Loading...Alright, so Atomfall. Everyone keeps throwing around the Fallout comparisons, and yeah, I get it—mutants, factions, some mysterious bunker at the center of it all. But calling it “just another Fallout” is selling it short. The devs (same folks behind Sniper Elite) are pretty clear: this thing’s got its own vibe. And honestly? They’re right. It leans into open-ended exploration in a way that makes even its clunkier parts worth pushing through.
Instead of that classic “break out of the bunker” setup, Atomfall flips the script—you’re trying to get inside The Interchange, this locked-down facility where everything went sideways. Along the way, you’ve got this weird, cryptic voice calling you up in phone booths, telling you to take down something (or someone?) called Oberon. It’s kinda ridiculous but also kinda great? Like, it doesn’t totally make sense at first, but it keeps things moving.
Now, the world itself? That’s where this game shines. You’re out in this post-apocalyptic 1950s British countryside, and the whole “figure it out yourself” approach is what makes it fun. No neat little quest markers guiding you like a toddler—just “leads” you pick up from notes, overheard conversations, or straight-up wandering. A note might mention a supply depot at some coordinates. Cool, go check it out. But what’s waiting for you? A stash of weapons? A gang of bandits? Some freaky cult ritual? No idea. And that unpredictability? That’s the magic.
The way the world unfolds is slick, too. There’s no set path—wherever you go, the game’s ready for you. Doesn’t matter if you hit up a faction’s hideout early or stumble into a major quest late, the world just rolls with it. And speaking of factions, they’re doing their own thing: a military force trying to maintain order, raiders looting what’s left, and a cult that’s like, “Hey, maybe this whole catastrophe was actually a good thing.” Standard post-apocalyptic fare, sure, but how you deal with them shifts the endgame. Different allegiances, different ways to escape—or not escape at all.
And man, I love when a game lets you double back to places and realize you totally missed half the stuff there. Happened to me in Wyndham Village—I thought I’d cleaned it out, then hours later, I swing by again and find so much more. A murder mystery in a church? A guy secretly betraying his faction? A sick dude whose wife wants your help? Any of these could’ve been discovered earlier, but the fact that I just stumbled into them later made it feel real, like this world didn’t stop just because I walked away.
Now, not everything hits. Stealth? Janky. Enemies are blind as bats when it comes to sound but have eagle vision from a mile away. Combat? Melee’s fun, but shooting feels like it was ripped straight from Sniper Elite, which—unless you’re actually sniping—isn’t great. And the whole inventory situation is a mess. I kept running out of space for crafted items while being overloaded with supplies. Like, why even give me all these resources if I can’t actually use them?
Still, it all comes back to that open-ended, “make your own adventure” vibe. That’s what makes Atomfall worth playing. It’s messy, sure, but it’s also refreshing. The story is full of familiar beats, but the way you piece it together? That’s the fun part. It’s one of those games where you kinda wish they’d nailed the mechanics a little better—but at the same time, I’d absolutely play a sequel if they doubled down on the exploration and fixed the clunky bits. Atomfall gets in its own way sometimes, but damn, if carving your own path through this world isn’t one of the coolest things about it.