There’s the most basic of stealth systems, but it’s basically perfunctory, making hard to get around in the world without being spotted and swarmed by all manner of colourful robots. In a world filled with security cameras, robots, and little structures that endlessly pop out little repair bots to fix their fellow machines, it feels like an oversight not to have some kind of hacking capabilities that let you turn robot against robot to some extent. I took advantage of this by returning the frankly dire Polymeric Shield and replacing that with a Polymeric Jet, which sprays goo on enemies that slows them down and makes them more vulnerable to elemental damage (which you can capitalise on by bolstering your ammo with fire, ice, and electric effects).Īnd yet, despite the moments of immersive-simmy playfulness, I do feel that Atomic Heart could’ve leaned into it a little bit more. It’s always nice to see a game that wants you to play around with its toys, and I was pleased to see that you can freely refund your upgrades and swap them out for different ones. Upgrades range from defensive shields, to electric and ice attacks, to (my personal fave) Mass Telekinesis, which lifts up enemies in a wide area around you, then slams them all to the ground. The polymeric upgrades, which you earn by collecting salvage in the world, are a vital leveller in a game that doesn’t go easy on you (as indicated by the fact that saves are limited to save rooms and autosaves). ALSO READ: Is E3 Dying (And Are We Better Off Without It)?

Atomic heart development hell