Atomic Heart has a lot going for it, but even more fun can be had with mods on PC. Whether you’re looking to adjust the gameplay in ways that can’t be done in-game or just want a different experience altogether, there is something for you in our list of the 8 best Atomic Heart mods.
Best Atomic Heart Mods
Disable Vignette Mod
Screenshot by GameSkinny
A vignette will sometimes appear during certain moments and most players will typically see the vignette while they’re crouching. It’s a strong overlaying effect and can make it difficult to see.
Since there isn’t a way to change this in-game, the best option is the Disable Vignette mod. It completely removes the effect and naturally makes it so that there is no difference when crouching.
Larger Subtitles Mod
Screenshot by GameSkinny
Atomic Heart has small dialogue text when playing on a monitor and it’s even more inconvenient if it’s being played on a likely bigger size television. With no options to change it, the text size has become a common complaint.
One of the best solutions for this is the Larger Subtitles mod. The 20% increase in text size is a static change and can’t be adjusted, but it should scale well with most displays. Whether you keep missing dialogue during combat or simply don’t want to squint anymore when talking to characters, the Larger Subtitles mod is a must.
No Startup Videos — Pak Version
Screenshot by GameSkinny
Each time Atomic Heart is booted, it greets the players with a lengthy series of startup videos. What makes them a bit annoying is that they cannot be skipped.
No Startup Videos — Pak Version takes these videos out entirely. Although the videos can be replaced with other mods or some clever file switching, this is the ideal mod if you just want to jump right into the game as soon as possible.
More Resources Mod
Screenshot by GameSkinny
Surviving Facility 3826 can feel desperate at times. Unless you’re scavenging every inch of each room you come across, you might end up low on resources or different ammo. The random loot can also help tremendously or make everything even more challenging.
If the meticulous grind and mercy of RNG aren’t quite for you, the More Resources mod will make your playthrough feel more tolerable. It simply increases the resources you gain by 2x, 3x, or 4x values. For reference, the above image is after looting a chest with the 3x value and there were still more items that didn’t appear on the list.
Easiest Piston Lock Mod
Screenshot by GameSkinny
You’ll come across a lot of locked doors and gates with your time playing Atomic Heart. Although there are different types of locks to keep these occasions feel less monotonous, the time-based Piston Lock can sometimes feel the most frustrating.
Easiest Piston Lock turns these lockpicking moments into a breeze. All you have to do is click a single time and the entire lock will solve itself. As of the time of this writing, there isn’t one for the pattern-based lock, but just having this will cut down on anxious puzzle-solving and have you exploring much more quicker.
Blueprint Modloader
Screenshot by GameSkinny
As much as everyone wishes that installing a mod was as easy as dragging and dropping, that isn’t always the case. Mods that make big changes might require a bit extra help from a mod loader and a lot of tinkering with different files.
Since it’s necessary for the following two mods on this list as well as some others, it’s worth giving credit to Blueprint Modloader. Installing it is remarkably easy compared to other mod loaders, only requiring one file to be moved into a specific folder (like other mods on this list). For those that are interested in creating their own mods, this can also be a wonderful tool.
Simple Flashlight Mod
Screenshot by GameSkinny
Atomic Heart can be visually quite dark. Not every underground area has the best lighting and as a result, it almost looks like a horror game at times.
Simple Flashlight adds a light source that functions as a flashlight and can be turned on with a single key. It’s as simple of an addition as you’d expect and yet it can add a lot to the atmosphere. More importantly, exploring the darker areas feels a lot more manageable.
Rainy Weather Effect Mod
Screenshot by GameSkinny
Facility 3826 is meant to feel like a utopia and the constant sunshine does a lot to convey that. Even as the facility runs into some problems, the weather remains a peaceful contrast. For an open-world title, the static weather can come across as a little boring though.
With the Rainy Weather Effect mod you can leave the juxtaposition of sunny skies behind for cloudy rainfall. Performance can either take a dive from the rain or improve from the lack of shadows, so your mileage may vary. There is an unfortunate side effect of the rain falling inside buildings, but being able to drive and run around across wet roads in a moodier environment is a unique experience that can only be offered by mods.
That’s our list of the X best Atomic Heart mods. If you’re interested in other content about Agent P-3’s mission, such as our best weapons tier list, we have a handy collection of Atomic Heart guides and tips for you to browse.
Featured Image by GameSkinny
