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Atomic Heart

Atomic Heart: Enchantment Under the Sea

While the setting may give that impression, Atomic Heart's latest DLC is much more than a watered-down Bioshock clone.

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I was somewhat excited when I downloaded Enchantment Under the Sea, the latest DLC for Atomic Heart, a few days ago. Sure, I was very excited about the barely two-year-old main game, which interestingly blended Soviet history with a Bioshock-inspired FPS formula. But since then, the quality has been on a downward spiral. The game's first DLC, Annihilation Instinct, took too long to get into gear, and the second, Trapped in Limbo, had barely started before the chain completely snapped and we were treated to a creative, but also hugely frustrating, fever dream of a platformer adventure.

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Now we've reached the third of four expansions. It's been almost a year since the last one was released, and perhaps that's why Enchantment Under the Sea opens with a veritable artillery bombardment of exposition. When the smoke finally clears after the intense summary, few will remember anything more than playing as the elite soldier Major Nechayev in the service of the motherland, but that's all you really need to know, because it's fast-paced from the start. You are in the model city of Chelomey, once the pride of the Soviet Union. Now, however, it has been transformed into a nightmare of rampaging killer robots that even attack you with red flags. What counter-revolutionary audacity! After the intense opening, culminating in a boss fight against a cake man, you head down to the underwater research station Triton, where you must try to find two high-tech rings that can contain a runaway AI.

The vast underwater complex, filled with deadly giant crabs and talking dolphins, is reminiscent of Bioshock, and developers Mundfish make no secret of their inspiration. There are many little Easter eggs in everything from mission names to physical objects that act as footnotes not only to Irrational Games' ground-breaking FPS, but also other classics like Portal and Fallout.

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However, Enchantment Under the Sea also manages to stand out. Where Bioshock's satire was sharp and direct, Atomic Heart's alternative version of the Soviet Union is more nuanced and versatile; perhaps because its fictional world isn't based on every ultra-liberal's wet dream, but on a real ideology and aesthetic that at its peak covered a sixth of the Earth's land surface. This really comes to the fore in the expansion's world building, which is, if possible, even better than in the main game. The Russian developers not only manage to capture the Soviet Union's mammoth façade, symbolised by the pompous statues and towering red flags. No, it's just as much the little things that bring the world to life. Funny graffiti, beautiful propaganda posters, bureaucratic emails. Yes, even defeated robots and dead scientists, placed in alternately amusing and macabre ways, help bring the world to life. The level of detail is imminent, and the developers have provided material rewards in the form of upgrades for those who explore every nook and cranny.

The soundtrack is also almost overwhelming and even manages to surpass the main game. Atmospheric melodies weave in and out between Soviet pop hits and classical music, and the boss battles in particular are elevated to new heights by the music. With fine sound effects, whether we're talking loud explosions or the more meditative sound waves of your underwater swimming strokes, the sore point is once again the voice acting. It's fine in Russian, of course, but in English, none of the voice actors reach the high level of production that characterises the rest of the experience. It's a shame, because the dialogue is actually brilliantly written, and especially Nechayev's conversations with his wife Katya, who now lives as an AI in his glove (I told you it was crazy), are filled with both tenderness and bite.

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When it comes to gameplay, with this DLC, Mundfish has chosen to cut out some unnecessary fat to make the experience stronger. Atomic Heart's five 'magical' abilities are gone, and in their place you have two new ones. One is something as old-fashioned as a destructive fireball. The other is a little more creative. Very early on, you get a whip that socialistically brings people closer together - you can either swing at your enemies or pull them towards you if they fall into the less deadly category. The result is the same, however: an opening for one of your four weapons, which include a powerful shotgun and an electrically charged club. It may sound like a small selection, but with both weapons and abilities having alternative firing methods and different upgrade paths that interact in different ways, there is never a lack of variety.

Enchantment under the Sea also addresses one of the main game's biggest problems. Combining numerous and fast enemies with cramped, crowded spaces led to a string of annoying deaths as you were squeezed between threats and furniture. Here, the environments are far better designed, and especially when you face a boss or enter a larger battle, you'll want a large, open environment to fight in, such as a lobby or hall. The level design also goes hand-in-hand with your new abilities. Your whip can also be used to swing around corners on ceilings and walls, which is especially useful in the intense and well-designed boss fights.

Abilities also play a big part in the game's puzzles, although this term might be stretching it. Whether you're swinging to new areas or removing petrified plankton with your fireball, it's not exactly something that requires a Mensa membership. I miss a bit of a challenge, but as a counterbalance to the frantic battles, it works well. The pacing of the expansion is generally very good, and if, like me, you have to inspect every toilet and scrutinise every poster, you'll easily spend six hours, while very determined players will probably get through in half the time.

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Enchantment Under the Sea is like a well-oiled machine. It may have fewer cogs than the main game, but the connections across level design, weapons, abilities, and exploration are more robust than ever. The story could perhaps have been told in a more straightforward manner, and don't let the trailers fool you: the new characters, including marine biologist Nastya and the mysterious The Hunter, only play a small role. I also miss some more creative puzzles, but that said, this is one of the rare expansions that actually manages to improve on the main game. Hopefully, we're in for a grand finale with the fourth and final DLC.

08 Gamereactor UK
8 / 10
+
Superb world building. Focused and varied level design. New abilities and weapons play well together. Fewer bugs and frustrations than in the main game. Intense boss battles.
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The story is difficult to follow. The English voice acting still lags. The puzzles are a tad too easy.
overall score
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