A fantastic first outing by Rebellion.
Rebellion’s known for its long-running Sniper Elite franchise, but Atomfall is something entirely different. Equal parts survival shooter, mystery, and sci-fi RPG, it sets out to something unique and, for the most part, accomplishes its goal.
Set in the 60s, five years after (the very real-life) Windscale nuclear fire of 1957, Atomfall is all about player choice. As you first venture out into the quarantined zone that’s been isolated from the rest of Britain, you’ll quickly stumble upon leads. Some will take you into densely populated areas, while others will have you searching for an herbalist who keeps to herself in the woods. You’ll meet friendly traders, or aggressive factions that are out for your blood.
Later on, you’ll run across those who’ve been infected by the nuclear accident that has caused the lockdown itself. Some act a little loopy, stating that they can hear the soil talking to them. Others embrace this new voice, joining a cult that seeks to bring more into the fold. Some have been driven crazy, feral, and menacing. All have glowing blue eyes.
With most you meet, you’re able to take specific actions and really control how moment-to-moment encounters will play out. When running into a group of two or three outlaws — one of three main factions — you can keep your weapons holstered and try to negotiate. Back away slowly enough, and the outlaws might just let you get on your way. If that doesn’t work, you can sometimes put a bullet in one’s head and then threaten their remaining comrades, encouraging them to leave with their lives intact.
With ferals, you’re thrown headfirst into a combat situation. Here, you’re armed with all manner of guns, melee weapons, and throwables in your attempt to come out on top. These means of defence (or offense, depending on how you see it) can be bolstered by skills; rather than gaining XP from kills and the like, these skills are levelled up through exploration and finding stimulants. Crafting recipes and raw materials litter the world, allowing you to create healing items, damage and resistance buffs, or throwables, and are invaluable out on the battlefield.
In the eight hours it took me to complete the main game and then save scum through most of Atomfall‘s endings, I was amazed at just how many ways there were to do something in-game. A lockpicking-like device that I didn’t find until my fourth hour could have been obtainable in my first thirty minutes, provided I decided to head east instead of west. I snuck around one highly guarded area for the better part of an hour before I realised I could simply play a couple factions against one another and gain much-needed trust that let me walk around freely.
Accessibility options are incredibly important, allowing you to dial up (or down) certain elements of gameplay including stealth, combat, resource availability, exploration and more. I opted for a setting below Rebellion’s recommendation, as combat can be absolutely brutal when encountering large numbers of (potential) enemies.
Atomfall is a truly beautiful game, approaching a dystopian future in a very different way than the likes of Fallout or S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Environments are lush and green, and incredibly immersive; I really want to pack up and head down to the English countryside. Sound design is almost equal to visuals, though sound cues tend to break before and after combat. If you step over a felled enemy, there’s a 50-50 chance you’ll (unnecessarily) prompt tense fight music to kick back up for two or three seconds.
Two of your three tools — said lockpick-style item and a metal detector — are only accessible when prompted Atomfall; in the case of the former item, I’d sometime lose that prompt and would be locked out of progression until I reloaded my latest save.
Because choice is the core of Atomfall, it’s a shame when things start to unravel — especially at the end of Rebellion’s tale. I followed leads diligently for hours and in two cases — both tied to a specific ending, and both to a Trophy or Achievement — those leads simply… stopped. I’d done nothing wrong, I’d followed instructions to the letter, and nevertheless I was locked out of a path with no rhyme or reason. I have one save on my PS5 where I literally have zero active leads right at the endgame, with seemingly no way to actually finish at that point.
With two days of lead time between the receipt of review code and Atomfall‘s embargo (which we didn’t hit, by the way), I haven’t had a chance to contact Rebellion on my endgame woes. I’m hopeful that I’ll receive some instruction as to what happened, or at the very least, be informed of news of a patch that will correct these issues before release.
Despite those woes, Atomfall ticks all the right boxes. It’s immersive, compelling, yet is extremely respectful of your time. It can be a big exercise in survival, in shooting, or exploration — or any combination therein. I hope to see more of this from Rebellion.
Best yet, this is part of Xbox Game Pass on day one of release, meaning quite a number of you have the opportunity to check it out without having to lay down any more of your hard-earned. I really suggest you do.
Expect Atomfall from 27 March on Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PS4, and PS5.
Atomfall was reviewed using a promotional code on PS5 Pro, as provided by the publisher. Click here to learn more about Stevivor’s scoring scale.
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Atomfall27 March 2025PC PS4 PS5 Xbox One Xbox Series S & X
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