Video Games

Atomic Heart: Rewriting the Soviet History Book For the Robotic Revolution

The year is 1936. Dmitry Sergeyevich Sechenov, a professor at the Soviet Academy of Medicine, created a unique electronic storage device. Little does he know that his invention is the first step in a chain of events leading to the slaughter of robots.

The year is 1950. Sechenov’s invention brought a period of technological prosperity to the USSR. His lab, known as Facility 3826, is passionate about developing devices that connect humans and robots. Thought control over machines is only a few years away.

The year is 1955. The robot has its back to its creator. Blood stains the floors and walls of Facility 3826. Atomic Heart begins.

robot revolution

Developer Mundfish has created a whole alternate history for Atomic Heart. And in his IGN First this month, the game’s creative team revealed a timeline of events that lead directly to the robot-smashing action in this intense first-person shooter.

In Mundfish’s twisted past, the invention of a miracle substance known as a polymer enabled the Soviet Union to chart a course of great technological progress throughout the first half of the 20th century. As would be expected of the Soviet Union in the 1950s, Professor Sechenov and the scientists at Facility 3826 were very keen on the stars, but they were involved in something much grander than the space race. rice field. These Alternative History Russians set out to conquer other planets. As such, Facility 3826’s laboratories worked on everything from interstellar engineering to medicine, genetics, and even botany.

But Sechenov’s true talent was in robotics. His storage his devices paved the way for the creation of portable cold fusion reactors and enabled the rise of robots his assistants. By the mid-1940s, automata had become commonplace and played a key role in rebuilding the country after the devastation of World War II. In 1948, Sechenov created the Kollektiv neural network. This is a system that allows human operators to efficiently command robots. Just two years after him, he began designing his 2.0 version of the system, linking the human mind to the robot’s operating his system via his polymer implant. This system, ultimately known as THOUGHT, turned out to be Sechenov’s biggest mistake.

The dream was that THOUGHT would advance mankind by leaps and bounds. They could connect with machines and learn new languages ​​and musical instruments instantly. People can become quantum physicists overnight. But a catastrophic system failure in the Kollektiv network, which Sechenov wanted to connect humans to in that very network, caused all the connected robots to turn against their creators. rice field. It was after this disaster that the hero of Atomic Heart entered the story. Veteran Soldier Sergei He is Major Nechaev.

teacher failure

Nechaev, better known as P-3, is Professor Sechenov’s personal agent and is tasked with finding and eliminating the cause of system failures. Currently, the disaster is confined to the halls and laboratories of Facility 3826 in the mountains of Kazakhstan, far from normal society. It’s his P-3’s job to contain the disaster and prevent it from spreading further. Thankfully, his body is enhanced with a fair amount of tech. A metal skeleton makes him almost as tough as any droid foe, and various polymer combat implants enhance his lethal skills. You’ll find that playing as -3 looks like a completely violent riot.

You must navigate the politics and philosophies of Facility 3826’s upper echelons to discover the truth behind the disaster.


Agent P-3’s quest explores the various complexes that make up Facility 3826. Atomic Heart only takes place in this one location, but its multiple districts are visually distinct and designed to tell the many stories of the facility. The Chelomey complex, for example, consists of futuristic architecture that reflects the needs of the research team, in stark contrast to the small rural village that surrounds it. Mundfish also promises different areas depending on its purpose. Built for use by scientists as well as local civilians, the theater complex offers a completely different exploration area than the underground robotics lab.

On your journey, you’ll come across various monuments and memorials, epic testimony to past breakthroughs and lost geniuses. Mundfish says there is an air of a utopian future, especially in the open areas and entrance to Facility 3826.

top brass

Machines may be the most immediate source of danger, but P-3 must navigate the politics and philosophies of Facility 3826’s upper echelons to find the truth behind the disaster. At the top of the hierarchy, of course, is Professor Sechenov himself. With a utopian mindset, he hopes to unite humanity and pave the way for the stars with his team’s discoveries. He is guarded by two unique bodyguard robots known as the Twins. An elegant mechanical ballerina loaded with the latest lethal technology.

Sechenov was surrounded by equally talented scientists. As the story of Atomic His Heart progresses, Larisa, Sechenov’s former assistant and neurosurgeon, meets Filatova. Filatova has a humanist philosophy, and Mundfish, she promises, has some interesting personal motivations regarding the failure of the Kollektiv system. We will also contact Sechenov’s second in command, Deputy Director General Michael Stockhausen. A gifted German physician known for his cunning and prodigious memory, he quickly rose through his ranks within the institution thanks to his administrative prowess.

Mundfish says the network of connections to the Kollektiv system failure is deep, involving not only the facility, but representatives of the Soviet Union itself. P-3 is head over heels in a situation that seems to promise as much narrative intrigue as challenging shootouts.

For more on Atomic Heart, check out IGN First’s boss fight gameplay and release date trailer. Stay tuned for more Atomic Heart news and videos each month.

Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Features Editor.

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