Rumor: Not everything is great with Atomic Heart development.

[Djost1kk]

Interesting article came out from a gamedev related Telegram channel. Poster says he anonymously talked with some of the Atomic Heart devs to find out what's been happening with all these rumors (rumors that almost got no attention outside local websites).

Key notes (but there are a lot more going on):

• Last gameplay is real but it's heavily directed and very linear. First trailer is mostly fake with gameplay bits rendered on engine.
• Seems like the game may have an episodic release (1 episode is approximately 5 hours) but it doesn't mentioned anywhere else.
• CEO doesn't have any knowledge about the game development.
• Everything that people like about the game (art, design, concept) is made by one person - Artyom Galeev, who has been nurturing the concept of the game for many years.
• No actual game design. Devs don't know what they want to make. Someone liked finishers from DOOM and they implented something similar. Ideas shift from Doom-Prey to even Dark Souls.
• Major layoffs and there are not many experienced developers with C++ and UE4 in Russia, a lot of the work is outsourced.
• Development was rebooted 5 months ago and now it looks even worse than it did before, huge gameplay downgrade.
• The whole deal with Soviet Luna Park VR sounds like a cashgrab with peopple who bought it left behind.
• Pre-orders are already open and it seems like it's the only thing about this game that really does work.

 

[Gundam]

Uh oh. This looked pretty good too. Hope it works out.

 

[Dodgerfan74]

So it's We Happy Few basically. Early trailer comes out, looks amazing. Game is a complete mess behind the scenes with the devs having no clue what they're doing and not even a set direction for what they want to do.

That's disappointing as hell.

 

[Strings]

Huh, I thought the original trailer looked completely fake. Guess it was.

 

[Gundam]

So it's We Happy Few basically. Early trailer comes out, looks amazing. Game is a complete mess behind the scenes with the devs having no clue what they're doing and not even a set direction for what they want to do.

That's disappointing as hell.

Click to shrink...

That sounds nothing like We Happy Few.

 

[Blade Wolf]

Fuck...

 

[FoneBone]

that 50% discounted preorder the devs were doing (only via their own site IIRC) seemed... slightly sketchy

 

[Alastor3]

Interesting article came out from a gamedev related Telegram channel. Poster says he anonymously talked with some of the Atomic Heart devs to find out what's been happening with all these rumors (rumors that almost got no attention outside local websites).

Key notes (but there are a lot more going on):

• Last gameplay is real but it's heavily directed and very linear. First trailer is mostly fake with gameplay bits rendered on engine.
• Seems like the game may have an episodic release (1 episode is approximately 5 hours) but it doesn't mentioned anywhere else.
• CEO's doesn't have any knowledge about the game development.
• Everything that people like about the game (art, design, concept) is made by one person - Artyom Galeev, who has been nurturing the concept of the game for many years.
• No actual game design. Devs don't know what they want to make. Someone liked finishers from DOOM and they implented something similar. Ideas shift from Doom-Prey to even Dark Souls.
• Major layoffs and there are not many experienced developers with C++ and UE4 in Russia, a lot of the work is outsourced.
• Development was rebooted 5 months ago and now it looks even worse than it did before, huge gameplay downgrade.
• The whole deal with Soviet Luna Park VR sounds like a cashgrab with peopple who bought it left behind.
• Pre-orders are already open and it seems like it's the only thing about this game that really does work.

Click to shrink...

that sounds like a hot mess.

 

[Deleted member 45414]

For some reason I thought this was about that spiritual successor to Fallout New Vegas, but that's named The Outer Worlds. Phew...

 

[KillLaCam]

• CEO's doesn't have any knowledge about the game development.

 

[Deleted member 22585]

That doesn't sound good at all if true. Would be a shame because it looked like it had potential.
Some might say that game development is hard!

 

[CloseTalker]

Every game is a burning trash heap until ship. It's not fair to comment on a game that's so far out, many games go through these exact issues and come out fine.

Not to say that this won't end up being too good to be true (it's always had a bit of that scent on it), but there's nothing worth getting distracted over here. Every game is a shit show until the last few months. All of them.

 

[low-G]

Shame to hear, about what I expected but it's sad to hear that things are only getting worse.

Everything that people like about the game (art, design, concept) is made by one person - Artyom Galeev, who has been nurturing the concept of the game for many years.

Click to shrink...

Yep. I'm hoping this guy has a bright future with competent developers or visual director of motion pictures because I'll be shouting it forever but he is destined to be one of the 21st century greatest artists.

• The whole deal with Soviet Luna Park VR sounds like a cashgrab with peopple who bought it left behind.

Click to shrink...

But they are offering the entire game Atomic Heart for all Luna Park VR owners... let's see if they follow through!

 

[Jaxar]

First trailer is mostly fake with gameplay bits rendered on engine.

Click to shrink...

This game reminds me of the type of game that looks great in all the pre-release media and ends up being a pile of shit once gamers finally get their hands on it.

 

[Yog-Sothoth]

Uh oh. I guess it's time to forget about this game. Pity.

 

[Joni]

Unknown developer comes with a game that looks to good to be true. Turns out to be too good to be true.

 

[MagnusGman]

This was one of those games that showed up on a Facebook video that looked way too good to be true. I had hoped it would make the cut as that art design really is killer. I suppose I was right to keep it at arms length.

 

[Ryuhza]

This game reminds me of the type of game that looks great in all the pre-release media and ends up being a pile of shit once gamers finally get their hands on it.

Click to shrink...

Reminds me of Brink.

 

[Van Bur3n]

Played us like a fiddle. Ya broke my heart.

 

[Gundam]

Still, while it's healthy to remain somewhat skepticle, I don't think this game's fate is sealed yet. I'll wait for it to come out. If it's bad, I guess it's bad.

 

[Kemono]

Sad to hear.

Would love to see more fresh takes on games (even if it's just artstyle).

 

[Kareha]

Damn, I thought this was about a new Atomic Robo-Kid :(

 

[Premium Ghoul]

A damn shame, that first trailer looked really cool.

 

[Liam Allen-Miller]

So it's We Happy Few basically. Early trailer comes out, looks amazing. Game is a complete mess behind the scenes with the devs having no clue what they're doing and not even a set direction for what they want to do.

That's disappointing as hell.

Click to shrink...

We Happy Few had a super clear direction literally years ahead of release. They added story stuff after people wanted that but a friend and I literally played it two years before launch and the gameplay concepts are the same as the launch ones (only less refined at the time).

 

[spineduke]

Sounds like a disaster in the making.

Shame, because visually it looked great.

 

[jawzpause]

I hope it works out. I want games from all around the world not just America, Japan and Western Europe

 

[LutraLibre]

• Everything that people like about the game (art, design, concept) is made by one person - Artyom Galeev, who has been nurturing the concept of the game for many years.

Click to shrink...

An actual game developer needs to poach this guy. Without his art direction no one would have even paid any attention to this game.

 

[-PXG-]

Now it makes sense. No wonder I was asking myself so many questions about how stuff works and what you actually do in the game.

LOL

The dev(s) don't even know.

 

[ThroughtheVoid]

I've absolutely no faith in the game since the initial trailer. It's like they're hiding what the game actually is, or going by what the rumours are saying, the devs don't know either.

The game seems a disaster.

 

[oofouchugh]

Sucks to hear, the concept looks absolutely amazing.

 

[ElderlyGoose]

God damn, what an awesome idea tanked.

 

[AllThingsPurple]

Another pretender to the BioShock throne.. shame looked great. Hope it turns out alright at least.

 

[Sabretooth]

In Russia, game plays you!

 

[Xiao Hu]

Please don't let this be true :(

 

[Mórríoghain]

Goddammit. Cries in soviet anthem.

 

[GTAce]

Please noooo it looks so good!

Everything that people like about the game (art, design, concept) is made by one person - Artyom Galeev

Click to shrink...

Give this guy a position in a major studio!

 

[OldMuffin]

Why did I see this coming? Oh that's right, whenever I'm super excited for something by a completely unknown dev that just looks super ambitious, 8/10 it turns out it's having issues behind the scene 😔

 

[Praetorpwj]

Well that first trailer looked rather suspect. Great imagination but very next gen.

 

[Potterson]

Well it was obvious from the start it's really, really directed and just made to show off cool world. I didn't believe I see any real gameplay...

 

[SweetSark]

I don't want to experience again another disappointment like I did with the YIIK RPG...

 

[Ravelle]

Reminds me of Brink.

Click to shrink...

I went to a game conference where they were showing off a so called new trailer on a big screen, turned out it was the same CGI trailer they put online weeks prior, I was super bummed but I still got the game and got even more bummed out.

I could never find games with enough people and was left with and against bots and it was the most horrible AI and gameplay, what a dissapointment.

 

[SJRB]

Someone should just snag the art / design developer. Sounds like a waste of talent at this point.

 

[Shopolic]

This makes me sad. :(
If they can't develop this game, I hope some great developer hires the artist for a project like this.

 

[KORNdog]

If all of that is true it sounds like an awful situation and I don't see a decent game coming out of it. I mean, no planned out game design where they're just winging it sounds like a recipe for disaster. It seems like it has no direction outside of the way it looks.

 

[Kazuhira]

It's easy to say this in hindsight but the last trailer made me doubt about the game's quality.
It looked like a tech demo and nothing else,gameplay was just running around shooting things with no direction about what to do,no gameplay mechanics that tell you about what they are aiming with the game.
Is it shooter like doom? Somekind of survival game Like bioshock/prey? Etc.
The art style is the only solid aspect behind the game so far.

 

[skeezx]

huh, i was under the impression this was ready to go more or less. like summer-ish.

but in hindsight, yeah, definitely could see it as one of "those" situations... bummer

 

[poofynamanama2]

huh, i was under the impression this was ready to go more or less. like summer-ish.

but in hindsight, yeah, definitely could see it as one of "those" situations... bummer

Click to shrink...

The beta is scheduled for Q4 2019.

 

[Box]

An actual game developer needs to poach this guy. Without his art direction no one would have even paid any attention to this game.

Click to shrink...

Yep. Sounds like a frustrating time for this bloke.

 

[Rogote]

Fuck. Some big studio needs to get this Artyom guy as an art lead. His design is sublime from top to bottom so far. Much more interesting than most of the stuff you see out there in games. He needs to be a presence in a competent studio that would get something worthwhile out to people. I pray for this project, but doesn't sound good.

 

[TransEuropaExpress]

• Last gameplay is real but it's heavily directed and very linear. First trailer is mostly fake with gameplay bits rendered on engine.
• CEO doesn't have any knowledge about the game development.
• No actual game design. Devs don't know what they want to make. Someone liked finishers from DOOM and they implented something similar. Ideas shift from Doom-Prey to even Dark Souls.
• Development was rebooted 5 months ago and now it looks even worse than it did before, huge gameplay downgrade.
• The whole deal with Soviet Luna Park VR sounds like a cashgrab with peopple who bought it left behind.
• Pre-orders are already open and it seems like it's the only thing about this game that really does work.

Click to shrink...

Spoiler

Get this Artyom Galeev fella a real job, damn...