Fact check: Can you run in Atomic Heart?

Atomic Heart doesn't feature a traditional sprint function. So, you'll have to walk at the protagonist's default pace. You can, however, opt for an upgrade within the game called Morning Exercise, which slightly increases your walking speed. The absence of a sprint function is quite rare in games, especially the ones focused on combat.

You can acquire the Morning Exercise upgrade in Atomic Hearts for 80 Neuropolymer. The absence of a dedicated sprint mechanic makes this upgrade a must-have in your arsenal. Moreover, you can select the Character section of the NORA upgrade station and buy this skill to walk faster.

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You can't sprint in Atomic Heart but Morning Exercise can increase your pace

Atomic Heart is a first-person shooter set in an alternate time period wherein the Soviet Union reigns all over the world. Technology has advanced to a great degree, and the dystopian world is filled with robots. You play as P-3, Major Nechaev, a war veteran adept in combat.

Despite his rich combat background, you cannot sprint in the game. You can overcome this limitation by buying a Morning Exercise upgrade. Acquiring upgrades requires spending Neuropolymer, the in-game currency. You can interact with NORA stations that resemble a vending machine and upgrade P-3's abilities.

You can use the Morning Exercise upgrade to boost walking speed (Image via Focus Entertainment)

To overcome the lack of a sprint function, you can use the dodge button to add speed to P-3's maneuverability. It is extremely useful to evade robot attacks and temporarily boost your walking speed.

You can also interact with NORA stations to dismantle unwanted items, upgrade your arsenal, store excess materials, and more. Using a telekinesis upgrade helps move objects around and solve puzzles in Atomic Heart.

Atomic Heart comprises unique and quirky weapons to deal with your dystopian enemies. The game has a cool mix of melee weapons and guns with an added touch of futuristic themes.

You can use a two-handed axe called Snowball and tune it into a mace by upgrading it to its maximum potential. Alternatively, you can use a semi-automatic assault rifle reminiscent of an AK-47 gun to mow down robots.

A stealth approach can be chosen, but it isn't as effective as using guns and abilities to defeat your opponents. Gameplay elements incentivize the use of guns to their maximum potential rather than quietly dismantling robot foes.

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More about Atomic Heart

The dystopian setting in this game will remind you a lot about the modern Wolfenstein titles. The technologically advanced world is nothing to scoff at, either. The robots that were once developed to assist the citizens have gone rogue. You will have to uncover the secrets of Facility 3826 by playing as P-3.

Depending on your playstyle and preference, you can seamlessly switch between melee combat and gunplay. The game features upgrade categories like Shok (Shock), Character, Frostbite, Mass Telekinesis, Polymeric Jet, Polymeric Shield, and Energy Management.

You can choose from three difficulty settings: Peaceful Atom (Easy), Local Malfunction (Normal), and Armageddon (Hard). You can choose the easy mode to soak in the narrative experience or raise the difficulty to hard to get the most out of combat.

Keep an eye out for resources while exploring, which can be used to upgrade the weapons in the game. The game is linear for most of its run time, but it features some open areas to explore and collect blueprints.

Atomic Hearts is developed by Mundfish and published by Focus Entertainment and was just released on February 21, 2023, on PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Atomic Heart was revealed back in May 2018, which piqued a lot of interest and drew comparisons to Bioshock. The aesthetics and dystopian setting make it a unique game worth delving into, especially if you are a first-person shooter fan with story elements and intricate gameplay mechanics.