A New Land of Survival, Our ATOMFALL Review

Atomfall is a game that pulls me out of my comfort zone and is something I shouldn’t enjoy. Think, a mix of Fallout meets Stalker 2. Two games that don’t appeal to me what-so-ever, yet Atomfall, after a bit of a slow start, quickly hooked me into the world and its quirky characters. I was kept on the edge of my seat, (partially nervous and anxious about what was around the next eerie corner) and wondering where my next lead would take my investigation. Atomfall pulled me into a world I had no business being a part of!

The main hook, as it were to be, is to investigate what happened with the Windscale disaster and all of its dirty little secrets. Sounds simple enough, after waking up in what feels very similar to a vault (insert the strong inspiration of Fallout here), we set out into a stunning open landscape of the British countryside. It’s broken, lush, yet filled with rusted-dilapidated vehicles and crumbling buildings that have given you a sense of something tragic happened here, something before your time, but maybe not that long ago. What was once a quaint village is now overthrown with Outlaws. Generic NPC’s that feel like baddies you would expect, same skins, movements, really just a ‘bad guy’ to fill the void. However, they are quickly dispatched, provided you aren’t taking on a whole patrol of them. And then met with a cast of quirky, bombastic characters that each have a meaningful purpose that will help you uncover the depths of the quarantine zone and much, much more!

Each of what I would call “real NPC’s” ones that serve a true purpose, NPC’s that are more than just a baddy to kill. They feel authentic to their location, from their verbiage down to their clothing. They made the world feel believable. Speaking with the locals is how your story unfolds. I was never told “go here”, instead I was met with “Leads”, the freedom to uncover, explore and stumble across notes, NPC’s that I met along the way and more. All led to my investigations of the matter at hand. Talking to one NPC led me down a path of betrayal, while speaking with another led to murder and a bigger conspiracy in the world around me. I never had one specific direction, but a fruitful journey of explorational story moments that had me in search of the truth of the explosion of the Atom Plant.

Atomfall creates those water-cooler moments, you’ll find yourself talking with others about the path you choose, while others never even crossed paths with that particular character. I was meant to help the woman in the bakery…not kill her and her husband. That one is on me, ha! Things happen, and those kinds of things happen in Atomfall all the time. No one is ever off limits. EVERYONE is ripe for the taking, as is everything in the world. 

The World can be Beautiful and Yet So Ugly;

At times, I found myself stopping, soaking in the landscape, opening the Photo-mode, and setting up the perfect shot. Photo modes are something I often love to explore in games, though Rebellion added a photo mode for fans to use, I would have loved to see the mode really expanded upon and not be so limited. A few overlays to pick from here, some scene variations there. It was okay, but not a lot to really dive into at the end of the day. It definitely gives Rebellion room to add other features, like changing the time of day or other lighting effects if asked for by the community. However, not everything in the world is worth taking that perfect picture of either. Some textures are downright ugly: squared-off corners that feel out of place, rock surfaces that almost seem thrown together to get in place as an asset holder while waiting for new textures. Then other times, as I said, the world looks incredible, the water flows down the river, the inside of a cave glows so vibrantly, it’s brilliant. There was just no overall constituency throughout. 

Hit Them Where It Counts

Combat is solid. We are, after all, talking about the team that has brought us the Sniper Elite series for years now. Shooting feels good, but be careful, because ammo is scarce. Atomfall is a post-apocalyptic setting, so make sure each shot counts. With various weapons, melee and throwables, you are able to approach most situations how you want. There were times of stealth, sneaking up on an enemy to take them out from behind, to throwing grenades the next. It’s a great mix that keeps the combat moving in directions that would feel different from the last encounter.

The world wouldn’t be anything without its immersive score that brings Atomfall to life. The audio is something that I feel is often overlooked in games. However, it’s key to the quarantine zone and its surroundings, making the world around you so outstanding. That babbling brooks, the ambient sounds of the caves, the eerie sounds of the feral (damn ass creepy things) are what seals the deal on making this such a great game. It’s the icing on the cake that hits your sweet spot on the way down.

Atomfall, I think, is low on the radar for a lot of us. I was definitely one of those, knowing the game was coming soon, but my hype level wasn’t high for one reason or another. Maybe the sheer plethora of games out right now that certainly makes it hard to keep up with everything all the time. But, with Rebellions’ incredible ability to tell the story of Atomfall, allowing you to decide where you will proceed next in your adventure. Never forcing your hand in one direction. All the upgrades, the crafting and don’t forget those characters. Atomfall is one of those games players shouldn’t sleep on this year!