Atomfall, the video game from Rebellion Developments, offers players a unique post-apocalyptic adventure set in 1960s Britain. Based on the reviews from major gaming publications, this title stands out for its open-ended exploration and investigative gameplay despite some combat shortcomings.
Historical Setting Meets Post-Apocalyptic Fiction
The game takes place in a quarantine zone surrounding a fictionalized version of the Windscale nuclear disaster that occurred in Northern England in 1957. Players explore this sealed-off section of the Lake District five years after the incident, encountering various factions including military forces, bandits, and druid cultists.
IGN reviewer notes that the game “drops you into a foreign land with no clear idea of who you are and only cryptic clues as to which direction to go in, trusting you to find your own fun and unearth its many mysteries organically.”
Open-World Exploration Without Hand-Holding
Atomfall’s most praised feature is its approach to open-world design. Unlike many modern games that rely heavily on waypoint markers, Atomfall trusts players to investigate leads and discover information on their own.
“It’s a mystery investigation game as much as an action one,” states Rock Paper Shotgun’s review. “The real pleasure of Atomfall lies not in its fighting, nor in its surviving, but in rifling through its stuff.”
GameSpot highlights this distinctive quality: “The game doesn’t spell things out at its intended difficulty—though, on lower difficulties, it offers a more traditional quest log—and I found this to be a refreshingly hands-off approach.”
Interconnected World and Storytelling
The game’s world consists of five interconnected regions with numerous hidden passages and secrets. Players can discover leads through conversations, notes, and exploration, building a web of investigations that often connect in unexpected ways.
According to GameSpot, “Because the game doesn’t restrict where you’ll go or when you’ll go there, it wisely sets up several figurative dominoes to fall, no matter the arrangement of your specific adventure.”
This design creates a truly personalized experience, with Rock Paper Shotgun noting that “there’s a very particular thrill to discovering a new door or tunnel, both because its crevices may contain yet more starting points for fresh adventuring, and because each bypassed lock feels like an act of righteous defiance against your entrapment.”
Combat and Survival Elements
While exploration shines, combat receives more mixed reviews. The game features both melee and ranged combat, with IGN describing the player character as “less of a well-oiled killing machine and more like a shopping kart with one wonky wheel.”
Rock Paper Shotgun mentions that “the shooting is decent, your guns’ rustiness belying their punchiness, but there is a certain character to the scavenged arsenal of close-quarters tools. Sadly, whacking folk with a police truncheon or gardening scythe never evolves beyond sluggish left-click drudgery.”
The game also incorporates survival elements, including crafting and resource management. GameSpot notes some issues with the system: “I never found a backpack-capacity upgrade and assume one doesn’t exist, which felt strange when I’d be so full of crafting supplies that I could no longer pick up items.”
Distinctly British Setting
\All reviewers highlight the game’s unique British setting and atmosphere. IGN mentions that “It’s also quite novel to experience a survival-action game that is so endearingly British” and notes the game “allows you to craft a poison bomb using a pint glass you nicked from its local pub, or replenish health by tucking into a Cornish pasty, or reduce your heart rate by sipping on a warm cup of Earl Grey.”
Multiple Endings and Replayability
Atomfall offers multiple endings through its branching narrative. GameSpot mentions that “This all culminates in a final act that branches off into many different directions based on who you align yourself with in the story.”
The game’s length varies depending on how thoroughly players explore. Rock Paper Shotgun completed the game in about 10.5 hours but noted spending another 9 hours exploring side quests and alternative endings.
Technical Performance
While not extensively covered in the reviews, Rock Paper Shotgun mentions that “Despite lacking modern performance-boosters like DLSS, Atomfall runs smoothly on cheap and premium hardware alike. That includes the Steam Deck, which can produce between 40fps and 60fps on Medium quality.”
Final Assessment
Atomfall emerges as a game that prioritizes exploration and discovery over combat prowess. Its unique approach to open-world design and British post-apocalyptic setting help it stand apart from similar titles, even if some gameplay elements like combat and stealth feel underdeveloped.
GameSpot concludes that “Atomfall isn’t Fallout. Sometimes, that’s because Fallout is understandably a much bigger, better game. But Atomfall also structures its story and world so unlike typical open-world games, Fallout or otherwise, that the distinction isn’t merely meant as a slight on Rebellion’s latest effort.”
For players who enjoy solving mysteries and exploring at their own pace, Atomfall offers a refreshing take on the post-apocalyptic genre with its unique British flavor and investigative gameplay.
Atomfall is a post-apocalyptic adventure game developed by Rebellion Developments, the creators of the Sniper Elite series. It’s set in an alternate 1960s Britain following a fictionalized version of the Windscale nuclear disaster. The game has already been released and is available now.
While there are some superficial similarities to Fallout (post-apocalyptic setting, factions, and bunkers), Atomfall has its own distinct identity. As GameSpot notes, “Atomfall isn’t Fallout… it structures its story and world so unlike typical open-world games.” Atomfall focuses more on investigation and exploration without heavy hand-holding, creating a unique gameplay experience with a distinctly British setting.
According to the reviews, the game’s length varies depending on your play style. Rock Paper Shotgun completed the game in about 10.5 hours, though they mentioned spending an additional 9 hours exploring side quests and alternative endings. The game offers multiple endings based on the choices you make and which factions you ally with, adding replay value.
Atomfall combines exploration, investigation, combat, and survival elements. The core gameplay revolves around exploring the five interconnected regions, following leads, and solving mysteries without explicit waypoints. Combat includes both melee and ranged options, though reviews suggest it’s not the game’s strongest feature. There’s also a crafting system for creating items like bandages and Molotovs, though some reviewers noted issues with inventory management.
Unlike many modern games, Atomfall doesn’t rely on waypoint markers or explicit quest directions. Instead, players pick up “leads” through conversations, notes, and exploration, then need to follow these clues themselves. The game features five interconnected regions with numerous hidden passages and secrets. As Rock Paper Shotgun states, it’s “a mystery investigation game as much as an action one” where the joy comes from discovering connections between different mysteries and locations.
According to Rock Paper Shotgun, “Despite lacking modern performance-boosters like DLSS, Atomfall runs smoothly on cheap and premium hardware alike. That includes the Steam Deck, which can produce between 40fps and 60fps on Medium quality.” The reviews don’t mention any significant technical issues, suggesting it’s a stable release.