Atomic Heart: Everything You Need to Know

One of the most highly anticipated single-player FPS games of the year, Atomic Heart is a big deal. Coming to PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S this week, it’s sure to be grabbing some headlines. But for those who haven’t kept abreast of all the details, here’s everything you need to know about Atomic Heart.

Story Details

Atomic Heart is a sci-fi themed FPS with ‘action role-playing’ elements. The game is set in an alternate 1955. Dmitry Sechenov, a scientist at Facility 3826, the main centre for scientific research in the Soviet Union, created ‘Polymer’ 25 years earlier. This liquidised programmable module revolutionised the fields of energy and robotics in the USSR, and freed the majority of the population from manual labour.

From this technology came ‘Kollektiv’, a networked artificial intelligence that connects the robotic workforce. Yes, very Skynet. Kollektive was used to design a way to incorporate Polymer into the human body and enable remote neural interfacing. Which in itself sounds like a pretty doomed idea from the start. Unsurprisingly, it does wrong.

You play as Major Sergei Nechaev, AKA P-3, a mentally unstable officer on special duties. You’re dispatched by Sechenov to prevent things at Facility 3826 from getting worse. You’ll be battling malfunctioning robots and botched biomechanical experiments pretty soon. All the while combating Nechaev’s own rapidly failing mental state.

When does Atomic Heart Launch?

The game is scheduled to launch on Tuesday, 21st February, 2023. It will be available for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

The game will be available via both physical retail stores and digital storefronts. Digital publisher, Focus Entertainment, has confirmed the times that the digital edition will be available to play. Check out the embedded tweet below for the official launch times in your region, and your chosen platform.

https://twitter.com/Focus_entmt/status/1626638537427718147

Will Atomic Heart be on Game Pass?

As you may have noted above, yes, the game is going to be available via Xbox Game Pass. This includes both Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S editions. Furthermore, subscribers to Game Pass Ultimate will have access to the PC edition via both local installation and Xbox Cloud. Nice.

Of course, see the embedded tweet above for the specific availability time via Xbox Game Pass.

Is there an Atomic Heart Special Edition?

Somewhat surprisingly, there doesn’t seem to be a special edition version of the game releasing in the west. However, some retailers are offering pack-in bonuses for pre-orders. In the UK, GAME will include six art cards. Amazon are offering a bonus DLC: Swede Weapon Skin and Electro Weapon Skin.

Notice that caveat above? While there’s no special edition in the west, gamers in Asia will be able to grab hold of something different.

PlayAsia currently has two different listings for an Atomic Heart Limited Edition on each console format. However, exactly what is different isn’t noted. All versions are said to include the following: