You’ll come across some pretty interesting weapons while exploring the alt-history world ofAtomic Heart, from the humble Kalash to the high-tech Railgun and everything in between. Every weapon in the game can be upgraded with a variety of mods, but you’ll need to go out of your way to find the absolute best attachments out there.
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While a lot of mods can be acquired by simply looting random chests, advanced ones can only be found in specific locations known as Testing Grounds. For the most part, you can explore these locations in any order but the first one you’re likely to come across is Testing Ground 1.
How To Access Testing Ground 1
Testing Ground 1 is locatedwest of the Monorail Station. The entrance is a bit hard to spot from afar, but just keep an eye out for a bunker with a blue roof when you’re in the area and you’ll be able to find it in no time. The entrance is locked when you first get there, but you’re able to use a device found on a nearby platform to unlock it.
East of the bunker you’ll find a raised platform with a terminal that allows you to take control of Dandelion cameras.Find a camera facing the bunkerand you’ll see a prompt that allows you to open the door. Once inside, call the elevator and have it take you down to the bottom floor. You can now start exploring Testing Ground 1.
Testing Ground 1 Walkthrough
Move down the corridor and make a left to find a Breakroom where you can upgrade your gear and save your progress. As you exit the Breakroom you’ll see another corridor leading to a room containing two walls, one of which is seemingly unsurmountable. Stand in front of the raised wall andlook up to spot a row of magnetsthrough an opening in the ceiling. There’s also a basic chest up there if you want to take the time to go up and loot it. Either way,hit the magnets with your Shok abilityto bring down the wall. As soon as you lower it, another one will slowly start descending on the far side of the room. If you’re quick, you can pass beneath it before it closes. If it does, just hit the magnets again and it will open back up.
Exit the room and take the stairs down to find yet another room with even more walls and magnets. This room is larger and reaching the entrance on the other side involves some platforming, but the basic gist is the same.Shok the magnets on the ceiling to bring the platforms up or downand use them to make your way to the entrance. Once you’re roughly in the middle of the room use your scanner to reveal a chest to the left of the entrance. You’ll find even more containers in a small side room just after you pass through the entrance. Loot everything and make your way down the corridor until you reach a room with a big turbine.There’s a maintenance shaft in this roomthat will take you to the next section of the Testing Ground.
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As soon as you exit the shaft you’ll spot a Breakroom to your left and another room further down the corridor. There’s strange music coming from this room and an even stranger contraption emanating it. Step into the room to find a bizarre perpetual motion engine with a bronze chest serving as its head. Open the chest to find theErgonomic Handle blueprintfor the Fox. Backtrack to the Breakroom and enter the generator room right across from it.The door will lock behind youas soon as you enter the room and you’ll be attacked by a bunch of enemies, including some Lab Techs and a couple of Laborers. Dispatch them and scan the room for loot before moving on to the next section.
Make your way to the far side of the room to find two corridors. The left one leads to a dead end, but it’s still worth checking out because there’s a chest there.Take the right corridor to progress furtherand follow it until you reach an office. Use the nearby Breakroom to save your progress if needed and loot the cabinets before you exit the room. There’s a wall waiting for you on the other side, but you can easily open it by using Shok on the magnets in front of it. Past that, you’ll find a corridor leading to another perpetual motion engine and a silver chest. Open the chest to find theExpansive Converter blueprintfor the MP.
Exit the room and make your way back to the wall powered by magnets.Hit the magnets with Shok to reveal a new paththat will take you to another room filled with platforms. Just like before, you can Shok the magnets on the ceiling to manipulate the platforms and reach the door on the other side of the room. However, there’s a little twist this time around since the door is locked.Use your scanner to reveal a power cableleading to a hidden control panel. Activate the control panel by solving the puzzle and voilà, the door is now open.
Leave the room and follow the corridor until it splits into two paths. Take the right one to reach a room filled with lootable objects and a lone Lab Tech. Proceed further down the corridor to find a chest up some stairs and then make your way back to the junction. Take the other path now to find the third perpetual motion engine along with a gold chest. Open the chest and claim theExtended Magazine blueprintfor the KS-23 and theReverse Shot blueprintfor the Zvezdochka. Use the Breakroom across the hall if needed and then take the nearby elevator back to the overworld.
