The open world of Installation 3826 in Atomic Heart uses a HAWK security system to keep everything in order. When the robots start attacking, it’s a problem for the protagonist P-3. This guide describes how the HAWK security system works so you can use it to your advantage.
Related: Atomic Heart endings, explained
How does the HAWK security system work?
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The HAWK security system is responsible for Dandelion cameras, alert level and what the robots are doing in the world of the 3826 installation. You will get a brief introduction on how to use it before you fight HOG-7 HEDGIE, but to put it into practice. It’s a challenge. Here’s how to use the HAWK security system in different ways that will come in handy throughout the game.
How to Hack Dandelion Cameras
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The part of the HAWK security system that you will see the most are the Dandelion cameras. These things make a very noticeable noise and are mounted almost everywhere in the 3826 installation. You can use Shok to temporarily disable and bypass them, but you can also hack them. To do this, you need to find one of the camera terminals that are in various places in the open world, usually high up on platforms or on rooftops. Once you find one, you can select any camera and see what it sees. This is how you open security doors and enter areas like Testing Grounds.
How to disable the security system
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The HAWK security system is split into smaller ecosystems, each controlled by a large Hawk Balloon drone that you can see hovering above you. These areas are denoted by the circles you can see on the game map. To disable the security a bit, you need to interact with the camera system through a terminal and open the door to the security booth.
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Once the security booth is open, enter and interact with the terminal. You will get two options here, and the one you need to select is overload relay. Then a drone will come out of its glove, overloading the system and blowing up the local wind turbines. This will also lower the Hawk Balloon Drone, so you can ride it if you want to take to the skies to use its ziplines to reach a new area. The real benefit of this is the fact that it closes everything in this local ecosystem.
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You can now roam the area without risking being detected by Dandelion’s cameras and triggering an alarm. All local bots will also pause their tasks, but will still attack you if you attack them first. This only lasts for a short time as the smaller repair drones will start fixing the wind turbine fairly quickly. In our tests, we found that it took approximately 15 minutes to repair the wind turbine and fully operational. Plenty of time to explore. The alarm level will not increase once power is restored.
How to Lower and Raise a Hawk Balloon Drone
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Use the above method to re-enter the security booth. Instead of overloading the system, this time you should choose the falcon option. This will cause the Hawk Balloon Drone to descend and wait for you for about 10 seconds. You have to jump on the yellow pole in the center before it flies away again, then just shoot it skyward.
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Once in the sky, the Hawk Balloon Drone will drop three ropes that you can use as ziplines. Some of these are useful for entering areas like Testing Grounds or just getting around the map much faster and avoiding potential bot fights.
How to raise and lower the alert level
Image via Mundfish
Your alert level is like the star system in the GTA series. At level 1, some bots will come to investigate the area, but not all of them. At level 2, the highest level, all bots in the local ecosystem will swoop down on you, ready to fight. To raise your alert level, you must stand in front of a Dandelion camera until it spots you. To lower your alert level, run towards a house or building, destroy the attacking robots and wait for the level to drop.
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