Atomic Heart has seen a good amount of acclaim for its gameplay and its beautiful imagining of a sci-fi, Soviet utopia. However, audiences have been more critical in terms of the game’s narrative and characters, particularly the things that come out of their mouths. Mixing together some imperfect translation with a futuristic Russia that is inexplicably near-entirely populated by Brits and Yanks, Atomic Heart is likely to nuke your immersion from its opening.
I recall first starting the game — the worldbuilding displayed marvelously around me as a boat took me down a river past vibrant colors, witnessing wonderfully creative robotic setpieces on the bank, and a stone statue of Marx looking on at the budding USSR. Then, a man rowing past me loudly proclaimed “I just love rowing, so refreshing!” before the player character, P-3, announced how beautiful the day was with less conviction in his speech than any of the robots populating the setting. It was at that point I knew that the rumors around Atomic Heart having some scuffed dialogue were true, which the rest of the game would regularly affirm.
Yet, it was also the point where I began to fall in love with Atomic Heart’s cast of characters.
Yes, the game’s dialogue has the subtlety of a car accident in a fireworks shop, and is often made exponentially more bizarre by some instances of truly baffling voice direction, but I genuinely adore these characters. Sure, some of this is out of a ‘so bad it’s good’ reaction. The comicality of these weaker aspects creates a lot of charm, there’s no doubting that. However, I also think that the game has some genuinely great characterization that is enhanced by the moderately goofy dialogue. P-3, Charles, and a good number of the side cast have the potential to be iconic game characters.
Let’s start with some of that goofiness, a lot of which comes from the voice direction. In Atomic Heart you play as P-3 and spend most of the game’s dialogue talking to your Polymer Glove’s digital personality Charles. Now whilst there’s a lot I like about the relationship between these two characters, and I’d say what I’m about to explain ends up enhancing this relationship, vocal direction ends up causing some conflict between words and tone in their interactions. Charles is in a constant state of reservedness whilst P-3, especially during the sections of gameplay near the beginning, is so exceedingly aggressive towards his companion that it borders on the absurd. This tonal whiplash is further heightened by the few times throughout the game where P-3, in his aggression, says something completely discordant with the situation. For instance, declaring how adorable the Hedgie bot it is, in his genuine opinion, as it comes rolling towards him on a mission to turn the ill-fated agent into a topiary.
Now yes, all of this is pretty damn silly — but what makes this more fitting is that the setting itself is pretty silly. The sci-fi of Atomic Heart extends fully into the fantastical; polymer may as well be magic, flying cars are just regular cars picked up by drones, and every bloody door is opened either by elaborate puzzles or cannisters of specific soil found only in specific rooms that have machines dedicated to filling cannisters with the specific door-activating soil. (Try saying that last bit three-times fast.)
That’s not to say that the game doesn’t tackle some serious drama, but it also knows to occasionally poke fun at itself and not restrain from having fun by telling a good couple jokes. I didn’t think I’d get some laughs (which in Britain we express via sharp exhalations of air from the nose) out of the alternate history USSR game, but color me surprised.
It’s because of this levity that the bouts of bizarre direction and translation oddities end up enhancing the game — the fact the game knows how to have a laugh means that this comicality in characterization isn’t so jarring. What’s good about this is that said absurdity exaggerates every personality, giving the cast of the game distinct and memorable identities.
Whilst it’s not necessarily bad for a player character to just be a vehicle for the player’s perspective, I like that P-3, through this definition via cheese, is highly opinionated. He’s not just a meathead but comically aggressive and cynical; by no means is he a stock protagonist. He also has a soft side where he sometimes apologizes for his outbursts or speaks cordially to Charles, and he has a wealth of opinions, including some on the politics of the setting.
It’s not uncommon for a lot of media to not have their protagonist have thoughts on the wider subject matter surrounding the piece’s core conflict, yet in Atomic Heart I genuinely stopped still at some points to listen to P-3 and his garment have a political debate because these characters are just that engaging.
The most pronounced example of Atomic Heart’s wonderful cheese would have to be Granny Zina. This character is a kindly, inconspicuously dressed grandma that swears like a sailor, blasts robots with a robust armory of firepower, has hacked her way into politburo surveillance, and owns a bloody flying house whilst calling herself Baba Yaga. Zinaida is a tour de force of charisma and a standout supporting character. She best exemplifies the wonderful ham of Atomic Heart, leaving her utterly unforgettable.
Atomic Heart’s dialogue and vocal direction is unquestionably strange and often jarring — but I’ll be damned if it doesn’t make the game so incredibly endearing. These areas where the game is rough around the edges fit perfectly alongside the sillier aspects of the piece. Better yet, they stop Atomic Heart from being all drama and no levity. Such memorable, iconic characters define the journey, and ensure that Atomic Heart stands out from more vanilla, traditional tales.
