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Atomic Heartis set on a giant floating facility named Facility 3826. The main character ofAtomic Heart, Agent P-3, is sent there to investigate a malfunction that caused all the robots to go into combat mode. They exterminated all but the most resourceful humans, and now they wander about, aimlessly patrolling the grounds.
P-3 must navigate the grounds to uncover the secrets of Facility 3826, defending himself along the way from hostile robots, twisted monsters, and more. Among the more interesting locations P-3 will discover are Testing Grounds. Number 9, specifically, is more challenging than most. Even getting into it takes some doing.
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Testing Ground 9 contains the following crafting recipes:
How to Enter Testing Ground 9 in Atomic Heart
Testing Ground 9 is near the southernmost section of the map. The lock for its door is on the statue at the center of the little town. However, to access a camera to unlock it, the player must first deal with the infestation of Sprouts.
Players can enter the sewers through an access pipe underwater in the river nearby or through a manhole in the bushes near the building with thesave and upgrade machines.
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Once inside, P-3 needs to navigate the halls to find the boiler room. In the locked control room in the back, the player will find a box of Candles. Players need to guide Candles through the pipes to place one into each boiler. The boilers will explode, releasing the HAWK on the surface.
Back on the surface, the security systems are back online. Head to the terminal that controls the cameras near where the HAWK was grounded. It’s in a Volan tower nearby.Use the terminal to take controlof the camera nearest the Testing Ground and open the lock on the statue.
Players can also take this opportunity to unlock the door to the HAWK control room andbring the HAWK back downon their way to the Testing Ground.
Testing Ground 9 Walkthrough
The Testing Ground starts in a small office with a save point nearby. The first door might seem like it requires Polymer Gel, but using theever-helpful Shok skillon the gel that’s already there works well enough to get P-3 through the door.
The next room has a single Candle (Candle A) in a holder and a couple more doors. Pick up Candle A and place it in the holder for the door on the far side of the room. It’ll only open part-way. Crouch through and head to the other end of the room. To the left, the Copper Lootyagin will be merrily spinning away. Loot it, turn around, and head down the stairs to smash a button in the room below.
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Head back into the room Candle A came from,dive into the water, and retrieve Candle B from the submerged container that was just unlocked. Bring it to the holder on the other side of the door Candle A holds open. Then, retrieve Candle A and place it in one of the holders in the room Candle B is now in. Lastly, move Candle B to the other holder, and the door to the next room will open.
Go through the hall and into the Experiment Chamber. Take a minute to loot all the containers and smash the button. Then, head to the newly-opened door in the room Candle A came from.
On the way, use Candle A to open the door that just opens part-way. Then, grab Candle B and bring it around to the other side to hold the door open. Go back to get Candle A and then place it in one of the holders behind the newly-opened door. Do the same with B, and the door to the next room will open. Before heading into the next room, head into the room to the right and save.Take some time to review P-3’s equipmentbecause the next room is a boss fight, and it’s not easy.
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The Plyusch in Testing Ground 9
The Plyusch is clearly one ofthe most terrifying enemies inAtomic Heart, and this one is no different. In fact, being surrounded by Mutants, Sprouts, and Mothers, this Plyusch is particularly terrifying.
The key to victory in this fight is to first take out all the Mothers. They’re pumping out Sprouts regularly, and the fewer of those there are, the better. A Sprout can also infect the Plyusch, giving it even more deadly abilities such as a poison spit attack.The Zvezdochka and its Reverse Shotcharge attack do especially well here, as the flying saw blades can slice apart everything in the room with ease.
After handling the Pluysch,use the scannerto pick up all the loot that’s been dropped and also to ensure there aren’t any enemies remaining. Unlock the door on the far side of the room, and as long as all the enemies have been dealt with, the next door behind it will open too. Head through that door and down the stairs to find the Silver Lootyagin in a room on the right. Continue through the halls to enter the last puzzle.
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The Platform Puzzle in Testing Ground 9
There are five Candleholders in this room and two Candles. One Candle is in the holder to the immediate right, and the other is on a platform far up to the left. P-3 must Shok the magnets on the ceiling to lift himself up to the platform. Once the player has both Candles, they can begin solving the puzzle, which involvesthrowing Candles accuratelyinto the holders.
Voila. The door is open. Head through the halls to find another break room and a room with the Gold Lootyagin. Take the elevator back to the surface. The Testing Ground is complete.
Atomic Heartis out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
