This is an experience article for Atomic Heart, but I think the existing rating system in general doesn't work very well for this game, because its good points are too prominent and the bad things are too obvious to be described as a piece of soup work. The development team Mundfish's own raw personality traits are undoubtedly revealed in the game itself - those who like it may like it very much, and those who hate it will hate it very much, but overall, it is Maozi's personality itself.
Soviet art counteroffensive countdown: dead memories indiscriminate attack
Captain Soviet? No, no, no, it's a little more complicated than that.
Roughly speaking, if you just read the video up's analysis and introduction to the game, you may think that it is a more modern version of Bioshock, which is also the mainstream stereotype of future technology and XX punk themes. But if you actually play Atomic Heart, you'll know it's not the sentimental Atlas Shrug or the metaphorical 1984 to death, it's like the title, a story about a technological overhead world line and strange careerists in the Soviet Union in 1955, another time and space.
It's hard to even call it XX punk – because the rebellious nature of punk contrasts with the Soviet style missing from today's mainstream narrative elements, which is a difference in scale. In general, in terms of art style, design atmosphere, etc., "Atomic Heart" is extremely in place, whether it is a neoclassical style of giant (even including the unrealized scaled-down version of the Soviet Palace), or a futurism-led graphic art style, it has a strong visual appeal. The ceremonial environment, the decorating decorative arts in the public realm, the infinitely tall domes inside the buildings, and of course, the sculptures, colossi, and even the island-sized sky city are all a hit in the face for players accustomed to European and American modern art styles.
On the other hand, the imagination of design is not limited to external representation: the retro homage to the era is comprehensive, touching every field we can imagine and understand. In Atomic Hearts, robot guides read Russian poetry, ambient music is a popular Soviet-era repertoire (TNO players will rejoice in the Sablin-themed "The Battle Continues"), battles with mutant monsters and mechanical legions unfold on the grass stacks, pigsties, farmlands of collective farms, factory lathes, factory buildings, experimental tanks and plantations of research institutes, and the large stage of the ballet theater, while the radio reminds players that qualified Soviet citizens should respect collective property. Don't do sabotage (or do it in moderation).
System design: rough as a large lieba, fierce as vodka
In terms of gameplay, as Mundfish's debut game, the system and structural design of "Atomic Heart" unsurprisingly has many omissions and conflicts, and some bugs will make people frown. The reason for this is because we believe that "this kind of selling" game should be mature, smooth, flattering to players, and giving players enough positive feedback, which is also our natural reaction after enjoying most European and American triple-A game masterpieces.
But "Atomic Heart" is not, its roughness and rawness will make people wonder if this is 2023 - it seems to have enough freedom to explore the elements, but the main body is actually a very regular linear RPG; It has enough excellent art assets to reach the level of "squandering" in some specific scenes, but it still looks very clumsy in many places; Some of its weapons, such as melee weapons and shotguns, have a pretty good sense of blows, and even feel like a DOOM player in scenes surrounded by strong enemies, but other weapons and skills feel quite good and even overdone.
So the weird experience it brings to people actually comes from the "incongruity" in terms of gameplay and sense of operation. Mundfish's own tactile and realized ways are amazing in some ways: the absurd realism of collective farms and underground testing grounds, the core battle scenes full of ritual and beauty, and the corner information that fills the arc of the game characters. But they also have parts that are not done well or are obviously not good at: for example, some plots want to increase the intensity of the battle but lack the method, so they have to rely on quantity to solve the problem; Some of the puzzle solving sessions are solved in a single way, and if the player falls into a certain mind-set, they will be entangled for a long time, and so on.
These weaknesses exist objectively and specifically affect the gamer's experience. But if the player gets started to actually operate, it is more likely to fall into an "absurd immersion", and this logic is difficult for people who are used to playing dystopian themes to adapt to for a while. Therefore, its roughness and ferocity are actually somewhat similar to the national food of the Russians: black bread and vodka are so strong in themselves that those who are willing to be close will find a way to taste this dazzling taste in every corner, and those who hate it will not buy it at all.
By the way, vodka is indeed one of the important game items.
In 2023, let's tell some Soviet jokes
If you ask me about the core values of Russian literary works, of course, what must be missing is the self-deprecating sense of humor of Russians. In addition to focusing on the environmental style, artistic expression and integrity of the main narrative, "Atomic Heart" does not skimp on the large number of branch stories and plots created by the text. The whole game is like "Twelve Chairs", with a lot of Soviet jokes, including laughing at yourself, as well as mocking friends and allies in the worldview, and enemies who fit the standard of "little Western spies".
At the same time, the pressure on the Soviets in this environment was not as specific as the actual Cold War - with the blessing of new material black technology, Yuri Gagarin had flown into space 10 years ahead of schedule in 1951, and traditional manufacturing factories in the United States were on the verge of bankruptcy due to massive layoffs due to the large-scale export of Soviet intelligent robots. But the appearance of the Soviet Union's own apparent prosperity was also fraught with a sense of discord: the proliferation of people on the productive side, the discord on the organizational side, the open and covert rivalry of the upper echelons and, of course, Western sanctions and the threat of war.
So we will see a lot of jokes about bureaucracy, life normality, and resource conflicts in it, and its carrier is like the "Vault-Tec Terminal" in the "Fallout" series, presented in the form of holographic projections. At the same time, the pocket watch, a fist product of the real Soviet past, turned into a recording device inside, and nonsense and whimsy in each scene can be heard. Russians have never been strong enough for self-sacrificing, complaining in emails that the old woman on the farm steals everything, and in the recordings that the collective system of the institute is too rigid, and even the words "robots die" are sprayed on the walls of the workshop. Even the important player (which exists in reality) Molotov will complain that "we cannot let the West find an excuse to sanction us anymore, but they always have an excuse."
This may also be part of the unique competitiveness of "Atomic Heart": on the one hand, it uses the "kill the tiger" method to mock the rigidity and rigidity of the Soviet era, but on the other hand, it also tells the chaos and confusion that followed the collapse of order. Including the storyline designed for the protagonist, sometimes the player may think that the truth is learned somewhere, sometimes the player may think that "it should be so", and as for the old conspiracy theory sufferer, they will think "these are all fake" in the first place.
But in the end, I think the game still prejudged my prediction: it didn't take a very cliché way to complete the narrative, and in the process of experiencing the story, the surprise of each link was very high.
Whether the swearer is ecstatic or not is a good thing depends on the wisdom
Regarding Chinese localization: The localization level of "Atomic Heart" is quite high, whether it is Chinese translation or Chinese dubbing, it has reached a considerable level. Moreover, due to the protagonist's own setting, the fragrant scenes in the game are almost everywhere, and Chinese translation and dubbing try to restore these extremely friendly content, which can be said to be natural.
It looks like a pigsty, but it's actually a pigsty, but it's useful
Of course, if you are used to Russian dialogue film and television works, you may wish to try Russian dubbing. Friends who are accustomed to listening to "Tarkov" SCAV smoothly scolding the street will gain more and smoother atmospheric expressions this time - and also fully reveal the breadth and depth of Russian foul language, the protagonist is basically блядь everywhere he goes, пиздец dominated, ебать when it is bad, ебать в рот when unlucky, and from time to time there is a на хуй as an exclamation strengthening. Interested friends can check their meaning - but good children do not learn, these words in the Russian public environment as long as they are spoken basically belong to the level of unpleasantness.
But for a game that is inherently built on absurd situations, what is the point of saying a few dirty words? Although it's not a well-balanced game in every way, and it's not destined to please everyone, its bold choice of genre, its development history over the years, and its final appearance that is not perfect but unique are enough for me to give it a recommended position. After all, in an age where anything can be judged and attacked, Atomic Hearts is enough to usher in a lot of attacks just by its appearance, not to mention its core of mockery and criticism, nostalgia and entanglement.
Easter egg: The game has set aside a memorial site for netizens who support the development of various countries, and it is a very important landmark building, but in this way of display, I can only say that the brain circuit of the Russians to express respect is really a bit of a netherworld.
You can guess where it is