Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 302 sampled Steam reviews (212 positive / 90 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Story & writing38% mention it
- Combat18% mention it
- Visuals & art17% mention it
- Music & audio17% mention it
- World & exploration14% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Story & writing43% mention it
- Combat27% mention it
- World & exploration20% mention it
- Performance14% mention it
- Visuals & art13% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
36%
42 reviews
5-15h
57%
79 reviews
15-40h
82%
119 reviews
40-100h
88%
59 reviews
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 74 | 111 |
| Creator reviews (2 tracked) | – | 52 | 2 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 81% | 75 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 82% | 76 | 3000 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Apr 23, 2026) · 300 reviews sampled · 5054 total reviews in window · weighted 194.4 up / 44.7 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (142)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 40
“Atomic Heart could have been a great game. All the pieces are here to form a beautiful picture but it feels like these have been run through a blender, set on fire and then Sellotaped together to form a grotesque Frankenstein’s monster. Almost every facet of this game is underwhelming or broken in some way; if you’re expecting the next Bioshock you’re going to be very disappointed. This is closer to We Happy Few or Duke Nukem Forever. What a shame.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Atomic Hearts is an interesting case of ambitious scientific experiment. Even if not everything went smoothly, the results are still fun, exciting, and a bit uneven. What matters here - is a brave attempt at something rather bold. And who knows what tomorrow will bring, as practice makes perfect.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Atomic Heart is a fun game showing a fascinating, well-built, visually impressive alternate world that handles everything it needs to do well. The action passages are significant, the abilities, weapons, and their use are fun, the difficulty is balanced, and it has excellent optimization so you can enjoy it smoothly even on older machines; the Russian dub is delightful, the English dub a little less so but still good, and Mick Gordon's impeccable soundtrack gets your adrenaline pumping whenever you need it. It's just a great action FPS with RPG elements. On the other hand, some animations and models are weaker, the picture tutorials are annoying, and the story is cliché. It's the first Bioshock, almost one-to-one, just in a Russian setting. However, this is balanced out by the awe-inspiring world it takes place in, which makes it sufficiently novel and original.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Atomic Heart is a highly successful take on the legendary BioShock series, from which it clearly draws heavy inspiration. The retro-futuristic Soviet Union setting is exceptionally well-executed and breathes new life into a familiar concept, including a cast of enemies featuring robots and mutants. You’ll enjoy the combat all the more because you can see the damage you’ve inflicted on enemies or even chop off their limbs. The graphics are impressive, and others could take a cue from the optimization here. The sound design, and especially the soundtrack by Mick Gordon, successfully evokes the right atmosphere. However, the game is let down by a relatively underutilized open world, minor bugs in scripted events, and the requirement to use a US keyboard layout. If you liked BioShock, enjoy taking down robots, and want to experience a story with two endings, this is the game for you.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“While the narrative leaves a lot to be desired, Atomic Heart is nonetheless a great FPS set in a beautifully realized Soviet setting.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“While I struggled with defining Atomic Heart's identity, I think I can assume a few things about the game. Narratively, it wants to be comical even with its tragedy, but the main plot bets on the drama behind the main character's past and their personal relationships; as well as predictable and empty plot twists. Despite the comparisons with Bioshock, it doesn't step too close to the atmosphere or even the combat of the classic title. It tries to be itself, even though the inspirations are noticeable. Although I was enamored with the first trailers of Atomic Heart and dreamt of that "beyond Bioshock" title, with several websites reporting on development problems and the successive delays made me wary of it. In the end, I still enjoyed the game for what it offered, even after losing its charm due to its frustrations and disappointments.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Atomic Heart is one of those rare games that refuses to leave players indifferent, a title that fascinates, surprises, and at times frustrates, yet always provokes thought. Mundfish’s debut stands as one of the most ambitious and accomplished experiences of recent years, seamlessly marrying technical spectacle with philosophical reflection. What impresses most is the coherence of its universe: every element, from architecture to weapons, from robots to dialogue, from lighting to sound, contributes to a deliberate vision of a corrupted utopia, rendered with such precision and attention to detail that it becomes utterly captivating. Every environment feels like a living gallery, each encounter a violent choreography, and every silence a moment of introspection. From a gameplay perspective, combat can occasionally grow repetitive, progression systems may not always reward experimentation, and enemy AI can be inconsistent. Yet these imperfections scarcely diminish the experience, for Atomic Heart conveys something far beyond mechanics. Weapon and glove customization allow for varied approaches, altering combat rhythms and strategies, while the game’s conceptual heart explores humanity’s obsession with control and the fragility of memory. Visually, Atomic Heart is breathtaking from beginning to end. Its meticulous aesthetic and artistic ambition deliver one of the most striking experiences in recent gaming, demonstrating how talent and passion can produce a true visual masterpiece. The audio design is equally exceptional: Mick Gordon’s score elevates every moment into a near-synesthetic experience, while the world’s immersive soundscape imbues the alternate Soviet universe with life and atmosphere. The result is a game that does more than feel believable, it lives and breathes, teeming with ideas, symbols, and contradictions. Ultimately, Atomic Heart is for players seeking more than action or spectacle, it is a game that offers meaning, reflection, and immersive storytelling. Imperfect yet hauntingly beautiful, it exemplifies how creativity can craft a world rich in intrigue and ambiguity. Bold, provocative, and unforgettable, it is a title no discerning gamer should miss, especially with a second chapter already on the horizon.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Atomic Heart remains a highly valuable title even today, especially considering that it is the debut work of Mundfish, where the immense effort put into crafting a compelling story and engaging gameplay is evident. However, the typical flaws of a first project are noticeable, and the game never truly manages to shine due to small details that undermine the overall experience.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“With a unique post-Cold War alternate sci-fi setting and some interesting-if-familiar gameplay mechanics, Mundfish has sure as heck made a memorable debut with Atomic Heart. It does need a bit more spit and shine to go full platinum though.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Atomic Heart had the potential to be a masterpiece, but the overly ambitious team at Mundfish decided to add RPG and open world mechanics, which felt unsuitable to the overall experience. Is it a good game? Yes, but it could’ve been better if the studio focused on providing a high-quality linear action-adventure game. Anyway, it's a good start for Mundfish as a new studio, and I'm excited for their future projects.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Atomic Heart is an interesting approximation of better games that is slowed down by a tedious open world, messy writing, and jarring tonal shifts.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The narrative can occasionally seem confusing, and some story beats take a little longer than I’d have liked to get going, but it all comes together in the end to form an addictive loop of shoot, loot, upgrade, repeat.”
read full review ↗
TheReviewGeek
GameMAG
INDIANTVCZ
Gaming Professors
eXputer
Fun Factor
Indie Games Devel
STWGames Italia
Kakuchopurei
Arabhardware 
Gfinity
Nexus Hub…and 130 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- PATCH 1.16.3.0 – LIST OF CHANGESApr 23, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- PATCH 1.14.4.0—LIST OF CHANGESJun 11, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- PATCH 1.13.4.0 — LIST OF CHANGESFeb 26, 2024
- PATCH 1.13.3.0 — LIST OF CHANGESFeb 8, 2024
- PATCH 1.11.0.0—LIST OF CHANGESSep 7, 2023
- PATCH 1.10.0.0—LIST OF CHANGESAug 28, 2023
- PATCH 1.9.3.0 — LIST OF CHANGESAug 4, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Annihilation Instinct DLC is available now with a PATCH 1.9.2.0!Aug 2, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- PATCH 1.8.0.0 — LIST OF CHANGESJun 26, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- PATCH 1.7.0.0 — LIST OF CHANGESJun 7, 2023