Join me on a thrilling journey through the eerie English countryside with Atomfall, the latest survival-action game from the developers of Sniper Elite at Rebellion. Recently, I immersed myself in a hands-on demo at a North London pub, and I was captivated by Atomfall's unique approach to mission design and its haunting atmosphere. My experience took a wild turn when I decided to unleash chaos with a cricket bat, attacking everyone in sight, including an innocent old lady. Let me delve into the reasons behind my actions.

In Atomfall, every NPC, from the lowliest grunt to the most crucial quest-giver, can be eliminated. As I embarked on the demo, I set out to test this feature. My approach was far from elegant; just minutes into exploring this digital rendition of Cumbria, I inadvertently triggered a tripwire alarm, forcing me to dispatch three guards with my newly christened murder weapon—a cricket bat soaked in their blood.

Later, I acquired a bow and arrow, which I eagerly equipped, satisfying my love for archery in games. With both long and short-range options, I could give my cricket bat a break. As I explored further, I encountered a towering wicker man, a nod to the game's folk horror theme that permeates this region of Atomfall's segmented world. These "open zones" contribute to an unsettling atmosphere, deepening the mystery of what caused this once serene corner of England to become irradiated.

My reflections on the mystery were interrupted by a group of druids, likely connected to the wicker man. They became perfect targets for my bow, falling one by one as I channeled my inner Robin Hood. The bow was satisfying to use, but what truly intrigued me was Atomfall's innovative stamina system. Instead of a traditional depleting and regenerating bar, the game uses a heart rate monitor that increases with physically demanding actions. Sprinting, for instance, can push your heart rate over 140 bpm, affecting your aim's steadiness and accuracy. I later discovered a Bow Mastery skill manual that mitigated the impact of a heightened heartbeat on drawing the bowstring. While the skill tree may not be the most complex, it offers flexibility to tailor your character's abilities to your preferred playstyle, whether stealth or direct combat.

Atomfall Screenshots

13 Images

With my only accomplishment being a trail of dead druids, you might wonder what my overarching goal was. Initially, I was as aimless as my exploration of the Casterfall Woods. A note led me to a herbalist named Mother Jago near an old mine, hinting at a larger story. The environment was rich with subtle storytelling, from a shimmering, oily swirl over a power plant hinting at Britain's apocalyptic descent to a creepy phone box warning me away from the woods.

The path was strewn with eerie environmental details, like a boathouse rigged with an unsettling alarm system and a mound of skulls nearby. Atomfall's atmosphere evokes comparisons not to Fallout, but rather to Stalker and its sequel, capturing a similar tone and game design. The game's design reminded me of classic point-and-click adventures, encouraging thorough exploration and conversation to uncover hints.

After another druid massacre, I reached Mother Jago's quaint allotment retreat. Dressed in a plum-colored coat and a hat adorned with an animal skull and roses, she resembled a mystical Angela Lansbury. Yet, she offered only vague answers to my questions, pushing me to exhaust every dialogue option in search of direction. Jago eventually proposed a trade: valuable information for the safe return of her herbalism book, which was being held at the druids' fortified castle.

Atomfall's freeform design allowed me to approach the castle from any angle, and I chose a side attack. En route, I encountered a druid patrol near an abandoned petrol station, sparking the Battle of the Forecourt with a grenade. The enemy AI, while not the most reactive, added to the fun of combat, though it's clear that Atomfall's combat isn't its strongest suit. Instead, the game's focus seems to be on exploring its world and uncovering its secrets.

After sniping some axe-wielding brutes, I infiltrated the castle's outer walls, finding a locked hut with a note hinting at distant map coordinates for the keys. Atomfall eschews objective markers, requiring players to manually mark points of interest on their maps. My intuition led me to the central keep's front doors instead.

Inside, I found more druids to dispatch but no sign of the book. I scoured the castle's dank hallways, finding only crafting materials. Atomfall's mission design is deliberately obtuse, challenging players to explore without hand-holding. This approach, while potentially frustrating, encourages a detective-like exploration of the game's world.

Following the map coordinates, I encountered a poison plant monster that proved deadly. Using my Skyrim-honed bunny-hopping skills, I bypassed the creature to retrieve the keys from a previous victim. Back at the hut, I found a perk point and ammo, but no herbalism book.

Venturing deeper into the castle's underbelly, I eliminated the High Priestess and her followers, uncovering an SMG, poison bomb recipe, and an atomic battery hinting at new quests. Yet, the book remained elusive.

Xbox Games Series Tier List

After my session, I learned the book was in the castle, on a table I had overlooked. Believing the book to be a ruse, I returned to Mother Jago, only to kill her in frustration. Searching her body, I found a recipe to combat the poison swamp monster, which she had intended to trade for the book.

Atomfall's developers at Rebellion suggest a story completion time of four to five hours, with most players taking around 25 hours. The game's varied experiences were evident when another demo player encountered a crashed helicopter and a region filled with killer robots and mutants, showcasing the game's depth and secrets.

While Atomfall's objectives can be overly obtuse, the game rewards those who engage with its complex quest design. The blurred lines between side and main objectives add tension and encourage players to craft their own narratives and conclusions about the events in the irradiated English countryside. Despite my violent detour with Mother Jago, I'm eager to see how my story unfolds.

With my hands bloodied and a trail of chaos behind me, I embraced full-British mode: cricket bat in hand, I headed to the pub to let the dust settle on my violent journey through Atomfall.