Atomic Heart is a first-person shooter with a dystopian Soviet Union setting. Taking inspiration from games like Bioshock, this title likewise blends action shooter elements with RPG progression. Atomic Heart released to a largely positive reception, though it received some controversy for alleged ties between the developer, Mundfish, and the Russian state. It launched in February 2023 for PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X/S, and PC. If you want to delve into the secrets of this sinister soviet research facility, here’s everything you need to know beforehand about Atomic Heart.
Atomic Heart Premise
Atomic Heart is set in an alternate version of 1955. In this alternate history, the Soviets easily won World War II thanks to the development of an incredible new technology known as the polymer, but not before the Nazis unleashed a devastating worldwide plague. This plague increased demand for Soviet robotics, therefore ushering in an era of apparent prosperity. However, when a new artificial intelligence program is launched to enhance the efficiency of the robots, something goes wrong. You play as a Soviet agent and WWII veteran codenamed P-3, who enters the science facility to investigate the resulting calamity.
The game’s first-person combat places an emphasis on shooting and hand-to-hand combat with improvised weapons. You have a special glove that grants powers like telekinesis and electricity, similar to the Plasmids of Bioshock fame. There is also a stealth mechanic and crafting, allowing you to cobble together new weapons and tools from the environment as you crawl through this sinister facility.
Atomic Heart Characters
As you unravel the traumatic events surrounding the launch of Kollectiv 2.0 and the downfall of Facility 3826, you’ll come to learn more about the characters wrapped up in the controversy. Here are some of the most important figures surrounding the events of Atomic Heart.
- P-3: P-3, otherwise known as Major Nechayev Sergey Alekseyevich, is the player character and main protagonist of Atomic Heart. He serves as a private agent of Dr. Dmitry Sechenov, and was invited by the scientist to assist in the launch of Kollectiv 2.0. After the launch goes wrong and the facility’s robots start massacring visitors, P-3 is consequently tasked with investigating the cause and setting things right.
- CHAR-les: Also called Charles, this is the name of the artificial intelligence that resides in P-3’s special polymer glove. This AI companion aids P-3 in using the special powers he gains from the accessory.
- Dr. Dmitry Sechenov: Sechenov invented the miraculous substance known as Polymer, which in turn revolutionized science and industry in the Soviet Union. He is also the employer of P-3, having enhanced the agent’s body through the use of technological implants, at the cost of some of his memories.
- The Twins: Left and Right are the names of the two robot bodyguards who protect and assist Dmitry Sechenov. Their design was influenced by ballet dancers, which grants their movements a fluid and powerful grace.
Atomic Heart Cheat Codes
Unfortunately, Atomic Heart has no official cheat codes. There are no console commands either, so you can’t cheat in a bunch of items that way either. As with many prominent PC games, however, there are unofficial cheat engines available online. These present considerable risks to your PC, so make sure you trust the source before you download them. Fortunately, Atomic Heart is a purely singleplayer game, so if you manage to track down a trustworthy source of cheats you won’t have to worry about getting banned from any servers. For everyone else, here’s a full list of the achievements available in Atomic Heart.
- Happy Polymerization Day!: Fly out of Chelomey.
- Artisan: Create a weapon in a crafting machine.
- Polymerization: Collect 100 jelly.
- Pistils and Stamens: Get out of Vavilov.
- Tickets, Please!: Take a train at the Lesnaya Maglev train station.
- Make It Go Round: Kill Hedgie.
- Assimilation Procedure Interrupted: Don’t let a sprout grow into a mutant.
- Plyusch Rush: Kill Plyusch.
- Quite an Achievement: Clear the VDNH complex.
- Lefthand Mastery: Fully upgrade one skill tree.
- Medium Rare: Kill Belyash.
- Show’s Over: Kill Natasha.
- Dew Point: Kill Dewdrop.
- Curtain: Finish a theater performance.
- Medical Checkup: Get to a hospital.
- Murderous Beauty: Kill the Twins.
- Freedom Reflex: Explore Pavlov.
- Kommunism 2.0: Find out the AoC’s secret.
- Weapon Master: Create five types of weapons.
- The Great Inventor: Upgrade a weapon to the maximum level.
- Hothead: Get 25 kills with headshots using the PM.
- Scanner: Scan all mobs.
- Hands on the Hood: Hit 20 enemies with a car.
- Avatar: Kill 10 burning enemies, 10 electrified enemies, and 10 frozen enemies.
- Explorer: Find a testing ground.
- Clean-Up: Complete all testing grounds.
- Apple Pie: Pick all apples in Limbo.
- More Than Profit: Find all Lootyagins.
- How Can I Help You? Use a phone booth at Chelomey.
- Beast Friend: Find all talking dead animals.
- Triple Penetration: Kill 3 or more enemies with a single railgun shot.
- Alcoholics Anonymous: Get drunk with vodka and kill five enemies.
- Lord of War: Collect all weapons.
- Below Zero: Freeze a Vova in midair.
- Weird Science: Get into the ORB lab.
- John Silver’s Crew: Kill 3 M4D-5 robots in a row while they’re hopping on one foot.
- Time in a Bottle: Kill 3 enemies while using technostasis.
- Lord of the Flies: Use a Strekoza for the first time.
- Chemist: Craft consumables of all types.
- A Girl’s Best Friend: Send all BEA-Ds to NORA’s brain.
- Return to Utopia: Complete the Annihilation Instinct DLC.
- Ultimate Storm: Destroy 15 enemies using the neuropolymeric launch module.
- Chop Chop Chop: Kill Belyash with a melee weapon.
- Divide et Impera: Separate several combined BEA-Ds with one shot from the Secateur.
- Atomic Heart: Complete the game on Armageddon.
- Bull’s Eye!: Use telekinesis to throw an object and knock down an Owl.
- Strike: Kill Hedgie without making a single shot and destroy all statues.
- Burning Ears: Find all Chirpers.
- Maximum Strength: Upgrade the Klusha and Secateur to max.
- The Necromancer: Talk to all the dead.
- The Motherland Does Not Forget Its Heroes: Unlock all achievements.
Atomic Heart Cheats FAQ
Is Atomic Heart supposed to be in Russian?
The Russian influence on Atomic Heart is obvious, far beyond the fact that the developers hail from that region. The game does offer multiple language options, however, including English. Mundfish has stated that it considers the Russian version to be the original, meaning it will also have the fewest translation issues. The American accent of the voice actor can also break immersion, somewhat, further incentivizing the original language. That said, it’s been noted that the size of the subtitles is rather small. Unless you’re fluent in Russian, you’ll probably need subtitles, so this could be an obstacle.
Is there a six hour cutscene in Atomic Heart?
Before the game launched, there were rumors that it would contain a lengthy, six-hour cutscene featuring sexually explicit interactions between the player character and the feminine robotic Twins. The developer teased fans on Twitter when asked about it, adding more fuel to the speculation. However, the completed game contains no cutscenes anywhere near that length. Furthermore, while there is some risque dialogue at points, there is no visually explicit content in Atomic Heart.
Does Atomic Heart have NSFW content?
Outside of the aforementioned risque dialogue, Atomic Heart is no more sexualized than the average M-rated game. Like many other games of that ESRB rating, Atomic Heart does feature some rather extreme violence and gore. There are also some light horror elements and disturbing material that might unsettle some players. That’s about the extent of the NSFW content featured in the title, however. When compared to something like Doom or Call of Duty, Atomic Heart isn’t especially daring.