Atomfall is Rebellion’s newest survival game release, best known for the Sniper Elite series. The series takes place during World War II, and while much of the story is inspired by actual life events, it’s primarily fiction. Atomfall is the same way the game takes the basis of a real-life event from the 50s that involved the worst nuclear disaster in the U.K. While not as talked about as Chornobyl, the Windscale Fire is still present in the minds of those who witnessed it. Atomfall takes this foundation and presents an alternate history of these events.

It’s still a video game, as feral mutants from the radiation roam around. Instead, the main push of the story is discovering what actually happened regarding the nuclear fallout. It doesn’t hold the player’s hand but instead lets them explore the mysteries ahead. It captures the curiosity aspect and presents a fun experience. Atomfall is a great survival action game that fully makes each player’s experience feel unique.

The World of Atomfall Is Quaint and Creepy in the Best Way Possible

Not Just a Fallout Clone

For anyone who thinks Atomfall is just a Fallout game set in London, it’s anything but that. They do share a lot of similar traits. The game begins with an introduction of the British Atomic Research Division, or B.A.R.D. for short, which feels like something out of a Vault-Tec film. It quickly cuts back and forth between the nuclear disaster and how the surrounding area is under extended quarantine. The gamer plays a survivor in a bunker with no memory of the last couple of years. Just like Fallout, players will set out of the bunker, but that’s where the Fallout comparisons end.

While the area is dealing with the post-nuclear fallout, the world doesn’t look or feel post-apocalyptic. The foliage is lush and beautiful, with the land looking like peak spring season. The hills and cliffs look like something people would see in an ideal quaint British village. There are also classic British iconography, like red telephone booths and pubs scattered throughout. The area is the most important character here and, thankfully, doesn’t go too stereotypical with its London influences.

What’s fascinating is that some areas are actually not only populated but also seem normal on the surface. Granted, there’s unrest because of the quarantine conditions, but it’s something you don’t see in a lot of games like these. When players go outside of the village, there’s danger all around, and the aspect of trust comes few and far between. Throughout Atomfall, a mysterious voice will call the players and give very vague information that gamers need to decipher. A character could seem trustworthy, but the mystery man gives you a bit of truth that’ll lead the player to investigate. It makes the relatively small world into something that’s beaming with lore and fascination.

Another captivating aspect of the area is the sheer number of pagan influences. There’s a doomsday cult with druids who believe in the voice of an ancient god. It gives a lot of strong The Wicker Man vibes, and the influence is a powerful addition. There’s just an underlying sense of creepiness that players can encounter, like a giant wicker statue. Moments like these help make Atomfall into a game that players want to explore more despite its size.

The Leads System Is the Best Part of Atomfall

The Weapons System Could Be Improved

Atomfall tweaks the traditional quest mechanics by offering players leads. These leads come from documents and conversations the player can eavesdrop on. If a player follows up on a particular lead, then it’ll show a radius of where the player should go instead of having a marker down. It’s not just a couple of leads but several that the gamer will encounter throughout. It truly makes the player feel like they have agency in exploring what path they want to take.

The non-linear gameplay is intriguing and offers a lot of variety. The only issue is when the player is traversing. Traveling through the different zones gets tiring after a while, especially if all the landmarks and most of the caches are found. It’s understandable why Rebellion chose this kind of system, as it’ll generate more exploration from the gamers. It just causes a bit of fatigue toward the end.

The survival aspects don’t do anything that different from other better survival games, but they’re still welcomed here. A lot of the time, players will have to use melee weapons as ammo gets scarce. There is an in-universe explanation of why everyone knows how to fight and shoot that’s clever and realistic. While melee combat is standard, the shooting leaves much to be desired. The reloading process gets complicated, and if gamers aren’t careful, it can lead to deadly mistakes.

Atomfall Trusts the Players and Rewards Them Well

Even With Its Faults, This Game Is a Must-Play

Atomfall feels like a unique entry in the survival genre. While some might think of Atomfall as another Fallout-type clone, it has enough to make it stand out. The leads system is brilliant, as exploring the path that the player wants to take is always enjoyable. With so many leads, there are always different paths to explore.

It’ll be fun to see what other paths the player took instead because there should be quite a few variants. While being in this world offers a lot of fun, traversing becomes more of a chore by the end. Once the player gets to a base or somewhere to explore, the energy picks up again. It makes Atomfall a must-play, even if players aren’t fans of the genre.

Atomfall launches March 27 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.