Right off the bat, Atomfall tries to hook you with its similarities to other open-world shooters like Fallout, Metro or Stalker that it clearly draws inspiration from. Set against the background of a real-world historical event while blending fictional storytelling and some sci-fi antics, Atomfall brings a lot of interesting ideas to the table that don’t always coalesce in the ways I had hoped. Nonetheless, there’s a charm to the game’s flow that kept me constantly engaged through its forgiving 15-20 hour playtime.

Atomfall is set in Northern England and puts an alternative spin on real-world history. Taking place a few years after the real Windscale nuclear disaster that rocked England in the 1950s, players take on the role of an amnesiac who emerges from a bunker into a quarantine zone. Without a guide pointing you in the right direction, you’re left to wander the landscape and piece together a long-standing mystery that leads to revelations about the true nature of the nuclear disaster.



Atomfall takes a more freeform approach to its exploration, similar to what From Software accomplished with Elden Ring. You have no idea who or where you are, and without any map markers other than a compass, you’re left to figure these things out for yourself. A red telephone booth occasionally pops up with an ominous voice giving you vague hints about what’s going on or what to do next, but most of the time, the game encourages you to unravel the plot at your own pace. It’s a refreshing spin on other open-world shooters littered with map markers that point you to objectives. It allows you to naturally explore the world and uncover quests, characters, and subplots that all feel earned as a reward for your curiosity rather than handed to you on a silver plate.

Atomfall takes a more freeform approach to its exploration, similar to what From Software accomplished with Elden Ring.

The biggest compliment I can give Atomfall is how it never pushes you towards progression. Rather, progression is baked into exploration and how much of the plot you discover is purely based on what you stumble upon in any given direction. This fractured way of storytelling seems like it might have some setbacks in creating a cohesive narrative, but developer Rebellion finds ingenious ways to organically link quests and mysteries together without feeling disjointed or confusing. Admittedly, it’s a bit frustrating at times but given Northern England’s smaller scale compared to other sandbox shooters, you’re never left wandering for too long before you walk into another mystery that gives you a vital piece of the puzzle.



Atomfall isn’t a true “open-world” in the sense that it features a seamless map. Instead, the map is broken into several large, explorable interconnected zones that make managing your tasks a little less gruelling. You’ll constantly stumble upon scenarios and characters in the world that have interesting stories to tell or objectives for you to complete, but most of them tend to tie into the central plot instead of being off-shoot adventures, giving you more valuable information along your journey.

Taking its lite RPG elements into account, Atomfall lets you engage with NPCs with a variety of different responses to work around. The dialogue system isn’t particularly deep or as rewarding as something like Fallout: New Vegas, though you can tell that Rebellion definitely took a few pointers from Obsidian in that regard. When you do get the information you need, the game throws more questions at you that guide you towards another NPC or point of interest on the map. Using your compass and map hand-in-hand, you can pin coordinates based on the information gathered, and set off to hopefully find your answers.



Atomfall organically blends storytelling and exploration to great effect, creating some of the most engaging and immersive gameplay I’ve seen in a while. Unfortunately, all of this is undercut by some jank that’s very hard to ignore. Combat is clunky, regardless if you’re using a gun or melee weapon. Ammo is very limited, at least in the opening hours, meaning you’re constantly pinching ammunition and have to rely on melee to get by. Swinging a variety of melee weapons around feels floaty and weird, not helped by the odd ‘thud’ and ‘crunch’ impact audio cues which aren’t very convincing. Guns do a little better but it is still leagues behind what other similar shooters manage to accomplish with its combat gameplay. If there’s one word to describe Atomfall’s combat, it’s unrefined, which is disappointing coming from the team behind the Sniper Elite games.

Atomfall organically blends storytelling and exploration to great effect, creating some of the most engaging and immersive gameplay I’ve seen in a while. Unfortunately, all of this is undercut by some jank that’s very hard to ignore.

While most of its late game revelations are interesting, Atomfall’s narrative doesn’t always stick the landing. The rest of the game’s slow-burning mysteries, by design, are so much more intriguing than where they eventually lead. At times, it felt like I was back in the 2000s watching a new J.J. Abrams TV show where the mystery box is the compelling hook, but the answers you get feel a bit cobbled together or improvised. With tighter writing and a more satisfying payoff, the story had the potential to say a lot, but when the credits rolled, it felt like it went out with a whimper.



Gracefully, Atomfall isn’t a gigantic 60-hour time-sinker. I managed to complete the game at around 18 hours which included basically uncovering every landmark and spot on the map, as well as doing almost every mission available (I think). I, for one, champion these shorter experiences that don’t take 30 business days to power through. Best of all, nothing feels like wasted time. Rebellion made a smart move with its hands-off game design here and it works. Underwhelming climaxes aside, the journey you go on has enough allure to hold your attention throughout.

With tighter writing and a more satisfying payoff, the story had the potential to say a lot, but when the credits rolled, it felt like it went out with a whimper.

Atomfall’s presentation and uniquely “British” identity is a highlight. The 50s retro-futuristic style and scary apocalyptic nuclear themes are definitely going to conjure up Fallout vibes, but it quickly detaches itself from that tone once you get to the gameplay. Hell, you’re given healing and buffs from drinking Earl Grey tea while the literal blue telephone booth from Doctor Who evades you in the landscape (among other neat Easter eggs referencing various bits of British pop culture). Atomfall, at least on the strength of its presentation, settles into an identity of its own, even if its gameplay struggles to bring anything new to the table.



On a technical level, Atomfall comes with a few setbacks, at least on PS5. Playing on PS5 Pro, it's a gorgeous game to look at, especially if you let yourself be absorbed by the unhinged English countryside vibes where danger is a stonethrow away. Graphically, it's nothing mindblowing but solid art direction carries its aesthetic. I did encounter a couple of audio problems where sound completely cut out at one point, and some minor framerate hiccups do pull you out of that immersion, but overall, it's a decently polished package, some nagging gripes aside.

Atomfall tries to reinvigorate freeform exploration with a touch of Fallout and Stalker in its familiar presentation and mechanics, and while most of its good ideas land, some fail to reach full potential. The game’s core mystery keeps you hooked from beginning to end, even if the answers aren’t earth-shattering. The hands-off detective gameplay is also a breath of fresh air, letting you organically explore the world at your own pace. That said, Atomfall doesn’t do much to stand out either. It’s a good, often great, attempt at tweaking the formula it’s so heavily inspired by, yet it doesn’t fully commit to really evolving or elevating it. Rebellion has a good blueprint here and I’m keen to see where the studio goes next.

*PS5 Review code provided by Rebellion Developments