The first Atomic Heart DLC, Annihilation Instinct, released this week, continuing the story of the sci-fi first person shooter. How does it compare to the base game? Does it continue the story well? Let's find out in this Atomic Heart Annihilation Instinct Review.

Atomic Heart Annihilation Instinct Review: What Is Annihilation Instinct?

Annihilation Instinct is the first of four expansions for Atomic Heart's DLC. It is included in the game's season pass, which currently costs $39.99 (USD) on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam.

Story

Annihilation Instinct follows the story of Major Nechayev (P-3) after the events of one of the two endings in the original game. At first, I was confused which ending the game followed.

We won't spoil which ending it continues from, but it becomes clear to the player about 15 minutes in which ending the DLC follows. While some now consider that ending canon, we must also consider the future DLCs may follow up the game's other ending. But for the time being, we'll consider this the continuation of the story for now.

The DLC centers around the murderous (and rather lewd) repair vendor AI Nora, who frequently aided P-3 throughout his adventure in the main game. NORA currently controls the Mendeleev Complex, preventing P-3 and other characters from leaving the facility.

The DLC also introduces a new character, Professor Lebedev, while bringing back other characters from the main game. We won't spoil who, but there's plenty of surprises in terms of who shows up.

Like the main game, P-3 is once again stuck in the middle of a sort of power struggle where he has no idea who to trust. The DLC does a great job of retaining all the mystery until the very end. However, it gives you little tidbits of information throughout as you piece everything together. We also get to learn more about NORA, her creation, and how she slowly became the naughty fridge she is now.

Additionally, the game also explains what happened after the launch of Kollektiv 2.0, which Dr. Sechenov created to unite the world in a post-labor society. A lot of interesting events unfolded between the game's ending and the DLC's intro, but we'll leave those details for you to find out.

Overall, I found the DLC's story to be good. Admittedly I was a little upset with the ending they decided to follow, but I thought they did a good job, all things considering. If the rest of the DLCs continue off this ending then I can see how things will get even better. As mentioned earlier, I also want to believe that the future DLCs, or the game's sequel, may yet continue the story of the game's other ending.

However, I will say that some of the game's non-stop references to internet memes, popular shows, movies, etc., did get in the way of my experience. There were some things, like the Breaking Bad reference, which I thought was funny since it still involved the realm of science, but other references just felt forced and out of place. It didn't ruin the story, but I feel they could cool it with all the pop culture references.

Gameplay

Annihilation Instinct brings back the fast, fluid, addictive combat the original game graced us with. For one, I cannot stress enough how nice it is that your character automatically sprints when moving. The main game also included this control scheme, and it's so nice to see it return. You can still control how fast you move by lightly moving the stick forward, and having the option to do so is nice.

Annihilation Instinct has a relatively limited number of weapons and abilities that the main game offered. Your first weapon is the Klusha, a shovel that actually attacks twice with each swing. Like the other melee weapons in the game, The Klusha's secondary ability allows for a chargeable, more powerful lunge attack. Shortly after, players get access to the Secateur, a mini-gun with a secondary ability that turns it into a cross-bow. Some weapons from the original game return, including the pistol, shotgun, and the Saw dancing Zvezdochka.

Unfortunately, that's about it for returning weapons. You don't get the Kalash, Electro, Fat Boy, Fox, Snowball, Swede or Dominator. The Secateur didn't feel as powerful as it perhaps should have been, though it's secondary ability is still very useful. Even after upgrades, I think it still could have done more damage considering it is the only new gun in the game.

In terms of glove abilities, the new time-stopping techno-stasis ability is extremely fun to use, especially after upgrading. The Shok ability returns and is fully upgraded, allowing you to stun multiple enemies at once. Speaking of upgrades, the DLC starts off P-3 having max upgrades to his Character and Shok ability. I appreciated not having to re-upgrade those abilities over again, though you still need to re-upgrade any of the old weapons you get.

However, players don't have access to the Telekinesis, Frostbite, or Polymeric Jet abilities. The limited variety of weapons and abilities at your disposal does feel a bit disappointing.

The DLC also introduces a new consumable, the Alionka. It essentially serves as a “get out of jail-free” card when surrounded by countless enemies. If you play this DLC on the hardest difficulty, save this item at all costs. There are definitely moments where you're going to need it, especially as you delve further into the Mendeleev Complex.

The DLC introduces two new enemy types and a new boss. The first is the Dummy-X, which look exactly like the dummies you encounter in the main game. They have a cool mechanic where they can separate parts of their body and launch them at you. When fighting a Dummy, you need watch out and actually made sure you destroyed it. They re-assemble if not properly destroyed.

And the main enemy of the DLC are the BEA-Ds, which play a pivotal role in the story. You first meet these adorable robots just outside the Mendeleev Complex. They roll around and attack in big numbers, causing headaches if you don't crowd control them. Later on, the BEA-Ds form together to make larger variations, each one more powerful than the last. In order to destroy these connected robots, the player must disconnect them before turning them into scrap metal.

Some BEA-Ds are uniquely colored and must be collected as the story progresses. We won't say why, but we did encounter a few bugs where the objective marker wouldn't tell us where they were. Fortunately, I did not get soft-locked nor was I forced to restart. But the first time playing, you may need a guide to find the last couple as the objective marker flat-out refused to tell us where they were.

Lastly, a swarm of BEA-Ds combine to make a giant boss, called “Left” and “Right” Arm. These boss fights consist of three stages. First you need to destroy one of the arms, and then defeat the cluster of BEA-Ds that detached. You rinse and repeat this process until two more times until the giant robot is defeated. I found the boss fights with these giant BEA-Ds really fun, and hope to see them return in the game's sequel or future DLCs.

Overall, the gameplay is still just as fun, despite the limited arsenal of weaponry.

Music

The DLC did not disappoint with its soundtrack, using music from the original game, and new tracks created by ScaryON, BassnPanda, Atlaxsys. Despite the absence of Mick Gordon, the game's soundtrack retains the feel and identity of the main experience. You go from the calm and relaxing PEAR music to the adrenaline-rushing battle music when enemies come your way.

If you don't own the DLC but want to listen to some of the music, the developers released the official soundtrack on YouTube.

Overall, the music is just as good, and in some places, even better than the original.

Graphics

Atomic Heart is arguably one of the best looking games out there right now, and the DLC does not disappoint. The Mendeleev Complex and the surrounding Freedom Park both look absolutely beautiful. Art Creative Director Artem Galeev shines once again with brilliant designs both in terms of robots, weapons, and the different buildings and structures.

Multiple times while playing, I had to stop and just take it all in. I don't usually do that often in video games, but Atomic Heart's unique beauty just sucks you in. At moments, especially in the halls of the Mendeleev Complex, the game literally looked like real life. I can't think of many other games that match the graphical fidelity of Mundfish's first major IP.

Unfortunately, Atomic Heart does not yet support Ray Tracing. To any PC players looking to play this game with max possible settings, you'll unfortunately have to wait until the developers add it in. That being said, the game already looks incredible and Ray Tracing and DLSS technologies will only add to its beauty.

Verdict: Is Atomic Heart Annihilation Instinct Worth Your Money?

If you enjoy the gameplay, visuals, and complex story of Atomic Heart, we think you'll enjoy the DLC. However, you may be upset to find the story follows one particular ending as opposed to the other. And the small amount of weapons and abilities may also disappoint you as well. But considering its length, I don't see many players being that frustrated over the smaller arsenal of weapons.

That being said, I very much enjoyed the new weapons, abilities, and enemy types the DLC offered while returning old ones. There's definitely enough variety considering the length of the DLC.

And speaking of length, for $9.99 you get roughly what is a 2-3 hour story experience, which isn't too bad. On my first play-through it took me about 4-5 hours as I took my time exploring the beautifully crafted Mendeleev Complex. On my second play-through it took me about 2 hours considering I had already read all the PEAR terminals and knew where to go.

Overall, Annihilation Instinct is a confusing start to the game's post-story DLC. However, the gameplay and atmosphere lift it up to create an exciting experience. I'm interested in seeing where things go from here.

Score: 8/10

Editor's Note: ClutchPoints reviewed a PS5 version of Atomic Heart Annihilation Instinct. Experience may vary depending on the platform you play on.

If you haven't played Atomic Heart in some time (or at all), you may be pleased to know the game incorporated both a New Game + Mode and Photo Mode.

Atomic Heart launched February 21st for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. The game received generally mixed-to-positive reviews from critics.

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