Survival Action in Atomfall: A Chaotic Journey Through England's Countryside

Embark on a thrilling rampage across the English countryside in Atomfall, a new survival-action game from Rebellion, the creators of Sniper Elite. During a hands-on session at a North London pub, I explored Atomfall’s open-ended mission design and haunting atmosphere. My approach took a wild turn as I unleashed chaos, wielding a cricket bat against everyone in sight, including an unsuspecting elderly woman. Here’s why I embraced the mayhem.

In Atomfall, every NPC is fair game, from minor foes to key quest characters. Testing this mechanic, I dove into the demo with reckless abandon. Within moments of exploring the virtual Cumbria, I triggered a tripwire, alerting three guards. My weapon of choice? A sturdy cricket bat, now baptized in blood as my partner in crime.

Later, I snagged a bow and arrow, perfect for my love of archery in games. With the bat retired, I was ready for both close and distant combat. Nearby, a towering wicker man loomed, hinting at the folk-horror vibes woven into Atomfall’s open zones. This unsettling backdrop fuels a mystery: what caused the eerie devastation in this irradiated slice of England?

My musings were cut short by a group of druids, likely tied to that wicker man. They became target practice for my bow, dropping one by one. “I’m the king of the forest!” my mind roared, before the pub’s reality snapped me back. It’s barely 10 a.m., and I’m sober, I swear.

The bow’s mechanics are smooth, but Atomfall’s stamina system stands out. Instead of a typical stamina bar, a heart rate monitor tracks exertion. Sprinting spikes your pulse, making aiming trickier in a fight. I later found a Bow Mastery manual, unlocking a perk to steady my aim despite a racing heart. While the skill tree isn’t deep, it’s flexible enough to shape your playstyle, whether stealth or all-out combat.

Atomfall Screenshots

With a trail of fallen druids as my only progress, I questioned my purpose in Casterfall Woods. A note led me to Mother Jago, a herbalist near an old mine. Along the way, a glowing swirl of colors over a power plant hinted at the apocalyptic event that scarred Britain. A ringing phone box delivered a creepy warning to avoid the woods—too late for that.

The path was rich with eerie details, like a boathouse rigged with alarms and scrawled with “get lost,” beside a pile of skulls. Atomfall’s chilling vibe echoes Stalker more than Fallout, blending tense exploration with a detective-like drive to uncover the truth.

After mowing down more druids and raiding their garden for herbs, I met Mother Jago at her cozy allotment. Her cryptic responses, despite my probing, felt like a classic point-and-click adventure, nudging me to dig deeper. She offered vital intel if I retrieved her herbalism book from a druid-held castle. With a new goal, I set off.

Atomfall’s open design let me approach the castle freely. Near an old petrol station, I sparked a chaotic skirmish, lobbing a grenade into a druid patrol. The AI didn’t dodge much, but the bloody spectacle was satisfying. I dodged arrows, snapped necks, and swung my bat, enjoying the chaos, though combat feels more like a sideshow to the game’s deeper mysteries.

Inside the castle’s walls, I found a locked hut with a note pointing to distant coordinates. Atomfall skips objective markers, forcing you to study the map and mark your own path. Was the book in that hut? My gut said no, so I stormed the main keep, clubbing druids but finding no book. The game’s vague mission design can frustrate, yet it pushes you to think like a detective, which I found compelling.

Chasing the coordinates, I stumbled into a toxic plant creature’s lair. Bullets barely dented it, and I died fast. Reloading, I hopped past it to grab keys from a corpse, unlocking the hut for a perk point and ammo—but no book. Deep in the castle’s underbelly, I took out the High Priestess, snagged an SMG and poison bomb recipe, and found an atomic battery for a new quest. Still, no book.

Post-demo, I learned the book was on a table I’d passed multiple times. Frustrated, I’d begun to think it was a trick. Returning to Mother Jago, I lashed out, ending her life. Her body held a recipe to counter the poison creature—likely the info she’d promised. Too late now. Rebellion’s devs say Atomfall’s story takes 4-5 hours at minimum, or up to 25 for most, with wildly different paths. Another player’s demo involved a crashed helicopter and a robot-filled region I never saw.

Atomfall’s vague objectives might deter some, but its open-ended design rewards persistence. The blurred lines between main and side quests create stakes for every choice, letting players craft unique stories in this irradiated countryside. Killing Mother Jago won’t stop me from finishing, but my ending will likely differ from yours.

Bloodied from my rampage, I retreat to the pub, cricket bat in hand, ready to let the chaos settle in true British fashion.