Atomic Heart difficulty settings explained: Which one should you go for?

Atomic Heart is a first-person shooter set in an alternate historical version wherein the Soviets have gained supremacy worldwide. The game seamlessly mixes gunplay with melee combat, and you can choose from a variety of weapons. The game features three difficulty settings: Peaceful Atom, Local Failure, and Armageddon.

Peaceful Atom is the easiest difficulty, Local Failure is the normal setting, and Armageddon is the highest level. You can change the difficulty settings at any desired point in the game, so you don't have to worry about sticking to the chosen difficulty throughout the game.

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Choosing the right difficulty setting in Atomic Heart

The game pits you in a dystopian world where the Soviets have control and ushered in a technological evolution. You play as P-3, a seasoned war veteran also known as Major Nechaev. You will face robot enemies you can defeat with guns or a stealth approach.

This first-person shooter (FPS) provides the three difficulty settings mentioned before. You can raise the stakes of every encounter by opting for the most difficult setting or choosing to soak in the narrative at your own pace by selecting an easier level.

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Peaceful Atom (Easy)

Peaceful Atom is the easy difficulty setting (Image via YouTube/ theRadBrad)

Atomic Heart is a story-driven game, so it was natural to present an easy mode. The combat scenarios will be a breeze in the Peaceful Atom setting. So if you wish to sit back and relax in this dystopian world and mow down robots effortlessly, this is your ideal difficulty setting.

The game oozes an atmosphere similar to the modern Wolfenstein games. So, it's valid to soak in the vistas and not worry about the hectic combat and robot enemies slowing you down. You can always increase the difficulty if you think the combat becomes too easy at this level.

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Local Failure / Malfunction (Normal)

Choose this setting to have a balanced experience (Image via YouTube/ theRadBrad)

Atomic Heart gives you a slew of unique weapons to choose from. Melee weapons like the Snowball, which starts off as a double-handed axe, can be decked out as a mace. The guns are reminiscent of World War II weapons with added steampunk-like aesthetics.

If these weapons are alluring you to be used more often, but you still wish to enjoy the narrative experience with the least interruptions, play the game on Local Failure/Malfunction difficulty. It is a normal mode that offers a balanced experience.

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Armageddon (Hard)

This is the hardest difficulty in Atomic Heart (Image via YouTube/ theRadBrad)

Atomic Heart comprises many resources that you can gather to upgrade your weapons and character abilities. If you switch up the difficulty to Armageddon, you'll have to scavenge for resources and explore every nook and cranny. This will give you an edge in the battle against robotic enemies.

This being a hard mode, you can expect the enemies to keep you on your toes throughout the game’s runtime. You must leverage all the game’s mechanics to defeat your foes and upgrade the pertinent skills to have an advantage over them. They will also have considerable health, requiring more bullets to be taken down.

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More about Atomic Heart

The game allows you to upgrade P-3's abilities in categories like Shok (Shock), Character, Frostbite, Mass Telekinesis, Polymeric Jet, Polymeric Shield, and Energy Management.

Based on your chosen difficulty settings, you must wisely upgrade the skills best suit your playstyle. You will require Neuropolymers to acquire these skills from NORA upgrade stations scattered worldwide.

Atomic Heart was developed by Mundfish and backed by the publisher Focus Entertainment. The game was recently released on February 21 on PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

If you are a fan of the Bioshock series, you will find the game quite welcoming, and the dystopian setting will remind you of Wolfenstein games.