Atomic Heart is a 2020 first-person action-adventure video game developed by Mundfish, and published by All In! Games. After a long period of being teased and trailed, it was finally released on June 25th 2020 for Xbox, PS4 and PC.
The game highly polarized players and critics alike; gamers were sometimes experiencing a wide range of emotions when playing the game. With this in mind, the question on everyone’s lips was whether or not Atomic Heart actually flopped.
Atomic Heart is an alternate reality take on the Soviet Union. It is a game full of shooter, platformer, and puzzle elements where the player is guided by instructions from a ghostly AI (Artificial Intelligence). The main protagonist, the KGB agent P-3, is sent on a mission to investigate the mysterious Soviet facility that has gone silent. Throughout the journey, the player must battle hostile robots, mutated creatures, and the secrets of the facility.
Atomic Heart’s reception was mixed. Critics welcomed the game’s unique atmosphere and immersive level design. The story, however, was criticized as being confusing and disjointed. Additionally, some felt that the gameplay wasn’t quite up to par with some of the more modern releases, with repetitive combat and movement features.
The game had a disappointing start and received an aggregated score of only 66/100 across all platforms, indicating that the balancing was off and the game failed to deliver on its promises. Ratings on Steam were even more dismal.
It’s clear that Atomic Heart struggled to make a successful launch, with polarized ratings from consumers and critics alike. While it present some unique ideas and atmosphere, the lack of focus on polishing the gameplay and creative vision resulted in a game that has, unfortunately, flopped.