but they are not officially supported.

12. Is there a point of no return?

Yes. Once you leave the Pavlov Complex late in the game, you cannot return to the open world or the Testing Grounds. Make sure you have done everything you want to do before that point .

13. What are the best glove abilities?

Shock is essential for disabling robots. Telekinesis is great for crowd control. Frost is excellent against fast enemies. Polymer Jet is good for setting up elemental combos. Upgrade them all eventually, but prioritize Shock first.

14. My game is stuttering. What should I do?

Atomic Heart is generally well-optimized, but some players report stuttering. Try these fixes:

Make sure the game is installed on an SSD, not a hard drive
Lower graphics settings, especially shadows and reflections
Update your graphics drivers
Close background applications
Verify game files on Steam

15. Is there a sequel?

Yes. Atomic Heart 2 has been confirmed to be in development . The DLCs set up the next chapter. No release date has been announced.

Final Verdict: Should You Buy Atomic Heart?

Let me be direct with you. Atomic Heart is a flawed gem.

The good parts are really good. The combat is excellent. The art direction is stunning. The enemy designs are creative. The boss fights are memorable. The story, when it works, is genuinely intriguing.

The bad parts are frustrating. The protagonist is annoying. The open world is empty. The puzzles are repetitive. The base game ending is incomplete without DLC. The upgrade UI is confusing.

So here is my advice.

If you have Xbox Game Pass, play Atomic Heart there. You lose nothing. Try it for a few hours. If you love it, buy the DLC. If you hate it, uninstall it.

If you are buying on PC or PlayStation, buy the Ultimate Edition. It includes the base game and all four DLCs. This is the complete experience. The base game alone will leave you unsatisfied .

If you love BioShock and you are hungry for something similar, Atomic Heart will scratch that itch. It is not as good as BioShock. But it is close enough.

If you are easily frustrated by confusing menus and repetitive puzzles, skip it.

For a debut game from a new studio? Atomic Heart is impressive. For a $60 AAA experience? It has too many rough edges.

7 out of 10. Worth playing. Worth finishing. But not a masterpiece.

Now go enjoy some Soviet chaos. And try not to say “Crispy Critters” too much.

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