Atomfall (PC) review "War never changes, but whatever’s going on at Windscale did."

There are too many games themed around post-apocalyptic events to count. The genre saturation prompts some people to simply return to the old Bethesda and Obsidian games of the early 2010s that inspired so many of the ones coming out today. Therefore, I was apprehensive when I learned Atomfall had a general vibe akin to the likes of Fallout: New Vegas, or even the Dishonored franchise. Fortunately, Atomfall brought back memories of what made those games so fun and explorative. There’s value in genuinely feeling as if you’re alone in the universe, rather than simply being told you are.

A quick overview: Atomfall takes place in an alternate timeline following the 1957 Windscale power plant explosion. In this version of events, the disaster effectively caused everyone in the area to evacuate. Those brave souls who stayed behind to quarantine were left fighting for the rights to their land or trying to salvage what little was left. In the background of all this horror lies a being of both supernatural and scientific power, one who essentially holds together the fabric of those who’ve all but lost their minds. Everyone has the same goal: trying to end this nightmare, or finding peace while existing within it.



From the moment you start your journey, you are encouraged to make your own decisions. I think this is intriguing. I typically expect there to be an obvious right or wrong way to deal with situations that arise. As I progressed the story, I decided to explore a side quest I’d initiated, only to find it was labeled as a main story quest. After picking up about four or five such quests, I realized I needed to be purposeful in how I advanced. I really liked the idea of ending the game whenever I wanted to, depending on whose side I joined. However, having so many quests under the main story category confused me a few times, especially given how the notes and additional clues are organized in the Objectives menu.

Gameplay favors players comfortable with fast-paced, first-person shooters who also happen to enjoy explorative narratives. In that way, it reminded me a lot of Fallout 3 and New Vegas. Atomfall divides the land into three large areas. There is no reliance on your level or available abilities, so you can venture wherever you like. You simply must survive long enough to return to the person who gave you the quest that brought you there in the first place. Larger areas contain smaller locations you can explore to find items or even entire quests, which very much reminded me of my prior travels across the Wasteland. However, all that walking did a number on me after a few hours. Travel on foot was the absolute worst part of my Atomfall experience.



At least the beautifully rendered locations eased the pain a little. Developer Rebellion did an excellent job creating an environment reclaimed by nature in the wake of a devastating event. Games that utilize stories or worlds of this type tend to make them too gray and drab, as if the sun no longer exists after a devastating event. In contrast, the world in Atomfall is lush and green. You’ll even encounter Druids as you wander that wilderness. I’m just sorry I had to kill so many of them and loot them for crafting materials and weapons.

Combat lacks in some areas. With that said, I played on the easiest mode. There are likely aspects that only appear on the higher difficulties. During my own sessions, weapons inflicted little damage. And the ranged ones were difficult to maneuver while I was busy reloading and just trying to stay alive. I understand things need to be difficult to fulfill the game’s survival aspect, but it still felt like too much. At first, I confused the four large weapon slots in my inventory with my equipped weapons. That led to a bit of miscommunication when I had difficulty understanding why I couldn’t equip a revolver. However, I realized fairly early on that as long as I found one melee weapon I liked, I never had to worry about switching it out again. That simplicity helped me enjoy my time with the game much more.



Atomfall was a surprising adventure that kept me on my toes for its entirety. Despite minor flaws concerning combat and walking distance, I felt that its world would be well worth expanding in future Atomfall installments, should any be made. Several times throughout the main story, my own morality was put to the test, when I couldn’t decipher if an outcome was truly good or bad. Such dilemmas led me to carefully read over notes and study characters more closely, and to reach my conclusions about how I wanted to end my adventure. Frankly, I’ve not personally experienced something quite like it in a video game before.

I can’t say that Atomfall marks a turning point in the history of games developed by Rebellion, but I’ll be paying more attention whenever the publisher releases another FPS.

Freelance review by Nat Collazo (March 31, 2025) I'm a Boston, MA-based writer who loves helping indie game devs find their audiences.