‘Atomfall’ review: A hauntingly British apocalypse that’s fun, flawed, and frustrating

Insurrection Studios’ Atomfall is a step in the correct path as we (hopefully) close to the top of an period the place each big-budget RPG seems like a 60-to-80-hour dedication. After Murderer’s Creed Valhalla pushed the boundaries of simply how a lot recreation a recreation may have — and never essentially for the higher — it’s refreshing to see an motion RPG that truly permits you to decelerate, take a breath, and simply exist in its world for a minute.

Somewhat than drowning you in an countless sea of map markers, facet quests, and fetch missions that really feel extra like a to-do record than an journey, Atomfall affords one thing totally different. It’s a recreation that trusts you to discover at your personal tempo slightly than continuously screaming at you to have interaction with yet one more system or mechanic. That’s a uncommon factor in 2025.

But whereas Atomfall by no means overstays its welcome, there’s nonetheless part of me caught between seeing its simplicity as a component that permits it to shine, or as a weak point.

Warning: There are minor story spoilers forward.

Welcome to Cumbria

Atomfall is an action-survival RPG set in Sixties Northern England, 5 years after the real-life Windscale nuclear catastrophe — one of many worst in historical past. UK-based Insurrection Studios takes that tragedy and twists it into an eerie, fictionalized quarantine zone the place nobody will get in or out.

You step into the footwear of a anonymous, silent protagonist who wakes up in a mysterious bunker with no reminiscence of who you might be or how you bought there. Your solely goal? Discover the Interchange — a secret analysis facility run by the British Atomic Analysis Division (B.A.R.D). Alongside the way in which, you’ll cross paths with every kind of teams: ruthless outlaws, fractured navy models, fanatical druids, and villagers doing their finest to faux that every part’s simply tremendous. Oh, and there is the mysterious voice that talks to you thru pink phone containers.

All of this unfolds towards the backdrop of a hauntingly stunning rural county of Cumbria.

Not like most RPGs, Atomfall ditches the standard objective-based quest construction in favor of its distinctive “Leads” system. As a substitute of waypoints and a guidelines telling you precisely the place to go, you piece collectively your subsequent steps via conversations with NPCs, scattered letters, and previous cassette tapes discovered all through the quarantine zone. There’s no omniscient map marker holding your hand — simply the clues you’ve gathered and no matter notes you determine to take. That stated, you’ll be able to manually place compass markers to assist hold monitor of potential factors of curiosity.

It’s a refreshingly intuitive strategy to immersive storytelling that extra video games ought to experiment with. Elden Ring and Darkish Souls make use of one thing related, however in a manner that’s intentionally cryptic — hiding lore in merchandise descriptions and letting gamers fill within the blanks. Atomfall, however, makes its world really feel extra natural, turning each discovery into a real “aha” second slightly than simply one other step on a to-do record.

For instance, when reaching Wyndham Village — at present beneath occupation by The Protocol, the preliminary quarantine navy models despatched in that received left behind — I used to be stopped on the gate and advised to talk with Captain Sims, a person with a eager curiosity in outsiders. Sims, suspicious of anybody who manages to wander into the zone, affords me info if I conform to do some reconnaissance for him. He needs to know if any of the villagers are as much as one thing shady — as a result of, past simply taking part in Huge Brother, he’s received motive to fret. It seems that, after the catastrophe, a major variety of villagers ran off into the woods and began a cult.

This set me off on a spherical of conversations with the city’s key figures: the barkeep, the baker, the priest, and the final retailer proprietor. Every of them had their very own skeletons within the closet — secrets and techniques they have been hiding from Protocol. From there, I had a alternative. I may both rat them out to Sims or assist them of their struggles, taking part in the lengthy recreation in a city constructed on paranoia.

It’s moments like this that Atomfall does properly, however general, the story isn’t a lot to jot down dwelling about. Whereas the Leads system is definitely distinctive in presentation, on the finish of the day, it’s nonetheless simply a normal quest construction — besides now, you’re piecing issues collectively by yourself as a substitute of following a flashing goal marker.

And on the subject of the sport’s six attainable endings, the setup begins to really feel slightly formulaic. Each NPC who affords you an escape route from the zone follows the identical fundamental sample: two primary missions, then a ultimate alternative involving the Interchange — the mysterious B.A.R.D facility on the coronary heart of all of it. Do you destroy what’s inside? Or do you utilize it to additional another person’s goal? Or you’ll be able to say screw it, go full chaos mode, and wipe out each NPC within the recreation. It’s solely attainable — and actually, it is a blast.

Atomfall actually needs to hammer dwelling the concept of belief in determined circumstances, nevertheless it isn’t precisely delicate about it. Some characters begin off pleasant, however the second you acquire their belief and observe their path, it’s as if a change flips — you’ll be able to instantly let you know’re being railroaded right into a “unhealthy” ending. Throughout my 25-hour playthrough on PlayStation 5, I noticed 4 of the six attainable conclusions, and none of them felt notably satisfying.

Worse but, the sport appears weirdly disconnected from its personal mechanics. Regardless of its fast-paced, action-heavy fight — the place practically each enemy assaults on sight — the endgame slides had the nerve to chastise me for “selecting a violent path.” Huh? What recreation have been you watching?

On the finish of the day, Atomfall’s Leads system is a superb concept with loads of potential, however its execution leaves rather a lot to be desired. There’s one thing there, nevertheless it simply doesn’t fairly stick the touchdown.

What’s it going to be then eh?

Regardless of Atomfall giving off some critical Fallout vibes, don’t be fooled — this isn’t a Bethesda-style RPG. It leans much more into motion than survival, with solely a sprinkle of RPG components. All the things from fight to crafting to NPC interactions feels lighter and fewer advanced in comparison with video games like Fallout or S.T.A.L.Okay.E.R.

And actually? That’s okay.

That stated, Atomfall’s fight feels very a lot according to fashionable shooters. Weapons are heavy, practical, and include a hearty dose of recoil, whereas melee fight is sluggish, weighty, and brutally visceral. The sport additionally introduces a coronary heart price (stamina) system, the place high-energy actions like sprinting, leaping, or combating have an effect on your skill to purpose or land heavy melee strikes. Managing this method provides an additional layer of pressure, forcing you to suppose earlier than you rush into fight.

Your arsenal consists of traditional “roadman” weaponry — knives, police truncheons, and even a great old school cricket bat. You may also use the controller triggers to kick enemies again, retaining them at a correct distance when issues get too shut for consolation. However enemy selection? Fairly skinny. You’re mainly coping with 4 varieties: ranged enemies, melee enemies, and two sorts of large robots — one with a minigun and one other with a flamethrower. And that’s about it. Oh, and the rats. Fuck the rats.

For ranged weapons, you’ve your 4 customary classes: rifles, pistols, shotguns, and SMGs. Every sort has about two or three variations that you could loot from enemies or come upon on this planet. And, after all, there’s the trusty bow and arrow, as a result of no survival recreation is full with out one.

Oddly, you’ll be able to’t craft arrows or ammunition, which seems like an oversight in a recreation that leans into survival components. Nonetheless, you’ll be scavenging for fabric, herbs, gunpowder, gun oil, and alcohol to craft therapeutic objects, potions, and throwable explosives.

Then there are the consumables, which lean closely into the UK’s famously thrilling delicacies. You’ll be able to drink tea to sluggish your coronary heart price, or chow down on tomatoes, potatoes, cake, and tins of meat — absolutely immersing your self within the actuality of simply how bland the British weight-reduction plan could be.

As a substitute of a conventional forex system, Atomfall goes full bartering mode. Merchants don’t deal in money; as a substitute, they choose your commerce based mostly on merchandise worth, with a easy indicator displaying how truthful the change is. Every dealer has their very own priorities — if somebody has a stockpile of bandages, they don’t seem to be going to care a lot in case you attempt to offload extra. However in case you’re providing one thing rarer, like a great weapon or meals, they’ll be extra keen to chop a deal.

Exploring the Quarantine Zone

If the concept of wandering via a radiation-soaked wasteland born from a catastrophic scientific failure feels acquainted, that’s as a result of it is. Loads of video games have tackled the “post-disaster exclusion zone” idea earlier than, and Atomfall matches proper into that custom. In some ways, it shares a whole lot of DNA with Pacific Drive, the 2024 survival recreation about navigating an anomalous Pacific Northwest in a barely functioning automobile. However the place Pacific Drive had procedurally generated areas, Atomfall trades that for 4 distinct areas of Cumbria — ones you’ll be tediously backtracking via again and again.

Gamers will discover themselves scouring each inch of Wyndham Village, Slatten Dale, Skettermoor, and Casterfell Woods. Minus the village (in case you’re a great boy), every space is managed by a distinct faction, and so they all assault on sight. The areas themselves aren’t notably huge — you’ll be able to stroll from one finish to the opposite in about 5 to 10 minutes — however really reaching your targets can really feel like a little bit of a slog. Due to the Leads system, you’ll inevitably end up bumbling into places you weren’t supposed to succeed in but, which could be both thrilling or irritating, relying on how well-equipped you might be on the time.

True to its survival-lite strategy, Atomfall retains assets — particularly ammo — scarce. You’re by no means stocked up sufficient to simply go in weapons blazing, which inspires stealth and exact shot placement to keep away from getting swarmed by the sport’s surprisingly giant enemy patrols and encampments. Nonetheless, the stealth system is barebones at finest, and enemy AI is so painfully dumb that you could usually filter a complete camp with out a lot effort.

That being stated, Atomfall’s world is genuinely stunning in that eerie, “nature reclaiming civilization” sort of manner. Wyndham Village has all of the hallmarks of a quaint post-war township now caught in an unsettling limbo. Casterfell Woods is dense and foreboding, full of towering timber and unfamiliar beings lurking within the shadows. Slatten Dale, a hilly, industrial panorama, revolves round its deserted mine and quarry. After which there’s Skettermoor — once-picturesque farmland now decreased to scorched earth, patrolled by trigger-happy troopers in search of an excuse to shoot first and ask questions by no means.

Atomfall’s RPG components are about as gentle as they arrive. There’s a easy talent tree that steadily unlocks as you discover coaching manuals scattered all through the world — both purchased from merchants or hidden in particular places. The location of those manuals provides some nice environmental storytelling, like discovering a bow mastery handbook in an deserted citadel’s archery camp or a fight coaching handbook from a former soldier-turned-merchant in Skettermoor. That stated, if merchants don’t have them, they are often obscenely laborious to search out, and also you don’t actually want them to finish the sport.

You may also acquire talent factors from B.A.R.D crates present in bunkers throughout the map. The talents themselves? Fundamental RPG fare — injury buffs, poison resistance, quicker looting. Nothing groundbreaking, however sufficient to offer you a slight edge.

At its core, Atomfall presents itself as a deep, advanced expertise, however the longer you play, the extra you understand it’s a reasonably informal journey dressed up in survival-horror aesthetics. That stated, credit score the place it’s due — technically, the sport runs impressively clean for a 2025 launch, with few noticeable bugs or efficiency hiccups. And in an period the place damaged day-one launches are the norm, that alone feels value celebrating.

Is Atomfall value it?

Atomfall is a type of video games that feels prefer it’s on the verge of being one thing particular however by no means fairly will get there. It has a powerful id — a post-apocalyptic journey wrapped in eerie British folklore, with a heavy dose of survival mechanics and a novel quest system — however its execution is commonly at odds with its ambitions.

The Leads system is an intriguing different to conventional quest markers, permitting for natural discovery and player-driven exploration. Nonetheless, on the finish of the day, it nonetheless boils down to plain RPG quest buildings. You’re simply piecing collectively targets via notes and conversations as a substitute of being explicitly advised the place to go. It’s immersive, positive, but additionally irritating when backtracking via the sport’s small but tedious world.

The place Atomfall does shine is in its ambiance. The environments are superbly crafted, from the eerie, cult-infested Casterfell Woods to the scorched farmland of Skettermoor. The sport leans into its setting with immersive environmental storytelling, and it’s refreshing to see a post-apocalyptic world that doesn’t simply seem like a generic wasteland. It additionally runs remarkably properly, with few technical points — one thing that feels more and more uncommon in fashionable recreation releases.

In case you’re in search of an RPG-lite survival expertise with immersive exploration, tense fight, and a uniquely British setting, then Atomfall affords sufficient to be pleasant — particularly in case you go in figuring out its limitations. Nonetheless, in case you’re anticipating deep RPG mechanics, intricate storytelling, or a very open-ended expertise, chances are you’ll stroll away underwhelmed. It’s a recreation with a whole lot of nice concepts, nevertheless it by no means absolutely commits to any of them. As a mid-tier survival-action RPG, it’s strong. Is that this the subsequent Fallout or S.T.A.L.Okay.E.R.? Not fairly.

Atomfall arrives March 27 on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Collection X/S, and PC.

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