Atomfall: Full Game Review and Analysis

When I first stepped out of the bunker in Atomfall and saw the green fields of England’s Lake District, I didn’t think of Fallout like I expected. Instead, it reminded me of Elden Ring. Not because of the size, but because the game throws you into this mysterious world with no clear direction. You’re just left to explore, figure things out, and get lost in the story at your own pace. And honestly, that’s what kept me hooked for the 15 hours it took to finish – even though some fights felt a bit random and tough.

The story is inspired by the real Windscale nuclear disaster from 1957. It takes place five years later in a quarantine zone around the ruined reactor and nearby villages. With no contact from the outside world, the people inside are divided – there’s the military and different factions fighting for control. You’ll meet all kinds of quirky characters offering quests, and your choices decide who to trust or betray. It actually felt more like Fallout: New Vegas than Fallout 4 because of the tough moral decisions.

Adding to the mystery, you keep getting phone calls from a creepy voice warning you to “trust no one.” It felt like The X-Files with those random calls popping up from phone booths.

As you explore the five maps, you’ll uncover the truth about the accident, but there are also side stories to get lost in. Early on, I got pulled into solving the murder of a vicar’s assistant and figuring out what was locked up above the local bakery. Some tasks needed talking and solving, while others ended in fights. The deeper I went, the more complex and interesting everything became.

What I loved most is how Atomfall doesn’t hold your hand. There’s no compass telling you exactly where to go. Instead, you get hints – maybe a smoke trail from a chimney or coordinates you need to figure out. It made me slow down and really explore every corner, which felt refreshing compared to other open-world games full of waypoints. Still, there’s an option in the menu if you want help, which I used once when a quest got too tricky.

What makes Atomfall stand out even more is how British everything feels. You meet characters straight out of an old BBC show, heal yourself with a Cornish pasty, and even sip Earl Grey tea to calm down. It’s such a unique setting – a very detailed slice of Northern England. As someone who grew up watching BBC shows, the world felt familiar and yet completely new at the same time.

Surviving with a Touch of British Flavor

The quarantine zone in Atomfall feels like it’s been shaped by classic British sci-fi and folk horror. You’ll see things like giant deadly flowers that seem straight out of The Day of the Triffids and tall wooden statues that remind you of The Wicker Man. There are also subtle moments that mess with your head – like spotting what looked like the Doctor’s blue phone booth from Doctor Who on a hill, only for it to vanish when you got closer.

The only thing that doesn’t feel very British here is the weather. There’s no rain, fog, or even a day-night cycle. It’s always sunny in Atomfall’s world, making it one of the brightest post-apocalyptic settings I’ve seen. That contrast really hits when you move from the sunny outdoors into dark underground bunkers and caves.

Stay Calm and Survive

Most of the combat happens in these dark areas – fighting off outlaws, druid fanatics, mutants, and deadly machines. But unlike games like Far Cry, you’re not some super soldier here. You’re just an ordinary person who’s been stuck in a bunker for years. Your melee attacks feel heavy and desperate, reloading is slow, and too much running makes your heart race, affecting your aim. Honestly, you feel more like a shopping cart with a broken wheel than a killing machine.

That’s why Atomfall forces you to plan and think before every fight. On the recommended Survivor difficulty, I had to learn – often the hard way – what I could handle. Eventually, I found myself moving slowly and relying on stealth. Once I got a bow in the Casterfell Woods, it became my favorite weapon. It’s silent, keeps you hidden, and best of all – you can collect most of your arrows back, unlike wasting precious shotgun shells.

A Struggle to Survive, Not a Power Trip

I really enjoyed sneaking around and sniping from the shadows, but Atomfall’s stealth system isn’t as flexible as the Sniper Elite series. You can sneak up to enemies and break their necks or hide in tall grass, but there are limits. For example, even though the world is full of whisky bottles for crafting, you can’t throw them to distract enemies. I also didn’t find any way to craft a smoke bomb for quick escapes, though maybe I missed a hidden recipe somewhere. Atomfall hides secrets well, so it’s possible I just haven’t found it after spending over a dozen hours exploring.

When stealth failed and fights broke out, the combat felt rough but fun. However, it could be inconsistent. Sometimes, enemies would ambush me unfairly—like getting shot repeatedly while crawling under a door or being burned by a robot’s flamethrower through a wall. Other times, enemies acted silly, like following me one by one up a ladder only to get smacked with my cricket bat. It felt unpredictable—some fights were intense, others almost comical, reminding me of Fallout’s janky moments.

One thing I liked was that enemies outside of their camps don’t always attack on sight. If you avoid them, the worst you’ll hear is a rude “sod off.” Since Atomfall has no vehicles and you’re always on foot, this makes exploring easier. Still, I wish there was a fast-travel option. There’s a lot of backtracking in the second half of the game, and while secret tunnels and sewer paths help, fast travel would have saved time.

Simple Skill Tree and Crafting

Atomfall’s skill tree is simple but fits the game’s 15-hour story. There are four skill categories—ranged, melee, survival, and conditioning—with nine perks each. I focused on improving my bow skills and stealth attacks. If you prefer melee, you can boost your melee damage or upgrade your kick attack to stagger enemies longer. There are no big surprises, but it covers different playstyles. After playing Assassin’s Creed Shadows with its massive skill tree, I appreciated Atomfall’s simple approach.

Crafting is just as easy. Everything you collect—metal, glass, liquids—goes into one pool. You can use these to make bandages, nail bombs, or upgrade your weapons into more powerful versions. The best part is you can craft anytime without hunting for a workbench.

Choices That Matter

The most satisfying thing was shaping my own story. I managed to stay friendly with several factions until the end, but I had to make a tough choice that worked out well for me but badly for some of my allies. It seems there are at least five possible endings, and I’m interested enough to replay from an earlier save to see them all. I also skipped exploring a creepy blue-glowing medical facility, which I now plan to check out next time.

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Atomfall game Pros and Cons

✅ Pros	❌ Cons
🌄 Beautiful English countryside setting	🤖 Enemy behavior can be unpredictable
🏰 Interesting places and mysteries to explore	🎯 Stealth system feels limited
⚔️ Unique mix of Fallout and Elden Ring elements	🚶‍♂️ No fast travel, leading to backtracking
👻 Classic British sci-fi and horror atmosphere	🛠️ Some crafting options feel basic
🧠 Choices impact the story and outcome	🔫 Occasional frustrating combat moments
🎭 Memorable characters and encounters	☀️ No weather or day/night cycle (world feels static)
🔄 Multiple endings based on decisions	❌

Conclusion

Atomfall is an exciting survival-action adventure that combines the best parts of Fallout and Elden Ring in its own unique way. It takes you through the beautiful English countryside filled with mysterious places to explore, strange characters to meet, and secrets to uncover. Inspired by classic British sci-fi and horror, the game creates a tense and eerie atmosphere. While some enemy behavior can be a bit unpredictable, Atomfall delivers a gripping post-apocalyptic story that changes based on your choices and the paths you take.