Atomic Heart’s HAWK security system, explained

The open world of Facility 3826 in Atomic Heart uses a HAWK security system to keep everything in order. When robots begin to attack, this is a problem for protagonist P-3. This guide outlines how the HAWK security system works so you can use it to your advantage.

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How does the HAWK security system work?

The HAWK security system is responsible for Dandelion cameras, the alert level, and what robots are doing in the world of Facility 3826. You’ll get a brief introduction to how to use it before fighting HOG-7 HEDGIE, but putting it into practice is challenging. We’ve explained how to use the HAWK security system in several ways that you’ll find useful throughout the game below.

How to hack into Dandelion cameras

The part of the HAWK security system you’ll see the most is the Dandelion cameras. These things pulse with very noticeable noise and are mounted almost everywhere in Facility 3826. You can use Shok to temporarily disable and move past them, but you can also hack into them. To do this, you need to find one of the camera terminals in various places around the open world, usually high up on platforms or rooftops. Once you’ve found one, you can select any camera and see what it sees. This is how you open security doors and get into areas such as Testing Grounds.

How to shut down the security system

The HAWK security system is split up into smaller ecosystems, each one controlled by a large Hawk Balloon Drone that you can see flying above you. These areas are designated by the circles you can see on the game’s map. To shut the security down for a short while, you need to interact with the camera system via a terminal and open the door to the security booth.

Once the security booth is open, head inside and interact with the terminal. You’ll get two choices here, and the one you need to select is Overload Relay. A drone will then pop out of your glove, overload the system, and cause the local wind turbines to explode. This will also lower the Hawk Balloon Drone, so you can hop onto it if you want a ride into the sky to use its ziplines to reach a new area. The real benefit of this is the fact that it shuts down everything in this local ecosystem.

You can now roam the area without the threat of Dandelion cameras spotting you and raising the alarm. All the local robots will also pause in their tasks, but they’ll still attack you if you attack them first. This only lasts for a short while because the smaller repair drones will start fixing the wind turbine pretty quickly. In our testing, we found that it took roughly 15 minutes for the wind turbine to be repaired and fully operational. Plenty of time for exploring. The alarm level won’t be raised once the power is back on.

How to lower and ride a Hawk Balloon Drone

Use the method above to get inside the security booth once more. Instead of overloading the system, this time, you need to choose the Hawk Maintenance option. This will cause the Hawk Balloon Drone to descend and wait for you for about 10 seconds. You need to jump onto the yellow pole at the center before it flies off again, then just ride it into the sky.

Once you’re in the sky, the Hawk Balloon Drone will throw out three ropes that you can use as zip lines. Some of these are useful for getting into areas such as Testing Grounds or just moving about the map much faster while avoiding potential robot combat.

How to raise and lower your alert level

Your alert level is like the star system in the Grand Theft Auto series. At level 1, some robots will come and investigate the area, but not all of them. At level 2, the highest level, every robot in the local ecosystem will descend upon you, ready for a fight. To raise your alert level, you need to stand in front of a Dandelion camera until it detects you. To lower your alert level, run into a house or building, destroy the robots attacking you, and wait for the level to go down.