Atomic Heart Q&A #3 - RTXGI Confirmed, Multiplayer Not Ruled Out for the Future; Won't Switch to UE5
Ever since its unveiling to the world in 2018, Atomic Heart immediately captivated gamers with its stunning ray traced visuals and unique 'Soviet BioShock' atmosphere. Set in a retro-future alternate version of the 1950s USSR, Atomic Heart features KGB agent Sergey 'P-3' Nechaev as its protagonist. P-3 is sent to investigate Facility N 3826, a top-secret complex where the USSR's brightest scientists invented a substance said to allow humans to ascend to the next level of evolution. Of course, not everything goes according to plans, and P-3 has to face off against deadly machines and rampaging zombie-like humans.
Given the significant interest in this first-person open world shooter game, we reached out to interview Russian developer Mundfish twice, in
2019 and in
2020. Each time, we uncovered new intriguing details about Atomic Heart. Today, with the launch window finally confirmed for Q4 2022, we're publishing our third and likely last pre-release interview with the developers.
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In the accompanying press release, you've stated that this additional funding will let you 'move towards the release much faster'. Were you able to hire additional developers following the Tencent investment?
Yes, the support we've received allowed us to grow the team with new expertise that strengthened the overall development. We allowed ourselves to increase our art team resources significantly, as well as the cutscenes department that we've reinforced with high-class animators. We've been hiring globally, and it could not have been possible without this deal.
I know you were initially planning to release the game years ago. Was that a miscalculation on your part, or did the game's scope get a lot bigger?
We've been thinking about this indeed. We've discussed it at some time. But as the team grew, along with our ambitions, we realized that the game should be more complex. It will be much better for the overall franchise; the game will be more interesting as a result.
Can you talk a bit about the game's skill system and how those skills will be acquired?
The combat system in the game is based on two hands that work independently. You can take a weapon in the right hand - a firearm or a melee weapon. The left hand uses polymeric glove abilities like telekinesis, frost beam, shield, etc. Combining these two mechanics allows for tactical versatility that suits your playstyle - you can create a build that focuses on fast attacks or defense, for example. There's also an energy-based modification system. We will cover all that in more detail a bit later; there's a lot of stuff to tell about combat.
You mentioned there would be vehicles in Atomic Heart. Can you share more details on how they'll work?
There is a car in the game that lets you traverse the world faster, but that's it. There are far more interesting things in the game!
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