A hands-on preview of Atomfall reveals a nuanced British adventure set five years after the Windscale nuclear disaster. Players navigate expansive maps, engage in meaningful dialogue choices, and explore richly designed environments. While exploration offers excitement, combat mechanics feel sluggish and lack precision. AI behavior and stealth gameplay need refinement. Despite mixed impressions, the game shows promise with its player autonomy and charm, generating cautious optimism ahead of its March 27 release on multiple platforms.
Preview conditions: Our gaming experience with Atomfall was facilitated through ParSec, lasting an engaging hour and a half, during which we utilized equipment that slightly surpassed what was available at Gamescom. Please note that the screenshots included are courtesy of the publisher.
Unleashing a Unique British Adventure
To kick things off, our extensive gaming session immersed us in a world that was more nuanced than expected. We entered the game equipped with an array of weapons and accessories, alongside a selection of skill points to distribute across four skill trees. The narrative places us in the shoes of a protagonist awakening in a quarantine zone, five years post the Windscale nuclear disaster. As our character ventures forth, they must navigate their new reality while seeking an escape route.
While we are eager to uncover the plot’s intricacies, it remains somewhat ambiguous at this stage. The game is designed to give players autonomy, allowing for interactions with various characters and impactful choices. During our session, we discovered the option to confront every enemy and even NPC we crossed paths with. We are curious about the ramifications of these choices and how they might influence our journey in the completed game. It’s clear that each player’s experience will differ, enhancing replayability—a promising feature.
In line with many Action RPGs, dialogue choices play a significant role in Atomfall. Players will embark on quests and meet a diverse cast of characters. For instance, we encountered a disoriented elderly woman seeking a friend lost on an expedition, and later, a pastor who presented us with a murder mystery to unravel. The freedom to act is a key element, and while the dialogue system allows for a range of responses—be it aggressive or evasive—understanding their impact proved difficult in just an hour and a half of gameplay.
Visually, the artistic direction of Atomfall offers a refreshing take. On the open map we explored, the game featured lush landscapes and quaint British villages that evoke nostalgia for shows like The Prisoner and Doctor Who. We’re excited to discover the other environments in the final game, although we acknowledge that the technology may not be groundbreaking upon its release on March 27.
Exploration Excitement with Gameplay that Needs Refinement
Exploration is at the heart of Atomfall, and our experience suggests it has great potential. As previously mentioned, players are encouraged to chart their own course through expansive maps, uncovering new locations and quests. During our playthrough, we stumbled upon a downed helicopter with a note hinting at the whereabouts of a character named Doctor Garrow. This led us to continue our search in hopes of finding her.
Atomfall adopts a hands-off approach, empowering players to decide their direction and objectives. The minimalist interface rewards exploration, allowing players to discover training guides and manuals to enhance their skills across various trees, including tracking, combat, and stealth. A metal detector aids in locating crafting resources and ammunition, enhancing the survival aspect.
Players can opt for combat or avoidance when encountering cultists, but we found the combat mechanics to be somewhat underwhelming. The gameplay felt sluggish, and the combat lacked precision, with melee attacks feeling less impactful. Although a kick mechanic exists for pushing enemies back, dodging or parrying is not an option. Additionally, AI behavior seemed lacking, and stealth gameplay was cumbersome. While skills can enhance stealth capabilities, we need longer playtime to determine their effectiveness.
The level design, however, impressed us with its polish. The initial map was rich with environments to explore, featuring verticality that added depth. Atomfall is expected to offer about six extensive maps, allowing players to revisit them as they progress. This interconnected system resembles titles like Avowed and The Outer Worlds. While it carries elements reminiscent of Fallout in its inventory system, it feels somewhat basic and could benefit from refinement. The game leans heavily into survival mechanics, requiring players to manage resources and ammunition carefully.
Notably, it appears that weapon upgrades will not be available during gameplay, which may be beneficial since finding weapons seems relatively easy. Players will need to strategize when to engage in combat and conserve their scarce ammunition. Currently, the difficulty level feels a bit daunting for those who rush in without a plan, but this may simply be a matter of mastering the game’s mechanics, as our short session didn’t fully reveal its nuances.
In conclusion, our more extended hands-on experience with Atomfall left us with mixed impressions. The British charm emanating from Rebellion’s creation is evident, yet several uncertainties linger, rendering our feelings somewhat tepid. The thrill of exploration and player freedom stands out, but the combat mechanics need improvement, and AI issues could detract from the overall experience. We eagerly await the narrative development, hoping it will surprise us, as questions about its depth still remain. For now, we feel cautiously optimistic about the game, which appears to be a classic yet enjoyable experience. We will see if our concerns are addressed upon its release on March 27 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series, and Xbox One.