It has been *check notes* nearly a whole decade since the last offline single-player Fallout title graced our hands, eyeballs and ear holes. Exceptional standalone modding efforts aside, it still surprises me that given the creatively fertile width and breadth of the Fallout franchise, the series hasn’t properly ventured outside of North America. For folks like me who live on this sceptred isle, the idea of a full-fat Fallout game set in the realm of ol’ Blighty remains a compelling prospect, not least because of the oversized mindshare that television shows such as the endlessly harrowing 1982 BBC show Threads occupy in our noggins. Happily, that status quo looks set to change with Rebellion’s Atomfall, a post-apocalyptic, open-world RPG that would seem to channel the spirit, if not a portion of the physical form, of Bethesda’s wildly popular genre effort. Like all the best things in life, however, there is much more to Atomfall than just what seemingly manifests on the surface.
How Is Atomfall Similar To Fallout?
Coming from Rebellion, the same talented collective of folks behind the excellent Sniper Elite games, Atomfall ticks several at-a-glance boxes that lend it a sense of familiarity to those who have previously trodden Fallout’s hostile wastelands. Firstly, it’s clear that the world, or at least the north of England, has gone to heck in a handbasket with violence and anarchy being the ruling principles of the day. Next, it’s a first-person shooting effort that has you bludgeoning, stabbing, shooting and exploding your way through a myriad of foul sorts looking to put you six feet into the ground. Oh, and it’s a big ol’ open-world affair too, with a sizable map, places to visit, secrets to uncover and a range of NPCs that you can chat to with multiple dialogue options or just haplessly murder, should you so choose. The similarities to Fallout however are just the beginning of why we’re excited for Atomfall.
A Very British Apocalypse That Sidesteps Nuclear Devastation
Unfolding on a continent where nuclear devastation has rendered the land a grim and dusty husk of its former self, the Fallout games have typically embraced a very traditional view of the apocalypse – one where the notion of nuclear annihilation is virtually absolute. Atomfall subverts the idea of a traditional apocalypse by embracing verdance over desolation. Indeed, it’s surprising just how green everything is, with rolling hills filled with abundant vegetation, babbling brooks, gentle streams and gushing waterfalls while wistful, white clouded skies loom lazily above.
By presenting an open world that is steeped in all manner of flora, and fauna, and breezily analogous to the actual rural beauty of northern England, Atomfall proves itself to be grandly refreshing in ways that to date anyway, Bethesda’s dusty post-apocalyptic opus has simply not been able to achieve.
Shifting away from the lush trappings of its game world, Atomfall’s very British take on the end of the world manifests itself in the myriad individuals and post-societal structures that now exist, with all types of outlaws, miners, steel workers, soldiers, villagers and more filling the landscape. Taking place in an alternate history, early 1960s northern England, Atomfall anchors itself to the very real Windscale incident of October 1957, where a devastating fire broke out at the Windscale nuclear plant and was so severe that it was deemed to be the single worst recorded nuclear accident in the United Kingdom.
Though Atomfall very much employs the Windscale nuclear reactor as the nucleus for its narrative and setting, it does so in a measured way, with the reactor being sealed off and the malign effects of the disaster seeping into the world it in relatively subtle ways, rather than resulting in the sort of scorched earth destruction we see in the Fallout games.
With iconic red ‘K6 kiosk’ phone boxes dotting the landscape, a good ol’ cuppa tea that proves to be an effective collectable that refreshes your stamina (it is the fuel of the nation after all) and more northern accents than you can shake a DVD box set of The Last of the Summer Wine at, Atomfall roundly succeeds in freshening up the post-apocalyptic setting in a way nobody else has attempted. In this way, Atomfall lays down an effective blueprint for others to follow. One that seeks to eschew the dusty, Mad Max-coded apocalypse that for nearly half a century has dominated our thinking of what the end of the world looks like and surely, that is something worthy of celebration in itself.
A Much Smaller, More Intimate Game World
Part and parcel with Atomfall’s radical setting is the size of the game world which also seems very much like a knowing departure from the Fallout games. A great deal smaller than the chunky land masses seen in the Bethesda series, and thus lacking much of the empty space seen in the latter, places of interest in Atomfall feel much more closely knit together. As a result, every area feels more dense and tends to be generously filled with neat landmarks, collectables, secrets (bring your trusty metal detector) and much more to keep your wanderlust at its zenith.
Combat That’s Much More Punishing Than You Might Expect
I think it’s reasonable to posit that the Fallout games approach combat in a relatively relaxed way. Just about every modern Fallout effort weans you on weaker enemies and creatures first, before opening you up to the possibilities of more difficult adversaries later on. In Atomfall however, just about every enemy you meet hits very, very hard and it’s extremely easy to get ambushed. Luckily, while you don’t have any time-freezing-trickery such as the V.A.T.S system seen in the Fallout games, you do have much snappier firearms and melee-based combat which feels more satisfying than anything seen in the Bethesda titles. Furthermore, an extra emphasis on stealth takedowns not only provides additional possibilities for combat but will surely delight anybody familiar with Rebellion’s bread-and-butter Sniper Elite franchise as well.
Level Free Progression
Reflecting the slimmer, more efficient approach that Rebellion’s latest takes with other aspects of its design, progression in Atomfall feels similarly trim and focused. Here, you unlock new skills by collecting training manuals and you gain them by injecting yourself with training stimulants that can be found in the various nooks and crannies of the world surrounding Windscale. As there are no levels or experience points here, progression in Atomfall feels much more streamlined as a result, not least because obtaining these manuals and stimulants encourages you to explore every inch of its beguiling world.
Based on all this, Atomfall looks set to be a thoroughly fresh and exciting entry into the post-apocalyptic RPG space, blending familiar Fallout-style mechanics with a uniquely British twist. With it’s lush, alternate-history 1960s northern England, Atomfall offers players an open world teeming with dense forests, vibrant wildlife, and small-town charm – all while dealing with the eerie aftermath of the real-life Windscale nuclear incident. Rebellion has crafted a world that feels both intimate and dangerous, where every encounter can prove deadly and every location is packed with secrets. With punishing combat, streamlined progression, and a focus on exploration over grind, Atomfall feels like a bold reimagining of what a post-apocalyptic game can be.
Ready to dive into this uniquely British apocalypse? Atomfall is available now on Green Man Gaming, offering you the chance to explore a fresh take on the post-apocalyptic genre. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to experience a game that redefines what a post-apocalyptic adventure can be – grab your copy today and start your journey through the lush, dangerous landscapes of Atomfall!
