Atomic Heart was a fascinating read for me as I am fascinated by Soviet ideology and history. This shooter is stunning and has a great gameplay experience.
This is the basis of the game. The Polymer Glove, a sci-fi substance that can be used in many ways, is what the player uses. This accessory covers the left hand while you hold a weapon in the right. Atomic Heart is able to channel a lot of utility into this tool, such as combat debuffs and item collection. It also executes these ideas flawlessly.
While the gloves are most famous for their combat capabilities, there is a lot more to it. The first add-on you get for it is a scanning feature which, while not outrageously useful outside specific puzzles, immediately sets up how the, *ahem*, Useful I’ll see me out (I’ll be seeing myself out) accessory allows you to juggle a lot of functions with minimal inputs. On the Xbox One version of the game, the scan is activated by double-tapping and holding RB — using the same button for basic telekinetic abilities and thus saving space on the controller.
The other non-combat major feature of your glove, aside from the scanning function is the basic telekinetic abilities. This ability is built around the RB button. This input can be used to solve puzzles, such as the Pesticide Workshop’s platform-moving section. It also allows you to hold and throw objects and even loot.
This last one surprised me the most. Atomic Heart lets you enter a room and grab RB to take out loot from individual containers. It’s a joy to walk around and find fallen enemies, files, drawers, etc. It’s amazing to see all kinds of material fly into my inventory. It is super satisfying to vacuum up all my collectibles, and see the scrap numbers accumulate on the other side.
You can make even the most mundane gameplay elements enjoyable by placing all your utility within your glove. This not only makes them more interesting, but also shows how much thought went into their mechanics. It’s not a tactic to make combat easier, but the entire game revolves around the glove. This creates a sense of cohesion between mechanics and narrative.
Polymer Glove’s most prominent feature is its ability to fight. At any one time, you can have two skills as well as the SHOK ability equipped— which shoots an arc of lightning from your palm. This is a great way to make your weapon attacks more efficient and add polymer debuffs. It allows you to create a lot of synergy, and it is extremely satisfying. You will love chopping up Vova bots while freezing them.
Although SHOK is similar to other skills, there are some added uses for it such as puzzles. Whilst you can’t use it at the same time as your other skills, it’s still an extra tool for when your main skill is on cooldown — and it’s a good one at that, especially with stunning and knockback upgrades. Other skills, such as Mass Telekinesis and Frostbite are equally amazing. While the first can be used to freeze enemies, the second is able to lift as many enemies around you as possible and then bang them into the ground. Both allow you to immobilize your enemies while allowing you to regroup and get some great hits. Polymeric shield is also something I want to thank. Special thanks go to Hedgie fight who was the first boss to teach me.
You can upgrade all these skills. These skills can be upgraded to give Atomic Heart more mechanical depth. They also have the amazing feature of being completely refundable. The tools are available for you to use and modify as needed. This happened to me with the aforementioned Polymeric Shield; I had Mass Telekinesis equipped and had just upgraded SHOK — neither of which helped me when I was getting my teeth kicked in by an omnidroid that had taken up gardening. My SHOK upgrades were removed and I just invested in the Polymeric Shield. Then, Mass Telekinesis was replaced by it. There’s no risk in making fun decisions over pragmatic ones. You can always swap things out later.
Atomic Heart really shines with the Polymer Glove. Rather than the tool being a mere combat supplement (a role it already performs extraordinarily well at), the game incorporates the garment into its collecting and puzzle-solving — making it feel like a real part of the world rather than an afterthought. These additional functions are added to the game’s arsenal with an attractive button layout. It also provides a satisfying and unique way for players to experience these new features.