The story of Atomic Heart is set in an alternate history where the Soviet Union has developed a new technology called Polymer. This made it the most advanced civilization on the planet. One of the technological elements around which the story revolves is the thinking device. This article explains what the Reflection Device is so you can follow what the main characters are saying without losing the plot.
What is the thought device?
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Related: Does Atomic Heart have multiple endings?
The Thinking Device is a revolutionary new technology in Atomic Heart. You wear it on your temple and it has tendrils that extend around your forehead. The Thought Device allows you to do many things and can even retain your consciousness for a few days after death. This is how you can talk to the dead in the game.
However, the real goal of the thinking device is to change the way people interact with robots. The game’s story revolves around the release of something called Kollective 2.0, which will give every human on the planet with a thinking device the power to command robots just by thinking about it. You will even be able to talk to other people using these devices over great distances. The only problem is that the government will be able to follow you and follow your every thought.
However, the real purpose of these devices is control. Sechenov wants to use them to control all humans on the planet, suppressing their free will and sending their spirits to a place called Limbo, where they are eternally happy. Everyone’s body can be used for whatever Sechenov wants, mainly manual labor, because no one will be able to stop him.
Related: What are the names of the robot girls in Atomic Heart?
Late in the game, after beating the final boss of Atomic Heart, you find out that Sechenov could do this just by using the polymer injections the government has pushed into the population. It makes people believe that they can always remove the thought device if they want to have some peace with the constant flow of data, but that’s not the reality. No one will be able to remove their thought device because they will have lost their free will.
There are two beta rings in Atomic Heart that form a central part of the story. The wearer of these rings would retain free will after the release of Kollective 2.0. This is the only way to break free from the system, which is why they are so sought after by various characters in the game.
Why can’t P-3 use a thinking device?
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At the start of Atomic Heart, you’ll have several chances to try and get P-3, the game’s protagonist, to use a thinking device. However, this is not possible, and you won’t understand why until much later in the story. P-3 was previously injected with polymer which adhered to his brain. He also already has a thinking device. It’s right on his glove instead of on his temple. He is already capable of being controlled via methods similar to those Kollective 2.0 would employ, so no new thought devices can be registered for him.
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