Russian gaming service 4game claims to have played Atomic Heart, an immersive sim in development, for four hours across five in-game areas, and has released a lengthy video detailing everything it saw.

Set in an abandoned Soviet research facility, the immersive sim initially garnered attention thanks to the debut trailer's unique art style, eerie setting, and cutting-edge graphics.

The video does not show much gameplay from journalist Alexei Makarenkov himself, but it does show some off-screen footage of the development build, which is important considering the game's controversial history.

Excitement over the game was balanced by accusations of management incompetence, faked gameplay footage, and mass layoffs at developer Mundfish, leading many to believe the game would never be released Mundfish has refuted these claims in numerous statements and interviews Mundfish has refuted these claims, claiming that they were either made by anonymous sources for personal gain or by disgruntled former employees

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Given that one of the main accusations surrounding Atomic Hearts was that the gameplay trailer that generated so much excitement may have been fabricated and pre-rendered, the brief glimpse of the development build seen in Makarenkov's video suggests that the game is already promising evidence that the game is not that far removed from what we have already seen.

The video is 45 minutes long, in Russian with lousy English subtitles, but for the most part it is a solicitous explanation of what we really don't need to know. Did we really need to know that stamina determines the number of attacks you can make, or that if you stay in the water too long you will drown? Probably not necessary. However, there are a few minor tidbits in this video that are worth noting.

Most interesting is how each area's enemies form their own ecosystems. One example given is that bee-like surveillance cameras "live" together in a hive, and when other enemies discover you, they emerge from there and hunt you down. If they cannot find you, they instead go through the levels and repair enemies you have already destroyed. However, hacking or erasing beehives limits the number of these bee drones active, so it is more important to explore the level and pick your targets.

The video also talks about the later puzzle-heavy levels, which can be rotated and moved by skillfully switching levers; Makarenkov notes that the one he played was in early development and was riddled with bugs, but his description nonetheless (slightly, " Clockwork Mansion" style from "Dishonored 2"), I found it cool.

Ecosystems and polymers aside, this video is important because it shows that Atomic Heart is still a work in progress, and that a developer embroiled in controversy such as Mundfish can't afford to let such intense scrutiny and critique (Makarenkov has been known to make his previews not withholding a few critiques about how buggy it was), it is refreshing to see them open themselves up to such intense scrutiny and criticism (Makarenkov has not withheld a few critiques about how buggy his preview was).

No release date has been set yet for Atomic Heart, which will be available on both standard gaming platforms and VR for those who want to experience the terrifying Soviet experiment up close and personal.