Atomic Heart Trapped in Limbo REVIEW

As you can guess from the title, “Prisoner of Limbo” sends us to the world of Limbo, familiar from the small episodes of the main campaign – the world where thoughts, emotions and memories materialize through the prism of the protagonist’s perception. That’s where the protagonist finds himself, having chosen the ending for HRAZ – and the new addition starts just from the last frames of this ending.
- Developer: Mundfish
- Publishers: Astrum Entertainment/Focus Entertainment
- Release date: February 6, 2024
If anyone doesn’t remember from the main campaign, the world of Limbo is drastically different from the real world. True, in the main game the brief episodes in Limbo were more like interactive cut-scenes, but here we’ll have a full-fledged game. We were promised that everything will be completely different, and it really is – well, or almost so. But first things first.
Let’s start with the visuals. The world of Limbo, passed through P-3’s psyche, is built mostly of confectionery. And both the landscape and many objects familiar from the main campaign are realized in the form of candies and cakes: weapons, enemies, puzzle elements.

Even the interface looks different – the health bar is now stylized as a candy bar, we have no inventory and map, in the middle of the upper part of the screen there is a scale of the current level, and to the right of it there are counters of apples and coins, the two currencies of the Limbo world. And Major Nechayev himself appears before us in the image of a white fluffy guy – exactly as he was in Limbo in the main game.
The add-on is quite short and is divided into three levels-sections, which are radically different in terms of gameplay both from each other and from the basic Atomic Heart with the “Instinct to Exterminate”. Completing each level symbolizes, in a way, defeating one’s inner problems and regaining a piece of P-3’s personality.

First we get to Speed Alley – a track for sliding on platforms made of giant frosted cupcakes. In words, the task is elementary – to get from point A to point B. But for this you will have to choose the glide paths wisely, jump from one platform to another, and don’t forget to collect apples and coins, the purpose of which I will tell you a little bit below.
Platforming can’t be called simple, but there’s no hardcore chiseling in it either. Besides, there are no serious consequences of character death in the world of Limbo – you automatically boot from the last save point, which are located on the islands scattered quite generously between the platforms.

In addition to saving on these islands, you can smash crates in search of the same apples, find computers with audio files revealing the plot and lore, and shells replacing the chirpy chirps in Limbo. Collected coins can be spent in the shop selling “sweet” skins for guns in the main game, and apples – at an old acquaintance, responsible here for both weapons and skills.
At first, “Prisoner of Limbo” feels like a completely different game. But thanks to a thoughtful introduction to the plot through dialogues with the consciousness of the protagonist’s spouse in the image of a polymer blob – and dosed battles with “confected” enemies provides almost perfect continuity.

Among the enemies you can recognize all those who were in the main game. Combat mechanics is almost the same as in the main game – there are guns, and melee, and part of the skills (jerk, polymer jet, shield). Challenges are present – kill a certain number of enemies to open a door. There is a creatively realized boss-fight and even a mini-game with shooting ducks in a shooting gallery, allowing you to earn apples.
After passing the first section we get to a small hub, from where you can get to the Speed Alley of increased difficulty or go further – to the parkour section. There, sliding is replaced by jumping on platforms and ledges in order to climb as high as possible – again to the exit to the hub.

These mechanics were partially introduced in the main game as well, especially in the polygons, but here their application reaches its peak and is complemented by jumps, bounces and a huge number of moving elements. In some places there is sliding from the first section, and there are similar islands for saving and improving weapons and skills. You’ll have to fight too, but the main enemies will be gravity and the player’s own mistakes.
But the most outright madness awaits us in the third section. Nechayev finally returns his human form. But not for us at first – because in this section we have to play for… a goose. From the point of view of the game’s lore, this goose is imaginary – the addition continues the other ending.

“Trapped in Limbo” turned out to be crazy and hooligan in a good sense of the word. Unlike the first add-on, which was a bit stingy on innovations, here the game was turned upside down and changed almost everything – but at the same time, thanks to the presentation of the story and inclusions of fights, the add-on feels like an organic part of the universe.
It deserves a special respect that the developers kept the intrigue and developed an alternative ending – it greatly increases interest in the universe in anticipation of the third and fourth additions and the almost inevitable sequel.

The game is really quite good. Russian developers know how to do things.
It would seem to be a very frivolous DLC. But no, it completely corresponds to the mood of the game. I was happy to play it.