The story ofAtomic Heartcenters around the exploits of Agent P-3, a Soviet soldier who doesn’t remember his past. Nonetheless, P-3 serves as a loyal bloodhound for Dr. Sechenov, a brilliant but twisted scientist that sends P-3 on most of the missions inAtomic Heart. However, through the gentle Socratic methods of Charles, P-3’s AI glove companion, P-3 slowly begins questioning his and Dr. Sechenov’s actions.
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Atomic Heartdoes have multiple endings, but by the time Agent P-3 wraps his head around his predicament, he has very few options left. Near the end of the story, players are offered one choice that determines which of two endings they’ll get: the Weak Ending or the Good Ending.
Caution: Spoilers below
Atomic Heart’s Weak Ending
If Agent P-3 decides he’s had enough, he can choose to walk away. He can throw away everything he’s done up to this point, discard the faint memory of his wife, forgive himself for all the people he’s killed, and move to the Caribbean. There, he’ll watch the world burn with a drink in his hand–the kind with a little umbrella in it.
Obviously, Granny Zina doesn’t take kindly to this decision. Nor does Charles (aka Chariton Zakharov), but rather than listen, P-3 rips Zakharov out of his glove and storms off. The player gets a brief montage describing a few events but is ultimately left with no answers.
Game Over. Not theworst ending to a good game, but it’s up there.
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Atomic Heart’s Good Ending
If Agent P-3 decides to go on the warpath against Dr. Sechenov, he’s signing up for an epic battle against impossible odds. He’ll have to confront Dr. Sechenov alone. That also means he has to get through the doctor’s deadliest bodyguards: Left and Right.
During the battle, P-3 learns more about Left and Right and even talks to his wife. He slowly comes to grips with everything Dr. Sechenov, Zakharov, and his own mind have been hiding from him all along.
After Agent P-3 defeats Left and Right, he fires a hasty shot into Dr. Sechenov’s gut. The doctor then tells P-3 about Zakharov’s long-played deception. It turns out Zakharov has been the one sending P-3 to Limbo to initiate his murderous rampages all along.
Zakharov then shows his true colors by frying P-3 almost to death and escapes into the Neuro-Polymer body nearby. He deliversa well-rehearsed monologueabout the end of the human race and the next phase of human evolution. Then, he murders Dr. Sechenov and escapes.
At the very end, P-3 wakes up in Limbo with his wife calling out to him. He looks up to see her. She’s in the body of Right, descending toward him from on high. She reaches for him, they touch, and the game ends.
Atomic Heartis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
