Atomic Heart

The robots in Atomic Heart are a good reason to keep the treadmill at a steady pace, because aiming, dodging, and switching between guns and glove powers all want more attention than your feet are going to give them. I’d save the faster pace for the stretches between fights.

Gameplay

I think Atomic Heart is a fun action game with a story that keeps stopping to talk at you, and those two parts don’t always get along. When you’re fighting robots or the strange creatures that turn up around them, you’re making enough small choices to stay occupied, and the glove powers give you more to do than just point a gun and hope. Shocking an enemy before closing in with a melee weapon feels like a sensible plan. It also means you can spend a whole fight trying to remember which button does what.

The bigger stretches of exploring and looting are calmer, which is useful if you’re exercising and don’t want to be reacting every second. You can poke through cabinets for supplies and look around without every room turning into a crisis. I like that the pace changes, but it also means you’ll sometimes be walking through another hallway and wondering whether the story has remembered you’re there.

When the fighting gets busy, I think the mix of guns and glove abilities gives you a reason to stay engaged. Some robots move quickly, and bigger encounters ask you to watch where you’re standing instead of just firing at whatever’s closest. It’s exciting in the way a crowded gym can be exciting when somebody starts using every machine at once. I’d rather have a little room to think.

There are also optional Testing Grounds with puzzles and combat, and I’d treat those as a separate activity rather than something you need to fit into a workout. I don’t know that I’d want to stop pedaling to work out a puzzle, then start again and immediately fight something. The game already gives you plenty to do without making every detour part of the plan.

The story and cutscenes add personality, and the odd tone is part of what makes Atomic Heart memorable. But there are stretches where you’re listening instead of playing, and I don’t know if that’s what you want when you’re trying to keep your legs moving. You can enjoy the characters and still wish they’d get to the next room a little sooner.

Category Score: 2 out of 3

Treadmill and Bike Compatibility

On a treadmill, I’d play at a walk or an easy pace, and I’d slow down before combat rather than trying to dodge a robot while bouncing around. Full controller support helps a lot, and the controls are built around actions you can do from a controller, but the fights still involve aiming and reacting. That’s manageable when you’re fresh. It gets less fun when your thumb and your legs are both trying to make a precise adjustment.

A bike seems more forgiving for the combat, especially if you’re able to keep your upper body steady while you aim. Still, some enemies move quickly, and boss fights are the kind of moments where I’d rather be paying attention than trying to hold a hard pace. I’d turn the workout down a notch for those sections. Nobody needs a personal record while a robot is charging at them.

The quieter exploration is a nice chance to settle back into a rhythm, and the game’s single player structure means you can pause when you need to. I’d use those pauses without feeling guilty about it, especially after a long conversation or a fight that takes more focus than expected. The game isn’t going anywhere.

I’d also skip optional puzzle detours when you’re in the middle of a workout and come back to them later. There’s enough searching and wandering in the main route already, and the Testing Grounds can ask for more thought than I’d want to give while moving. That’s a better problem to have than a game that makes you sit still all the time, but it still changes the pace.

Category Score: 2 out of 3

Computer Requirements

You’ll need a dedicated graphics card that can handle a fairly demanding modern game, so this isn’t one I’d expect to run well on integrated graphics. I’d check the graphics card first, since the minimum asks for an older card with its own video memory, and 90 GB of storage is a good bit of room to clear.

Category Score: 2 out of 3

Conclusion and Score

Atomic Heart is worth a look if you want a story driven action game and you’re willing to slow down for its tougher fights. I’d skip the puzzle detours during a workout, keep the pace comfortable, and play it on a bike or at a treadmill walk.

Overall Score: 2 out of 3