Recently, we got the opportunity to try out Atomfall before its official release on March 27th, 2025, and it is safe to say that Rebellion has outdone itself as it looks to be a fun and exciting title that will have players gripped from the start.
During our time with Atomfall, we only played a small section of the game; however, we had free reign to explore the region to our heart’s content while also taking on all kinds of leads (quests) and exploring numerous locations that fill the world of Atomfall.
The World of Atomfall
For those who may not know, Atomfall is an upcoming title from the developer Rebellion, who is most commonly known for developing the Sniper Elite games. Atomfall itself is set in the 1960s as it explores an alternate timeline in which the Windscale Nuclear Reactor caused even more damage than it did in real life.
For anyone who is not from the United Kingdom, the Windscale Nuclear Reactor incident may not be something you have heard of. Still, it was a very serious incident that took place in Britain’s history. Because this incident was as serious as it was, developer Rebellion chose to ask the question: What if this incident took a different path in history? Leading to the post-apocalyptic world of Atomfall.
Atomfall explores a new version of history as the residents are quarantined within the surrounding area, cultists begin to rise, claiming they can hear the “voice of the soil,” Feral creatures begin to populate the world, and civilians attempt to live in this desolate world full of turmoil and anguish.
Due to Atomfall being set in a real place in the UK, there are plenty of landmarks and familiar sites that people will recognize if they have ever visited this location before. Still, due to this being a post-apocalyptic setting, it is understandable that many things are different, such as numerous bunkers being located throughout the forest, castle ruins the player can explore, cave systems that delve into the world below, and so much more.
Alternate Quest System in Atomfall
One of the first things you will notice in Atomfall is how the quest system is entirely different from what most gamers will be familiar with, and this is due to Rebellion using a lead-based system rather than a quest-based system.
The main difference between these two systems is that in a quest-based system the player will have markers throughout the game that lead them to where they need to go, whereas in the lead-based system, players will have to piece together different pieces of information in an attempt to figure out where they need to go and what they need to do once they get there.
Understandably, within the conversations players will have with the NPCs (Non-playable characters), there will be instructions on what you will be doing within the mission, but that isn’t always the case, as some leads can be found through certain documents laid around the world or can even be missed if a conversation doesn’t swing your way.
This leads to a bit of detective work from the players, as they have to use all kinds of information that has been passed their way in an attempt to discover what they need to do and how it impacts the overarching story that is taking place.
The Main Character in Atomfall
One of the biggest things Rebellion has wanted to enforce when it comes to Atomfall is the fact that the character the players will take control of has no history from what we can see and experience. Whether it be their basic combat skills, lack of memory, or just simply, they are a random person that has been found in a bunker.
Throughout the game, it is encouraged that players explore the game however they want; this means that there is no character moral compass to play by, no unique skills that make the character stand out, and just simply allowing players to enjoy the sandbox world that Rebellion has created.
This has been achieved due to the fact that the playable character is essentially an empty shell waiting to be filled by the player, allowing total freedom and even imagination as the player can put their own choices and ideas into the game.
Exploration Within Atomfall
As stated above, Atomfall will be set in the United Kingdom and surround the Windscale Nuclear Plant in Northern England as players attempt to discover what has happened to this reactor to cause this alternate timeline.
Due to this, players will have a large variety of locations to explore within Atomfall, as there will be locations like forests, bunkers, villages, and many more to visit and explore. However, these locations aren’t attached in a traditional sense, as each location is separated into its own maps that are roughly the same size as the maps from Sniper Elite.
However, before you panic, there are still plenty of exploration options within each area, and the option to return to each location is available and even encouraged, as the player will be able to uncover equipment throughout their journey, which they will be able to bring back to these locations and uncover new secrets that they never found the first time around.
Along with each location being fairly large, there are plenty of locations that the player can discover that will increase their adventure by a large portion; this is encouraged throughout the game as the lack of UI allows players to immerse themselves in the game world as they search every nook and cranny for cave systems, bunkers, and so much more.
To add to the immersion, the player will also have a map that they are able to use throughout the game; however, it isn’t a traditional map as it begins as a blank slate and slowly gets filled in as the player explores the map and finds leads as the character draws landmarks on the map, similar to Alan Wake 2 allowing for more exploration.
Combat Within Atomfall
When it comes to combat, Atomfall does something very unique as it relies heavily on realistic interactions between the player and the enemies that plague the world of Atomfall. Whether it be getting into a pub-brawl scenario where everyone is just hitting each other, using a gun to scare the enemy away to avoid confrontation even if the gun is empty, or just simply shooting an enemy with as many bullets as you can spare, there are plenty of options to choose from.
Due to Atomfall being set in the 1960s, a fair few years after the initial Nuclear Reactor Incident, the developers chose to treat the world as if it had been lived in for years with people scavenging everything they could find. This means that players are very limited in their options when it comes to combat.
For starters, players will likely have to rely on a cricket bat or knife to deal with the numerous threats that stand in their way, but as the game progresses, there are options for better weapons. Unfortunately, because the character has no memory, they aren’t exactly a weapons master.
This leads to a lot of issues for the player, as things like keeping track of their ammo count on the HUD aren’t a thing and are instead something they will need to keep track of in a fight, except upon reloading. As well as aiming directly down the sights of a rusty pistol they have picked up from the ground.
Although some of these situations can be improved as the game goes on, weapon maintenance is a feature within Atomfall requiring the players to oil their guns regularly as well as find upgrades in the future. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for melee weapons, as these tend to be replaceable as one method of attacking is by throwing the melee weapon at unsuspecting enemies.
As stated above, the character the player takes control of isn’t a military veteran and doesn’t have close combat training, so do not expect to be creating scenarios in which you can stealth kill enemies regularly or take on hoards of enemies in a fist fight, but that doesn’t mean the player won’t have options as a kick ability is available to assist in creating space between the player and the enemies and can be the difference between life and death.
The Enemies and Characters in Atomfall
Atomfall is full of unique characters and enemies that the player can meet throughout their journey, but not all are as meets the eye. Many of the characters the player will meet within Atomfall are rather unique and will have interesting backgrounds that the player can potentially explore if they choose the right options in their conversations.
For example, sometimes being the nicest person in the world won’t work to your advantage as there are characters you may meet in the world who are very aggressive and want you to match their energy. If you choose to be kind rather than aggressive, they may shut down, and even in some cases, you may lose out on a potential lead within the gaming world.
To add to their uniqueness, characters will all boast intriguing accents that will have players laughing and grinning throughout the playthroughs. Even for those who aren’t familiar with the slang that is used throughout Atomfall, you will slowly learn and, in some cases, begin to use it yourself.
The NPCs around Atomfall aren’t the only ones who have unique mannerisms, as the enemies also have a bit of flair and drama to them as they commonly shout different insults, sayings, and more towards the player throughout the combat.
Unfortunately, these types of interactions will mainly be used by the cultist enemies that are found within the game, as the other two factions that we can see within Atomfall are robots and feral mutated civilians, which are very unlikely to shout things like “They’re doing a runner!”.
Due to Rebellion creating a world in which the characters have realistic reactions, the enemies themselves also react realistically to the actions of the player. This means that if the player stumbles into a lone enemy cultists and aims their gun a them, there is the chance that the enemy will either back away or move around more to avoid being shot.
However, these circumstances aren’t guaranteed as some enemies like the ferals or the robots will continue to act irrationally or rationally depending on the enemy that the player encounters. For example, the ferals are very aggressive in Atomfall and do not fear guns, so they will run blindly toward the player with no hesitation, whereas the robots will focus on filling the player with bullet holes as they guard the locations you find them in.
Atomfall is set to release on March 27th, 2025, and will be released on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and 5, PC, and is even a day-one release on Xbox Game Pass.
For more Thumb Wars Gaming coverage, check out our article that tells you about Directive 8020’s biggest strength that will subvert our expectations, or check out our Omega 6 The Triangle Stars review.
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I am a long-time writer who enjoys talking about numerous different game genres as well as playing them. My main focuses are games like Helldivers 2, Warframe, and so much more.
