Bad_Durandal
In the independent horror zone, there are tropes we tend to see time and again. Twin Peaks and Silent Hill-inspired mysteries with touches of surrealism abound, and there is no shortage of hospital and asylum-based Outlast clones. Yet every once in a while, there is an independent game that comes into the market like a breath of fresh air. I sincerely hope Atomic Heart can be that game in 2018.
Mundfish Games, the developers behind Atomic Heart pitch it as an “adventure first-person shooter, events of which unfold in an alternative universe, during the high noon of the Soviet Union.” Yet the game’s latest trailer, which you can view down below, make the game seem like so much more. There is little context given the the rapid barrage of images in the trailer, but what’s shown is striking on it’s own; zombie clowns, killer robots, and dilapidated Soviet-era architecture. I’m into it.
The trailer also gives a good idea of what to expect from the gameplay. We see melee battles with bizarre mechanical beings and plenty of gunplay. There’s even a brief glimpse of what appears to be a weapon upgrade system among all the insanity. While the environments feel similar to the likes of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Fallout, the surreal imagery in the trailer comes across as being inspired more by Silent Hill and The Evil Within. With solid shooting, Atomic Heart could be a potent mix of horror and shooter design. We will just have to wait and see.
You can check out the game’s official Steam page right here. Atomic Heart is expected to release on Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC platforms sometime in 2018.
