Survival games always pull me in, especially when they focus on choice-driven storytelling. When I first booted up Atomfall, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would it be a proper immersive sim, or just another open-world survival shooter? The answer became clear within minutes. After waking up in a bunker, I met a wounded scientist who needed help. I hesitated. Patch him up or walk away? That choice alone told me Atomfall wasn’t going to hold my hand.
Developed by Rebellion, best known for Sniper Elite, Atomfall takes a different approach. Atomfall drops you into a quarantined section of 1960s Northern England, where survival means more than just finding food and weapons. Instead of a massive open world, the game sticks to connected hubs, each packed with choices that can change your path. Whether you negotiate with factions, explore for supplies, or take a more direct approach, the way you play shapes the story.
But does Atomfall make good on its premise? Let’s break it down.
Atomfall details
Platform(s): PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4 and Xbox One
Developer(s): Rebellion Developments
Publisher(s): Rebellion Developments
Genre: Adventure
Modes: Single-player
ESRB Rating: M (Mature 17+)
A mystery wrapped in radiation
From the moment you wake up in a bunker, Atomfall throws you into an uncertain world. Waking up in a bunker with no memory, you step into a world still reeling from a nuclear disaster. The people left behind all have their own versions of what happened, and not all of them can be trusted. Factions are fighting for control, strange occurrences keep piling up, and the quarantine zone holds more secrets than answers.
One of my first encounters set the tone for how unpredictable Atomfall can be. While searching an empty farmhouse, I found a note about “strangers in the fields.” A minute later, I spotted movement outside. I ducked behind a table, waiting to see what would happen—but nothing did. They were gone before I could react. It was a small moment, but it stuck with me. The game doesn’t just tell its story through quests; it lets the world speak for itself.
The story unfolds through interactions with factions, notes, and scattered clues rather than traditional cutscenes. Your choices shape relationships and outcomes, leading to multiple endings. The moral ambiguity adds weight to decisions—helping one group often means alienating another. However, while the world is packed with history, the central mystery doesn’t always push you forward. Some threads feel more interesting than others, and certain key moments lack impact. Still, the way the game lets you uncover its world at your own pace keeps things interesting.
Surviving the quarantine zone
At its core, Atomfall is about survival and choice. Supplies don’t come easy in Atomfall. You won’t find stacks of cash or vendors ready to sell you what you need. Instead, you trade resources and make tough choices about how to handle each situation. Some encounters can be talked through, others require stealth, and sometimes a fight is the only way out. With each area designed as a self-contained hub, exploration always feels purposeful, whether you’re sneaking past patrols or tracking down something valuable.
Exploration, combat, and the struggles of survival
Early on, I learned just how flexible Atomfall can be. I needed to break into a prison camp, but instead of fighting my way through, I offered to do a job for the warden. That got me inside without trouble, but once I had access, I found a way to open all the cells. The camp quickly descended into chaos as prisoners ran wild, guards scrambled, and I slipped out unnoticed. It was the kind of scenario that makes you feel like you really have control over how things play out.
Combat is built around gunplay, and it’s clear that Rebellion’s Sniper Elite experience comes through. Gunplay feels sharp, with careful reload animations and punchy sound design that make every shot land with impact. Ammo isn’t easy to come by, so wasting bullets isn’t an option. Stealth exists, but it’s simple—crouch, stay out of sight, and hope for the best. Melee combat struggles the most. With no way to dodge or block, fighting up close often feels stiff, especially against fast-moving enemies.
Combat isn’t the only challenge in Atomfall—managing your inventory is a battle of its own. Space is tight, and crafting supplies can pile up fast. Oddly, materials can’t be stored in the game’s unlimited storage, which makes juggling resources more of a hassle than it needs to be. There’s also no fast travel, so you’ll be covering the same ground a lot. Still, searching every corner pays off, whether it’s uncovering hidden stashes or finding a new way to handle an objective.
Atomfall isn’t a massive open-world RPG, but it gives you a surprising amount of freedom in how you tackle its challenges.
A carefully crafted world
Atomfall leans into its 1960s British setting, blending abandoned landscapes with a muted color palette. The world feels distinct, with crumbling towns, overgrown roads, and empty buildings telling their own stories. Instead of an endless wasteland, each hub area is carefully designed, packed with details that make locations feel lived-in. The art direction keeps things grounded, though some later areas introduce stranger elements.
Lighting plays a key role in shaping the atmosphere. Dark interiors require a flashlight, while heavy fog and flickering lights limit visibility. The game’s visuals focus on environmental storytelling rather than high graphical detail. Some textures and models look a bit dated, likely due to cross-gen development, but the stylized approach keeps the world consistent.
Audio plays a big role in Atomfall. Music is used sparingly, mainly during combat or specific moments. Environmental sounds—distant echoes, creaking wood, and occasional muffled voices—fill the space instead. Voice acting delivers regional accents that match the characters, though enemy dialogue repeats often during fights.
While Atomfall won’t impress you with raw graphical power, its world design and environmental details make locations worth exploring.
Atomfall is a survival RPG fueled by choice with its own set of flaws
Instead of stretching itself into a huge open world, Atomfall keeps things tight with a hub-based structure. This keeps exploration focused while still giving you plenty of ways to tackle objectives. Whether you’re sneaking into an enemy camp, talking your way past a problem, or settling things with a gun, the game never forces you down a single path.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Hub-based design keeps exploration focused and meaningful. | Inventory management is limited and frustrating at times. |
| Multiple ways to approach objectives, allowing for varied playstyles. | No fast travel, leading to backtracking and repetitive exploration. |
| Strong player choice impacts the story and world. | Some textures and models look dated. |
| Satisfying gunplay with accurate controls and impactful sound. |
Some gameplay mechanics feel underdeveloped, like melee combat and stealth, and inventory management can be frustrating. The world is packed with history, but the central mystery doesn’t always pull you forward. Even with these issues, Atomfall delivers a survival experience that rewards patience and experimentation.
Overall assessment of Atomfall
Gameplay: 4/5
Graphics: 3.5/5
Sound: 4/5
Lasting appeal/Replayability: 3.5/5
Overall rating: 3.8/5 (76%)
I walked away from the game appreciating its focus on player freedom. The ability to solve problems in multiple ways, combined with its strong environmental storytelling, kept me invested. If you enjoy survival mechanics, open-ended quests, and a setting that feels different from most post-apocalyptic games, Atomfall is worth checking out.
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