Atomic Heart features many puzzles as players make their way through Facility 3826. Players control Comrade Major P-3 as he fights to stop rampaging robots in an alternate universe Soviet Russia. The early portions of the game take place in the underground Vavilov Complex. Players must activate the Birchtree to escape this complex. While finding canisters to plug into the tree, players will discover a strange experiment involving animals in tanks. P-3 must complete this experiment to gain access to the Pesticide Workshop and acquire the Pesticide canister. Follow this guide to complete the experiment by activating the correct tanks in Atomic Heart.
Animal Console
P-3 will stumble into the animal experiment room while heading towards the cold and pesticide workshops. The console at the center of the room is the key to the puzzle. Do not go around using the cranks on any tanks yet. Observe the default state of the console. The green animals are already activated. The goal is to turn the cranks on the remaining orange tanks. Label the tanks on the console slots 1-9 going left to right and use this map to help complete the experiment.
Puzzle Solution
- Activate the chicken tank directly to the left rear of the console.
- Do not touch this tank as it's already turned on.
- Activate the cow tank to the rear right of the console.
- Activate the cow tank situated at the front-right of the console.
- Activate the cow tank between 3 and 6 (this cow tank is empty of any liquid on the right side of the room.)
- Do not touch this tank as the liquid-free cow tank is already turned on.
- Activate the cow tank above the liquid-free cow tank. The doors on top of this tank will be opened.
- Activate the pig tank to the rear left of the console.
- Activate the pig tank to the left of the console.
Make sure to check the console after turning each crank to make sure no mistakes have been made. If a tank is accidentally turned on/off return and set it correctly. The order isn't necessary, but it's easier to keep track of.
Enter the Pesticide Workshop
If the puzzle is done correctly all the animals except the cow in the empty tank should turn into red polymer goo. This will open the door to the Pesticide Workshop. Make to sure to save in the small room as the next section is combat-heavy. Return to a vending machine if low on ammo or health.
Atomic Heart is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.