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GAMING FEATURE

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Sure thing! It’s an experimental power glove named CHAR-les with an integrated polymer AI, which is your main companion and assistant during your whole adventure. CHAR-les will provide you with new objectives, story, and character details. It also grants you crucial-for survival abilities such as scanning areas, plus hacking robots and equipment. In combat, it grants you elemental attacks, allowing you to fight and quickly loot components from the remains of your enemies. Using its power, you’ll be able to deploy energy shields and wield electric, freezing, and telekinetic powers. For instance, depending on your combat situation, you’ll be able to cover enemies with a polymer and then electrify them with a taser, or take a polymer shield and freeze them. So, basically, it allows you to both protect yourself and attack opponents. Can you please give us more info about the Kollektiv and how it affects gameplay? Is this the enemy that we should fear most…? Yes, you definitely should be afraid of it! At the end of WWII, genius scientist Sechenov managed to develop the Kollektiv Neural Network: the first interconnected network of robot servants, capable of replacing humans in their workplace. But right before the launch of Kollektiv 2.0, the network was sabotaged, which led to a truly inescapable, technological nightmare where robots now identify every human as a threat. But even though all these robots are interconnected and controlled by the Kollectiv’s AI, this system can be used against them. You can take control of the CCTV system, use terminals to control the hub of the Kollectiv Neural Network, and even prevent robots from being repaired. But prepare to struggle, as the system will always find a way to adapt to your behaviour and will constantly send countless reinforcements to eliminate you. What do you personally think is the coolest thing about Atomic Heart ? The effect of constant discoveries. We tried our best not to repeat the same things, and to mix them the way players would be most engaged. Our goal was to surprise players and always give them fresh emotions through the different story and world events, enemy encounters, and open or hidden locations design. For instance, players could find themselves in a bright and beautiful open area, right after which they will access a dark and dreadful underground, or laboratories haunted by deadly opponents. BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! Bagratuni assures us that Atomic Heart has plenty in store once the campaign is over. “There are various unexplored territories in the open world. These places are not easy to find, but they contain lots of secrets, puzzles, fierce enemies and, of course, great rewards.”

Ambitious dystopian shooter Atomic Heart is with us this month, so we had a bit of a chat with the game’s director at developers Mundfish, Robert Bagratuni. Words Amy Flower THE POWER OF GLOVE!

Please give us a quick summary of the key story in Atomic Heart … As I don’t want to spoil anything, I’ll purposely try to be a little bit vague! Our protagonist P-3 is dispatched on a mission to restore the work of the neural network “Kollectiv”, which was sabotaged resulting in robots attacking people, and scientific developments to cause a deadly mutation. Uncovering dark secrets behind the reasons for the mayhem, the story evolves and becomes more horrific and dramatic. You can also expect both comic and deep philosophical elements, as well as a detective, which will hit you with quite a few twists and turns! You’ve taken cues from such legendary shooter franchises as DOOM , BioShock , and Fallout .What sort of influences have these had on Atomic Heart ? These games obviously have a special place in our hearts, as well as famous authors such as Orwell, Huxley, Strugatsky, and Lem, but our goal was to create something original and unique. To be honest, not so many games have a dystopian setting, and we also have a mixture

• Atomic Heart is out on Feb 21

How does Atomic Heart differ from other first-person shooters out there? What makes it stand out is a combination of three core game pillars: rich and unique plot in a dystopian setting with various characters and plot twists; visceral combat combining usage of a melee and firearm weapons with telekinetic abilities of a special glove companion and, finally, elaborate puzzles and thoughtful riddles. Atomic Heart constantly shifts from one aspect to another, always keeping players engaged.

Please tell us more about our protagonist’s polymer glove and what it does?

of various genres and mechanics, a combination that can’t always be seen in classic and immersive shooters. So, these astonishing games helped us better understand what we actually want to create and how we want it to be played. Lovers of the frenetic gameplay of DOOM , dystopian setting of Fallout , and immersive gameplay of Bioshock , combining twohanded gameplay using weapons and special abilities, will undoubtedly find themselves at home playing Atomic Heart .

12 FEBRUARY 2023

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