ON THE PULSE

are fleshy horrors out for blood elsewhere in the facility.

The title ‘Atomic Heart’ doesn’t just refer to what’s powering the rogue robots, it has additional meanings. It’s an alternate history vision that developer Mundfish admits takes liberal inspiration from the pages of Russian popular science magazine Tekhnika Molodezhi. During the Soviet era, this publication was known for its sciencefiction section, which was often the first place foreign-language genre authors would see publication within the USSR. Mundfish has also taken inspiration from the work of Russian authors Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, plus Polish writer Stanisław Lem.

Despite the open approach to conflict resolution, and the way your abilities are literally in the palm of your hand, Mundfish has been quick to state it’s not making an RPG. While you gain plenty of skills over the course of the game, P-3 is an authored character progressing through a linear story. That said, it’s not a straight line to the end credits. For one thing, there are two possible endings to this tale depending on a moral choice, which is left in your hands. For another, there’s an array of fairly open areas to explore, even though this isn’t an open world. A linear story doesn’t necessarily mean a straightforward progression through the world but there will be a slew of environments to get lost in. There’s no fast travel, so if you want to get somewhere, you must make the journey under your own steam.

So far we’ve glimpsed wellmaintained gardens, towering observation decks, and museum halls full of exhibits that are far livelier than anyone would like. There’s an element of verticality to fights and exploration, whether you’re battling your way up multiple stories or sending enemies sky-high with gravity powers. While some of the facilities have fared surprisingly well in the face of the robo-rebellion, the overgrown bowls of Plant 3826 are littered with bodies both mechanical and biological. You’ll be able to dig deeper into the mystery beating just below the surface later this year.

IMPRESSIONS

The way Mundfish continues to keep its cards close to its chest gives us pause but, with a release window late this year, we’re looking forward to seeing how the studio plays its hand.

1 2 3 1 We’d rather face this chap with telekinesis than a melee weapon, frankly. 2 Watch your step! If you alert bots on the ground, they can call in support from above and elsewhere. 3 Alongside bigger, badder war machines, there are plenty of domestic robots in Plant 3826. We wouldn’t want to cross them either. 4 Is it a gun? Is it a bayonet? And what’s this purple thing? Weapons have lots of customisation options.