Atomic Heart is a shooter that takes its notes straight from the Bioshock school of storytelling, thematic focus, and gameplay design, even going so far as to lend the main character a glove that functions in a way similar to Bioshock's Plasmids. Even more like Bioshock, you will have to face a number of enemies that exemplify the failures of the dystopian society that you are exploring.

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For every robotic threat, botanical beast, and hellishly-mutated human you face on your adventure, there is bound to be a weapon in P-3's constantly growing arsenal to deal with it. Not every weapon is created equal, though; some weapons are at the top of their class at getting the job done.

10 Swede

Swede Atomic Heart

The Swede is the first proper weapon that you get your hands on in the game, but it continues to be a useful melee weapon for your entire adventure. While it isn't the most powerful two-handed melee weapon, it keeps itself relevant by being great at making space.

This souped-up fire axe boasts a variety of attacks that deal damage to multiple approaching threats while staggering them, which affords you an opportunity get out of dodge. With how easy it can be to get surrounded, this is exactly the type of weapon you need to let any enemy know where your personal space starts and ends.

9 Fox

Fox Atomic Heart

The Fox is a one-handed axe whose recipe is found somewhat early in your adventure– it trades the greater power of its sibling, the Swede, for faster speeds and the ability to use the Polymer Glove's powers while equipped.

The Fox is a great weapon for balancing kill power and knockback potential, since it can speedily lop the heads off your enemies while staggering the ones that survive your initial strikes. Plus, your free hand allows you to freeze your foes to filch frenzied blows and make quick work of anyone who challenges you.

8 PM

PM Pistol Atomic Heart

A pistol is always a great pick in a tough situation– while it doesn't do the most damage in the world, the PM is a great choice when first facing tougher enemies. A pistol, in these scenarios, saves ammo for stronger weapons without putting you into physical contact with enemies. In the worst case, you'll have to switch to a stronger weapon when your pistol proves insufficient.

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This weapon is also worth considering when dealing with an excess of weaker enemies, since it can dispatch hordes from a distance without the risk of getting swarmed. Just make sure to keep backing up, or you might just get drop-kicked.

7 Pashtet

Pashtet Atomic Heart

The Pashtet is a one-handed blade weapon that is great at ripping any enemy that dares approach you to shreds. Since it is a one-handed weapon, it can be used in concert with abilities like telekinesis to combo enemies into oblivion.

This blade is best used with smaller numbers of enemies because its knockback is fairly weak, meaning that a large enough group of enemies can surround and overwhelm you quite easily if you are not careful. Otherwise, the Pashtet is a deadly weapon that can slice and dice with the best of them.

6 Electro

Electro Atomic Heart

The Electro is a ranged electric weapon that is useful at every level of gameplay. While it doesn't always pack a wallop, it is beyond helpful for combat against robots since it does electric damage without modification. It can be used for non-robotic enemies, though, making it a fine option in any scenario you find yourself in.

This weapon is particularly reliable since it runs off suit power, meaning it can be useful for conserving ammunition. Even better, it can be upgraded to give you an emp attack to stun enemies, allowing it to be used for crowd control.

5 Kalash

Kalash Atomic Heart

The Kalash is the first weapon on this list that really packs a punch– this assault rifle does exactly what it says on the tin, spewing hot lead like a first-time contest eater spews hot dogs and wheat buns.

This assault rifle is ruthlessly effective at dealing damage, but its critical flaw is its low accuracy and easy-to-drain ammo stock. There are upgrades to deal with these downsides, but at the end of the day, the Kalash just doesn't have the staying power of weapons higher up on this list.

4 Shotgun

Shotgun Atomic Heart

Every good shooter needs a shotgun, and Atomic Heart provides a great one– the kick has just the right amount of power to it, and each shot does ferocious damage to any enemy that it hits. The trouble of this weapon stands similar to that of the Kalash; it has a particularly small pool of ammo to work with at any given time.

What puts it above the Kalash is the better ammo economy, because you can be more discerning about how much ammo you use without losing DPS – if you stop to count every bullet with the Kalash, you'll probably end up counting how many of your teeth have been indented into the wall instead.

3 Fat Boy

Fat Boy Atomic Heart

There isn't much to say about the Fat Boy – but, that isn't really a negative. What more can be said about explosives? The Fat Boy's shots do characteristically high damage, have massive hitboxes, and aren't good at dealing with threats closer than an arm's length (unless, of course, you want to be turned into comrade con carne).

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Whether it be a large group of enemies, or a bullet-sponge of a boss, the Fat Boy is always a good answer to a bad time. On higher difficulties, though, you should be keeping a close eye on your ammunition, because it does not come easy.

2 Railgun

Railgun Atomic Heart

The Railgun is the finest ranged weapon in the game– not only does it not have to worry about ammunition, drawing from your suit power like the Electro, but it also does damage that would make even the toughest enemy fall to silence.

The rechargeable nature of the weapon makes this worth keeping around even in normal gameplay, since there isn't really a risk to using its overwhelming power. Unlike the Fat Boy, which can go out of commission without some thorough searching, the Railgun will just keep coming back without complaint.

1 Zvezdochka

Zvezdochka Atomic Heart

It might have been expected, but that does not make it incorrect– the Zvezdochka has a level of power that only ranged weapons can compete with, without needing to be charged or reloaded. It does heavy damage with swings alone, but it goes even further with its upgrades.

The Zvezdochka can be turned into a ranged weapon with an upgrade that makes its alt fire shoot its blades out, eviscerating enemies before coming back in a flash. This weapon should be obtained as soon as possible if you want to make a joke out of almost any enemy in the game.

Next: Atomic Heart: Brave New World Walkthrough