During the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase at E3, Atomic Heart was confirmed to be available on Xbox Game Pass the day it is released. Atomic Heart was first announced in 2018 and was originally scheduled to be released in 2019. However, due to rumors and accusations about the studio appearing online and the time needed to bring the game to the high bar it set for itself when the initial trailer dropped, Atomic Hearts was mostly forgotten about until a new trailer was released in 2020.
Atomic Heart is an RPG developed by Mundfish that takes place in the Soviet Union in 1955 in an alternate reality, similar to the themes of the Bioshock games and Prey. Major P-3 is tasked with cleaning up the results of a large accident at the Soviet No3826 Facility and prevent classified information from leaking and threatening to destroy the world. As a result of the accident, machinery is rebelling and attacking citizens of the USSR. The game will feature ground-based and flying robots as well as unknown other experiments that Major P-3 will have to face.
The new trailer from Xbox announces that the game will come to Xbox GamePass on console, PC, and the cloud, but it also gives viewers a new view of what to expect throughout the game. There are combat styles that are reminiscent of Bioshock, with Major P-3 having powers with machinery coming out of his hand (similar to that of vigors and plasmids). Two important aspects of the game are exploration and crafting/modding weapons, both of which are popular in RPG shooters right now, like the Fallout franchise which often has players exploring many recognizable real-life locations. Players will be able to explore research facilities and test sites and the game will feature more than 30 different types of weapons.
Exploration is a big component of open-world RPGs, but it is also a favorite in shooters. For example, Far Cry is a shooter first, but the exploration is a loved component that makes Far Cry, Far Cry. In Atomic Heart, there are six key locations that players will be introduced to. This game will give players a view into a country and culture not usually seen in video games. Though it will be in an alternate reality with things the Soviet Union did not have in 1955, like holograms and robots, the Russian pop song in the trailer gives the impression that players will still give players a cultural view normally unseen.
Xbox Game Pass currently has over 300 games for players to download and play for free with more games continuously being added. Although Atomic Heart will be available on all platforms, it will also be readily available for download to those with Xbox Game Pass, which will give players who may not normally be interested in this type of game an opportunity to try it out. For those who are excited and immediately interested in this game genre, it is another reason to consider Xbox Game Pass. Regardless, Xbox is putting in work at E3 to make sure that there are numerous reasons to subscribe, whether it be access to older beloved games or exciting new ones.
Source: Xbox/Youtube