To get the best weapon upgrades in Atomic Heart, you’ll have to complete optional dungeons called Testing Grounds (or Polygons, depending on the menu you’re exploring) — Testing Grounds are underground complexes packed with puzzles and enemies. The further you delve into these locations; the more weapon upgrades you’ll find. There are three unique reward chests in these facilities — bronze, silver and gold. Unlike regular blueprint chests, these chests always contain the same rewards every single time. And you can even track what rewards you’re looking for in the when upgrading from any NORA crafting menu.
These dungeons are tricky. Just unlocking the entrance can be difficult for players beginning their journey in the open-world exploration portion of the game. If you’re struggling to get into Testing Ground 1, or if you need help finding all the chests and solving all the puzzles, we’ve got a full guide below covering every aspect. You’ll finally be able to increase your shotgun’s ammo capacity or unlock powerful secondary attacks for your heavy melee weapon.
More Atomic Heart guides:
How To Disable All Robots In A Region | All Vavilov Complex Blueprint Locations | Testing Ground 1 Puzzle Solutions | How To Use Cartridge Modules | How To Increase Inventory | Testing Ground 2 Guide | Testing Ground 6 Guide | Testing Ground 8 Guide | Testing Ground 9 Guide | Testing Ground 10 Guide | Testing Ground 11 Guide | Testing Ground 12 Guide
Testing Ground 1 | Completion Guide
Located west of the monorail station in the main open-world zone, to the northwest of the arena, you’ll find Testing Ground 1. To access this area, you need to hijack a camera and use it to unlock the door to the blue mushroom bunker.
- How To Access Testing Ground 1: Find the camera terminal on the roof of the two-story building to the northwest of the Monorail Station. There’s a Safe Room nearby — on the rooftop of the building, you’ll find the terminal. Access it and use a camera to view the bunker. Push the button prompt to unlock the door.
- NOTE: There’s another, closer camera control terminal near the Testing Ground entrance. Go to the small platform to the east of the bunker.
Take the elevator inside the bunker to reach the first test chamber. By completing this series of puzzles, you’ll unlock a powerful upgrade for the shotgun. Inside the bunker, you’ll learn this chamber’s gimmick — you can change the magnetic pull of the ceiling by zapping the batteries on the ceiling with [Shok]. Start by zapping the batteries through the broken ceiling panel, then zap the ceiling again to raise the metal wall.
- Magnet Puzzle Room #1:
- Inside the first test chamber, you’ll need to use the forces of magnetism to change the position of the platforms. By zapping the ceiling units, you’ll change the polarity from Positive to Negative. You’ll need to use [Shok] to do this.
- The exit is on the far side of the room, on a raised catwalk.
- To reach it, drop down and stand on one of the long, 1×1 “walls” that rise up in the center of the room when switching polarity. Ride a wall up to gain plenty of height.
- Jump onto the platform on the left side of the room. Then jump onto the next red platform in the back-right corner, near the catwalk with a blueprint chest.
- Switch polarity to ride the red platform up, then cross the catwalk to the small platform with blue and red magnetic surfaces. Switch polarity to ride this up and reach the exit.
Progress through the hallways, using the vents until you reach a chamber with multiple generators. There’s a Safe Room here, and a reward down the hallway. Don’t enter the generator room yet!
- BRONZE REWARD: Fox – Handle Blueprint
Fight through the enemies in the generator room (the door will lock behind you) and continue up the stairs, through the broken wall. There’s a third Safe Room here and loads more materials to collect in the office.
- SILVER REWARD: PM – Expansive Converter Blueprint
Past the office, zap the magnets on the side of the wall. This will “open” the door, leading to reward chest down the hallway. Back to the large magnetic wall, zap the magnets again to move it aside, leading to a second puzzle room.
- Magnet Puzzle Room #2:
- Again, we need to cross the room by using the magnetic ceiling to lower and raise the metal platforms.
- Start by dropping down and climbing onto the lower platform to the right. Switch polarity to lower two red platforms to your left. Jump across (using jump-dash) to reach the second section of the chamber.
- Drop down to the blue platform on the left, then switch polarity to rise up. There’s now a blue platform straight ahead. Jump to it.
- Across the blue platform, we’re now in the back-right of the chamber. Switch polarity to lower the red platforms and look on the metal wall. There’s a laser puzzle hidden here. Solve it — move the blue laser to the center, and the split junction to the bottom.
- With this solved, switch polarity so there is a series of platforms you can cross to reach the right side of the chamber — the back-right of the chamber has two standard metal platforms that don’t switch. Cross over to these platforms.
- From these platforms, we can now climb onto the red platform in the back-right corner.
Get your gold rewards at the end of the path, in the room to the left of the exit elevator. You can also claim more large chests in the optional hallway before the elevator lobby.
- GOLD REWARD: KS-23 Extended Mag Blueprint
- Zvedchochka – Reverse Shot Blueprint
Testing Ground 1 Rewards
There are four weapon upgrade rewards for completing Testing Ground 1.
- Fox – Ergonomic Handle: Bronze Reward, located in Testing Ground 1. After solving the first magnetic puzzle room, you’ll reach a generator combat area. Don’t go inside yet. Go down the hallway from the second Safe Room to find an open door with a treasure robot inside.
- PM – Expansive Converter: Silver Reward. After the third Safe Room, you’ll reach a large magnetic wall. Move it aside, then enter the hallway straight ahead. It leads to a treasure chest with a robot body.
- KS-23 – Extended Magazine: Gold Reward found right before the exit to the Testing Ground.
- Zvezdochka – Reverse Shot: Gold Reward, unlocked with the KS-23 Extended Magazine.
