Last Updated on Mar 21, 2025 @ 23:05:51 PM.
Rebellion’s latest effort, Atomfall is almost here, and it’s pretty clear the studio decided to take some interesting leaps and risks in the modern-day gaming market. In a time where gamers almost universally despise an abundance of collectibles and being made to read them, Atomfall makes this its central gameplay mechanic, and it does it bloody well.
Atomfall Really Wants You to Go Get that Lead!
Atomfall approaches the survival genre from a different perspective than others in the genre, with less hand-holding being provided, and the onus being very much on the player to find and explore to progress. Due to this, it is entirely possible for players to miss entire quests (called Leads) and miss parts of the game entirely, yet still manage to ‘finish’ it.
To combat this, players just need to keep aware of the many, MANY collectibles around the world, in the form of letters. These letters will be written from one person to another, with the player gleaning information from them that can send them in all manner of directions, from Russian spies hiding out to a dead butler and possibly dementia-ridden housewife.
In the past, gamers would do all they could to avoid collectibles, but Atomfall has seemingly found the perfect antidote to that and made it not only an integral part of the game but an interesting one. Collectibles are cool again. You never know what the next will bring, whether it’s world-building, a new lead, or something else.
During a discussion with Ryan Greene, Art Director on Atomfall, he revealed all may not be what it seems with the collectibles:
It’s more like a ‘choose-your-own’ adventure. So, you get leads to do different things that will lead you to the next thing. And you’re playing a little bit of a detective and trying to find out what it is that’s going on here, and trying to find out the truth behind the whole disaster. Who are you going to help along the way? Who might help you? And can you really trust them? So, we’re going to play with a lot of that kind of who are you going to side with kind of attitude, you know?
This new style of storytelling and game development is seemingly becoming more popular, with games like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 having a heavy reliance on trusting the player (and punishing them with quests timing out if not done in a timely manner), and the soon to be released The Blood of Dawnwalker having a unique time limit mechanic, or Hell is Us not having quest markers at all. It’s the age of eagle-eyed and time-conscious gamers.
For more Thumb Wars Gaming coverage, have a look at our full review of the game, or our breakdown of how long it’ll take you to beat.
Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
