Atomic Hearthas been at the top of many most-wanted lists for a while now. Who doesn’t want to play anotherBioShock-like adventure? That’s because it has been in development for years. The first full teaser trailer was in 2017, and work began long before that promotional material launched.
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After many years in development,Atomic Heartis finally here. Was the wait worth it? Based on the average scores it has received, the answer seems to be mixed. However, all could be fixed if this game were to update and add some much-needed features with a patch or two.
8Add A Map
There is no map inAtomic Heart, andit is not a linear game by any stretch. It is notan open-world gameeither in the traditional sense, but there is still plenty to explore. It seems a bit ridiculous to release a game in 2023 without a map.
The developers should add two maps to the game. First, there could be a map on the menu screen with detailed information. Second, a mini-map will help players get around without the need to always go back to the main map.
7The Radar
The game gives players aradar to scantheir environments. On paper, this should be a great mechanic; unfortunately, after the radar pings a room, it doesn’t add context to the environment. The radar should highlight more components like enemies and interactive things like cabinets.
These highlighted things should also come in a variety of colors so that players can distinguish between them easier. This tech has been around in gaming for ages, especially in series likeBatman Arkham. There was a template forAtomic Heartto tweak.
6Climbing Mechanics
Vaulting around environments has been a mechanic in games for a while. The most modern equivalent is theUnchartedseries, but even that was derivative of theTomb Raiderfranchise.Atomic Heartfeatures some climbing mechanics, but they are less than optimal.
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Players can climb objects highlighted in yellow, like pipes, to get around. Getting the jumps right is like calculating complex mathematical equations because the timing has to be perfect. A patch could hopefully fix these physics to make them less cumbersome. If players can use Telekinesis, couldn’t they just float their own bodies across gaps?
5Tighten The Combat
Climbing is not the only movement-based mechanic that could use work in the game. Combat is just as cumbersome, perhaps even more so as there is anemphasis on melee. As ammo is limited, players will often have to rely on weapons like axes to take robots down.
Melee weapons are slow whereas enemies are fast, creating an unnecessary gap in equality. There is a dodge mechanic, but it is equally slow unless players time things perfectly. From the climbing to the combat, all movement inAtomic Heartcould flow better.
4Save Upgrades
Saving can be a pain in the game even thoughAtomic Heartdoes at least have autosaves and save points. The problem with save points is that players cannot select from a group of files to save into. There is one profile and that is it.
On the other hand, autosaves will randomly create a plethora of files, which can clutter up the menu. It is a wild system that makes no sense and is in need of some tweaking. Also, as a bigger wish, it would be helpful if save points healed players for free like the save rooms inMetroid Prime Remastered.
3Make It Easier To Grab Items
The glove, Charles, will extend its tentacles whenever players open up a desk, closet, chest, or whatever to grab items. The animation plays out like Charles is sucking up items like a vacuum. The game explains that it can help reduce the size of items in the player’s pocket and then resize them when needed.
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Games don’t typically explain how characters lug around tons of gear, soAtomic Heartdeserves applause in this regard. However, having to suck up large quantities of items from many sources can be tedious. A patch could help reduce the time it takes for these animations to play out. Maybe there could be anew abilityinAtomic Heartthat could fix this instead.
2Auto-Solve Puzzles
Modern action games typically add puzzles in some form to keep players on their toes and to lighten up the chaos.Hogwarts Legacy, for example, will ask players to pick locks with their magic.Atomic Hearthas locks to pickas well, and they come in a variety of forms.
Some of these locks are more aggravating than the last like one that needs players to snap their fingers and other that needs to be rotated to match lights. The nice thing about the lock picking inHogwarts Legacyis that players can bypass them on the easiest difficulty.Atomic Heartshould add that option as well.
1A Lock-On
Aiming down thebarrel of a guninAtomic Heartis not bad as far as shooters go. It is easy enough to aim down the various reticles to blast away these robots. The big problem goes back to melee combat. If it is too hard to tighten up the physics, then the developers can at least assist players in combat by adding a lock-on button.
Action games have been using them for decades, withThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Timebeing one of the pioneers. If it was good enough for an N64 game then it is good enough for a modern Xbox Series X experience.
Atomic Heartwas released on July 09, 2025, and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
