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The dream of Atomic Heart’s alternate history Soviet Union has gone horribly wrong at Facility 3826 and it seems only Agent P-3 and his partner AI “CHAR-les” (Charles) are capable of restoring the complex to proper order. As a highly-trained special operative team, the team should be able to get the job done no matter what, but there are things one can do to make their job easier. Between these best practices and one’s own innovations, getting the crown jewel of the Soviet Union back in order should be a simple matter.
Upgrade Often
One ofthe highlights of Atomic Heartis how its crafting system works. Players can make just about everything they need, but even more importantly, they can also fully refund their investments too. If a weapon isn’t working out, just break it down and get all of those supplies back. Want to try a new power, but don’t have enough Polymer on hand? Just return another power or character upgrade to the machine and purchase a new one.
Atomic Heart is generous with Polymer and crafting material, so it’s only a matter of time before one is able to buy/make everything. Until then, though, don’t be afraid to swap weapons and abilities in and out in order to see what works best. For those looking to optimize their gathering though, try the next tip.
Freeze ‘n Loot
If P-3 invests in the “Frostbite” power up to the “Careful Disassembly” upgrade, then he’ll be able to consistently gather double the amount of salvage from the rampaging robots and biological nightmares roaming around Facility 3826. Small enemies can often just be frozen and smashed, but stronger enemies require more planning.
After testing out a given enemy’s endurance, try getting them to the point where they start visibly malfunctioning/struggling before freezing them. If done right, it should only take a strong whack from a powerful melee weapon to collect the increased prize. There are plenty of good physical weapons in Atomic Heart, but the one we’ll discuss below is probably best suited to the job.
Prioritize the Zvezdochka
It might have a difficult-to-pronounce name, but actually using the Zvezdochka is anything but difficult. Once one obtains it from a red log house in the village near Vavilov Complex, it’ll most likely find a permanent spot in P-3’s inventory. Obtaining it should be simple, as the village in question is encountered immediately after exiting Vavilov Complex, just verify to find the house and loot the chest on its second floor before leaving the village.
In its base state, the Zvezdochka is strong, but not the monster weapon it’s shown to be in the trailers. To get it up to full strength, P-3 needs to visit Testing Ground 8 for the “Lower Blade with Reflex Booster” upgrade and then Testing Ground 1 for the “Reverse Shot” upgrade. The former is basically a boost to base damage and attack speed, while the latter is the real prize. It turns the Zvezdochka’s heavy strike into a ranged attack that decimates most enemies.
The second blade is necessary to bring out its full power, though. If one further enhances the Zvezdochka with a “Cartridge Gun” and invests in the “Thrift” upgrade from the “Energy Management” tree, it’ll basically make Agent P-3 unstoppable. This isn’t to say that the other weapons aren’t worth upgrading, though, quite the contrary.
Seek out the Test Sites First
A fully-upgraded Zvezdochka is a force to be reckoned with to be sure, but players shouldn’t deprive themselves the fun of trying out all of Atomic Heart’s polymer-enhanced weaponry. Each test site housed in Facility 3826 hides three upgrades somewhere in their treacherous depths and they’re all worth getting for a number of reasons. First and foremost, P-3s other weapons are going to need to be upgraded if they’re going to compete with the Zvezdochka.
Beyond that, though, many upgrades unlock new and interesting alterations and alt-fires. Take the Dominator for example: once upgraded, it’s capable of firing electric bolts in a manner similar to a shotgun, and those bolts can then go seek out enemies. It’s fun to use and that’s just one weapon! Also, going to the Test Sites before anything else will ensure that P-3 has enough resources to go through the rest of the main mission without much trouble.
One More Thing
Beforejumping in and putting all this to use,players should note that Atomic Heart is currently held back by some unfortunate glitches. While not game-breaking, they can bring one’s efforts to a temporary halt. Fortunately, most can be fixed simply by loading up the last save.
Getting stuck somewhere, broken elevators and the “Geolocation unavailable” map glitch can all be fixed with a quick restart. With that in mind, ensure to use every save station you come across. Atomic Heart doesn’t auto-save often, and these sorts of glitches can strike suddenly, so it’s a good idea to get into the habit of saving regularly in order to avoid losing progress.
