Atomic Heart: Best guns and weapons to use

Even with all of the abilities in the world, most of your damage in Atomic Heart will still be dealt by your weapons. Having an arsenal of guns and weapons to use for different occasions is important if you want to overcome the opposition. Here’s our guide on the best guns and weapons to use in Atomic Heart.

The best guns and weapons to use in Atomic Heart

Below are the five best guns and weapons worth using on your journey, plus the upgrades you’ll want to get for each. Keep in mind that to craft these weapons and upgrades you’ll first need to discover a blueprint for them. Blueprints can be found by progressing through the story and as looted items.

KS-23

Most of the early-game weapons in Atomic Heart aren’t great. They tend to be replaced by superior options and are only as valuable as components once disassembled. However, despite being unlocked early on the KS-23 shotgun is a monster throughout the game.

The two best upgrades for the KS-23 are the Muzzle Brake barrel, which improves its damage and rate of fire, and the Extended Magazine, which lets it load more shells at once. At the start, the KS-23 can only hold three shells, but once fully upgraded it holds several more.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

MP

When first unlocked, the MP is a fairly weak handgun. It just doesn’t deal enough damage to justify using it over other options. However, once you’ve completed the Muzzle Brake barrel upgrade and thrown on Extended Magazine, the MP becomes one of the best eco guns to save resources in Atomic Heart.

Its ammunition is dirt cheap and is both extremely easy to craft and found as common loot. Thanks to this, you can use the MP to deal with regular enemies and practically never run out of ammo. It’s not recommended to use this on bosses though, as even when fully upgraded it doesn’t deal a ton of damage.

Dominator

The Dominator is a spectacular energy weapon that shreds through just about anything it hits. It is effectively a full-auto version of the Electro pistol you receive early on in Atomic Heart. The Dominator lives up to its name, as its special attack is one of the best attacks for killing bosses quickly.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

The main downside to the Dominator is that it eats through energy. This energy weapon is expensive to use and can be difficult to upkeep, especially during longer fights. To mitigate this issue somewhat, you’ll want to upgrade its Vector Transducer and focus on the Energy Management skill tree.

Pashtet

Although most weapons in Atomic Heart use ammo or energy, that is not true of the melee weapons. Since melee weapons can be used without ammo or energy, it is always good to keep one on you for disposing of weaker enemies without having to waste resources.

Of the five melee weapons available, the Pashtet offers the best mix of damage and mobility. As an added bonus, the Pashtet can be acquired somewhat early on, so you won’t have to wait too long. To get the most out of the Pashtet, you’ll want to get its Steel Blade and Ergonomic Handle upgrades.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

Kalash

The Kalash is one of the best guns in Atomic Heart because it’s so well rounded. This not-so-subtle nod to the Kalashnikov rifle is an automatic assault rifle that tears through enemies. Upkeeping its ammunition can be costly, but it’s worth the price given its effectiveness.

The main upgrade you want for the Kalash is its Muzzle Brake barrel upgrade. Completing this upgrade increases the Kalash’s fire rate and damage while reducing its recoil. Since this is an automatic weapon, it can be useful to pick up the Collimator sight too, as it makes tracking moving enemies much easier.

Atomic Heart can be purchased on Steam.