Atomic Heart

[h1] TL;DR SUMMARY [/h1] [b]Don't listen to the mediocre internet reviews.[/b] If you are an adult with limited gaming time and you are completely fatigued by the copy-paste formula of modern Western AAA games, this game is an absolute gem. It features incredible art, top-notch music, deep lore, and a world that completely sucks you in. The first 5 to 6 hours are a slow-burn threshold you have to cross, but once you do, it rewards you immensely. The base game plus the 3rd and 4th DLCs make this an unforgettable experience. Highly recommended! [hr][/hr] [h1] FULL REVIEW [/h1] I was really torn between buying this game or passing on it. The reviews on YouTube and across the internet were a collective "meh/10" — not total trash, but not great either. I watched videos and played the demo, which is an old version with some noticeable differences from the final game, and it didn't excite me much. Because I juggle a job and studies, I don't have much time to play games anymore. Having played literally almost every AAA and AA game released up until 2015 on Xbox and my old PC, I am tired of the same exact concepts and formulas found in Western games. I have a real fatigue of not being able to find games since becoming an adult. I want to spend my time wisely on something that is more than a simple game, something with deeper ideas and meanings. I am so happy I bought this and didn't listen to the reviewers or YouTubers! I thought it would be an average or slightly above-average game, and I'm thrilled to be wrong. I literally became obsessed with this game: the art, design, characters, story, concept, and gameplay mechanics. At first, the game feels like a typical Western title with the same formulas you expect. But as you go on and interact with the world and your surroundings, you start to understand the story, the world, and the characters. [h2] Pacing, Lore, and the World [/h2] The first 5 to 6 hours go slow and feed you the story in teaspoons because there is just so much to take in. This is probably the hardest part of the game. You are mostly confined to underground compounds, and when you finally come up to the surface, you realize this is not your typical open-world game where you can just run around aimlessly. It feels like after the opening scene, you have to earn your enjoyment. If you get past that initial threshold, you are going to have a great time. This wasn't hard for me because I loved the world itself. Most things people complain about actually have a logical reasoning behind them. The world cannot be free-to-roam because that wouldn't make sense with the answers you get as you continue playing. Most questions or things you think are "off" will eventually be answered. It feels logical and natural. The PEAR terminals (the in-game computers) and chirpers are amazing. You can read emails, messages, and employee lists to grasp parts of the story before they happen, or learn the motives and backstories of the dead people you find throughout the game. Honestly, the atmosphere and world-building were so interesting that these dead people had more personality through their terminal entries than side characters and companions in most other games! [h2] Gameplay, Tuning, and the Critics [/h2] I like the fact that the game doesn't hold your hand and doesn't hold back on what it wants to share: language, mature ideas, adult/sexual stuff, and dark jokes. There is a great balance of seriousness and fun. The gameplay is good and feels satisfying, especially if you remember how important upgrading is. The game consistently reminds you of this since every ability and gun upgrade is unique and changes your playstyle entirely. The game heavily rewards exploration. The more you explore and find upgrade parts, the more powerful you get. By the end of the base game and the DLCs, I got so powerful I could one-shot enemies by lining them up! As for the puzzles, they are not hard at all. I saw a lot of complaints about them and I don't get it. There was not a single puzzle that took me more than one minute to figure out. Yes, there are platforming elements in puzzles that can take time, but it was a great change of pace after coming out of intense battles. The game also features auto-solving puzzles and plenty of settings you can tweak, but it doesn't do a good job of telling you about them. For example, I only found out about RTX after finishing the base game and turned it on for the DLCs. A single word I heard and read a lot from reviewers was "weird" for this game. It is kinda true, but not a lot. This game proved to me again how ♥♥♥♥♥♥ most reviewers are on websites and social media. They get paid to play and review games, but even a little difference in pace and norms puts them off. [h2] The Flaws and Bugs [/h2] It is not a perfect game, and it has some clunkiness. The platforming mechanics are not that good and have a bad, awkward feeling. There are also some bugs: [list] [*] Audio files can have timelapse bugs. [*] Some texts and a few dialogue lines throughout the game don't get translated or don't have subtitles at all. [*] Enemies can occasionally attack you while you are reading a PEAR terminal. [*] In one instance, while I was reading messages on a terminal, a character entered the room and started talking to another character. The game should have paused, because I missed seeing how the scene actually happened. [*] Some dialogues don't trigger properly, forcing you to reload a save. [/list] Story-wise, there are some clichés that I cannot believe they let happen. The deaths of some characters felt forced, like cut content or just straight-up clichés. [h2] The DLCs [/h2] It feels like the developers experimented with what they could do in the first two DLCs, and then they absolutely cooked in the 3rd and 4th ones. They use the DLCs to complete the story and answer questions left open in the base game. While I understand you can't bet a massive story on a first game when you don't know if it will fail or succeed, going from the base game straight to Atomic Heart 2 without playing these DLCs would be impossible for the story. Props to them for wrapping it up here instead of dragging everything out to the sequel. [b]1. Annihilation Instinct:[/b] Not better than the base game. It gives you some world info but feels like a side mission. It takes about 3 to 4 hours. Play it if you feel like it. [b]2. Trapped in Limbo:[/b] This one is logical story-wise, but did we really need it? If you like Counter-Strike surf maps, this will be super easy for you. I didn't hate it as much as other people did, and it has really positive vibes, but I remember getting tilted in one section because I wanted the achievements and kept dying for an hour straight! If you don't want to force yourself through it, just watch a playthrough or find a source for the story and messages. Takes about 3+ hours. [b]3. Enchantment Under the Sea:[/b] This adds to the top of the base game in every aspect, like vanilla cream! I loved it. New characters, weapons, locations, and the story keeps moving. It takes 5 hours or more. [b]MUST PLAY.[/b] [b]4. Blood On Crystal:[/b] This sits right on top of the previous DLC like a cherry on top of the vanilla cream! Takes 6 hours or more. [b]MUST PLAY.[/b] [h2] Final Thoughts [/h2] There is a norm where people usually give a free pass and don't judge a game too harshly when it is the first title from a new studio or a brand new IP. Yet, no one held back in judging this game. Despite that, I ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ loved it. I cannot believe the level of quality delivered here for a debut game from a new studio. Props to the devs and everyone who worked on this. You gave me a great time and I really enjoyed a lot of it. I will be following you and waiting for the sequel! I'll press A for Atomic Heart. Now I expect a developer to press A for me. :)

I adore the retrofuture sovietpunk art direction. Sometimes bloated, juvenile, or derivative, but in an endearing way. Bangin' soundtrack.

I tried to get into it but the gameplay is quite janky in the way that it moves and behaves. I really couldn't see myself enjoying it after 2 hours. Also the fact that half of my time was spent with cutscenes to "set the scene" really didn't make it super riveting. I do like the way it looks though.

I goon to the twins

I got this on sale with all the DLC's and it's really good. The base game doesn't have a great ending, so that blood dlc is really needed.

meilleur jeu auquel j'ai pu jouer !!!

Fun game with a pretty captivating story! The graphics are solid, and the amount of lore scattered throughout terminals and voice logs immerses you into the world (which is also artfully crafted). There's definitely eye candy to be had... wink wink. Since the standalone story isn't particularly long, I recommend going through all the testing grounds on the map to help pad out some hours. Those locations are very much akin to Portal's puzzle-based chambers. To add to that, get the DLCs! The Gold Edition will give you what you need, without the skins. The writing in them is about as strong as the main story, so I found it was money well-spent. It adds the better part of 20-25 hours (minus the Trapped in Limbo DLC)! While the combat at first can seem cumbersome, the more you play and find upgrades, the more acquainted and capable you will become. It's not that bad. Admittedly the game will lambast you with a singular type of enemy at times, which can get annoying. Just push through the slog or take a break - no sweat.

A.U.R.A

Eбучие пироги :steamhappy:

空中，地面战斗少，我觉得一些人晕这个游戏是因为一直在狭小密闭空间重复刷怪解密在加上卡关解密带来的焦虑烦躁挫败感会放大身体不适和眩晕感。希望轻化解密，做成开放大世界类型的可好？过完主线自由探索场景事件，特定场景，道具，人物交互，探索世界状态恢复到2.0之前人机共生时代，我知道我在意想天开