Atomfall Review: A Flawed But Fascinating British Post-Apocalypse

Atomfall, developed and published by Rebellion Developments, launched on March 27, 2025, across multiple platforms, including PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Set in an alternate 1960s Britain following a fictionalized escalation of the real-life 1957 Windscale nuclear disaster, this survival-action game drops players into a lush yet perilous quarantine zone in Northern England’s Lake District. With its blend of open-world exploration, player-driven storytelling, and a distinctly British flavor, Atomfall aims to carve its niche in a genre often dominated by giants like Fallout and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.. Does it succeed? Mostly, yes—though it’s not without its stumbles.

From the moment you awaken as an amnesiac protagonist in a dimly lit bunker, Atomfall sets a tone of mystery and unease. A wounded scientist offers a keycard in exchange for a bandage, presenting your first choice: craft the item and trade, or kill him and take it. This opening encapsulates the game’s ethos—freedom is paramount, and every decision feels like it could ripple through the world. Unlike many modern open-world titles that bombard you with waypoints and checklists, Atomfall employs a “Leads” system, where clues gleaned from conversations, notes, and cassette tapes guide your journey. There’s no hand-holding here; you’re trusted to explore, deduce, and connect the dots. For players who relish discovery, this is a breath of fresh air, evoking the cryptic allure of Elden Ring or the organic immersion of S.T.A.L.K.E.R., but with a distinctly British twist.

The setting is one of Atomfall’s strongest assets. The quarantine zone, spanning five interconnected regions, is a love letter to the English countryside—rolling green hills, quaint villages with red phone booths, and cozy pubs serving cask ale. It’s a stark contrast to the bleak, irradiated wastelands of other post-apocalyptic games. The perpetual sunshine (there’s no weather or day/night cycle) lends an eerie brightness to the chaos, making the transition into shadowy bunkers and caves all the more jarring. Inspired by the Windscale fire, the game weaves a sci-fi narrative around a catastrophic event that’s left the area sealed off, populated by rival factions—military enforcers, pagan druids, and anarchic outlaws—each vying for control. The aesthetic is steeped in 1950s retro-futurism, peppered with Cold War paranoia and nods to British sci-fi classics like Doctor Who and The Day of the Triffids. Characters with regional accents, from Yorkshire to Welsh, and items like Cornish pasties or cricket bats as weapons, ground the experience in a way that feels both foreign and familiar, especially to those outside the UK.

Exploration is where Atomfall shines brightest. The lack of a cluttered HUD forces you to engage with the world directly—checking a revolver’s chamber to count bullets or scouring the landscape for chimney smoke to locate a farmhouse. The Leads system encourages critical thinking, turning every new area into a puzzle. Stumble upon a note about a hidden cache, and you might spend an hour traipsing through craggy valleys or abandoned mines to find it. The payoff—whether a rare weapon, a skill upgrade, or a piece of the overarching mystery—feels earned. This hands-off approach extends to the narrative, which unfolds through your choices and discoveries rather than a linear script. Align with the military, betray the druids, or go it alone; the game adapts, offering multiple endings that, while sometimes abrupt, reflect your path.

Combat, however, is a mixed bag. Atomfall leans into scarcity—ammo is rare, and firearms, while satisfyingly weighty, are a luxury. Melee weapons like cricket bats or knives dominate early encounters, but the system feels clunky. There’s no dodge or block mechanic, reducing fights to awkward backpedaling and slashing. Stealth is an option, but it’s rudimentary—crouching in tall grass is your primary tool, and enemy detection can be inconsistent. The game’s default difficulty is unforgiving, with just a few hits spelling death, which heightens tension but can frustrate when facing swarms of foes. Thankfully, robust accessibility options let you tweak combat and survival elements, making it more approachable without sacrificing the core challenge. Still, compared to the polish of Rebellion’s Sniper Elite series, Atomfall’s action feels like an afterthought.

Survival mechanics—crafting, scavenging, and bartering—are functional but unremarkable. You can craft on the fly without a workbench, a welcome convenience, but the inventory is painfully small, and items don’t stack, forcing constant micromanagement. Bartering with quirky NPCs (a sergeant who trades for pints, a Queen Elizabeth II lookalike) adds personality, but the system lacks depth. Health management is simple—eat a pasty or sip Earl Grey to recover—yet it rarely feels integral to the experience beyond the initial hours.

Where Atomfall falters most is in its narrative resolution. The mystery of the Windscale disaster and your character’s identity drive the plot, heightened by cryptic phone calls urging you to “trust no one.” Yet, the endings—while varied—often feel rushed and unsatisfying, lacking the thematic weight or answers promised by the buildup. The factions, though colorful, remain surface-level, missing the nuanced moral ambiguity of a Fallout: New Vegas. It’s a shame, given how well the game builds its world and characters, from eccentric quest-givers to the haunting underground facilities filled with killer robots and bioluminescent oddities.

At around 10-15 hours for a first playthrough, Atomfall doesn’t overstay its welcome, a rarity in an era of bloated RPGs. Its replayability is bolstered by the freedom to pursue different investigations and alliances, though the combat and survival grind might deter some from diving back in. Visually, it’s stunning, with lush landscapes and detailed environments, complemented by a subtle soundtrack that ramps up during tense moments. The sound design—chirping birds, flowing streams, and the thwack of a cricket bat—immerses you fully.

In the end, Atomfall is a flawed gem. It’s not the “British Fallout” some expected—nor does it need to be. It’s a unique survival-action experience that prioritizes exploration and player agency over polished mechanics, wrapped in a delightfully British package. For those willing to overlook its rough edges, it’s a compelling jaunt through a post-apocalyptic Cumbria that’s as refreshing as a warm cuppa on a sunny afternoon. Rebellion has laid a solid foundation here; with refinement, a sequel could elevate this into something truly exceptional. For now, it’s a journey worth taking—cricket bat in hand.

Atomfall: Final Grade B-