AtomFall Review

No fallout in Britain here!

If you're seeking a British Fallout experience, you'll need to look elsewhere. However, if you're interested in a captivating survival adventure set in Britain, Atomfall is the game for you.

Atomfall takes place in an alternate 1960s Cumberland, a region in North West England. A nuclear disaster five years earlier at the Windscale plant, inspired by a real-life event, has caused societal collapse.

The game begins with your character awakening to find a wounded man in a hazmat suit asking for help. You have different dialogue options to decide how to respond and whether to assist him. Helping him teaches you how to craft a bandage from scratch. As a reward, he gives you a hacked key card, essential for accessing a place called the interchange, and advises you to be cautious, as the world is dangerous.

Upon leaving the bunker where you awoke, you encounter a lone outlaw whom you can choose to confront or avoid. Exiting the bunker reveals a stunning world for you to explore. You decide your first destination.

The game features five areas to explore: Casterfell Woods, Skethermoor, Slatten Dale, Wyndham Village, and The Interchange. Whichever area you choose, you'll find connections leading back to the interchange.

While Atomfall is a great introduction to survival games, you can adjust the difficulty to your preference. There are five default difficulty settings: Sightseer, Investigator, Brawler, Survivor, and Veteran, each increasing the challenge of combat, survival, and exploration. Additionally, a custom difficulty option allows you to individually adjust aspects of combat, survival, and exploration, offering a personalized experience. I chose to play on Survivor, which provided the level of challenge I desired, but I could change the difficulty if needed.

Atomfall's combat is solid. Melee weapons are effective in close combat; fists work well against unarmed opponents. Throwables like poison bombs and Molotovs are useful for attacking groups from a distance, and guns are highly effective. The game features five main gun types: pistols, submachine guns, shotguns, rifles, and assault rifles, with variations like bolt-action rifles and magnum pistols. Each weapon's attack speed and damage are indicated. Non-automatic weapons can be one-shot kills with headshots. Combat can be challenging with multiple enemies, but it becomes easier as you develop skills to increase damage or speed. The effectiveness of your weapons depends on the enemy type, with five types: Druids, Outlaws, Protocol soldiers, B.A.R.D. Robots and Atomic Wildlife, each with strengths and weaknesses.

Survival is challenging as you must scavenge, craft, or buy everything you need. Planning and resource management are crucial. You can purchase items from merchants or find them in the world, with some items unique to specific merchants.

Exploration is enjoyable but tense, as each bunker or site contains notes with quest information. The lack of map markers or waypoints makes notes and NPC dialogue essential for progress. The five main areas to explore, Casterfell Woods, Skethermoor, Slatten Dale, Wyndham Village, and The Interchange, are linked to the main quest and side quests, which aid in progression. There is no fast travel, so avoiding danger areas requires planning. During exploration, you'll find training stimulants and manuals to gain skill points and enhance your character.

Four merchants throughout the game provide crafting recipes and manuals for new skills. Atomfall lacks currency, so you must trade scavenged items with merchants. Inventory space is limited to 12 small and 4 large items. The bartering system is based on a scale, so aim for balanced trades. Some items, like first aid kits, require valuable trades. Atomic Batteries, essential for the main quest, are rare but can be traded for with merchants.

Overall, Atomfall is a fantastic game that balances its elements well. However, the unnamed main character may make it challenging to connect with the story, which could deter some players from fully enjoying the experience.