Atomfall REVIEW
Atomfall is a mix of survival, shooter and role-playing mechanics, set in an alternative Britain of 1962. After a large-scale nuclear accident, players will have to explore a dangerous exclusion zone, fight mutants, uncover secrets of the past and encounter mysterious factions.
Atomfall is a new project from Rebellion Developments, the creators of Sniper Elite and Zombie Army. The game was released in March 2025 on PC and current and previous generation consoles. This is the studio’s first attempt to launch a new IP since 2018, after Strange Brigade was released. During this time, we received several parts of Sniper Elite, a sequel to Zombie Army, and even Evil Genius 2. That is, Rebellion, as always, remained in its niche, avoiding risky experiments. But with Atomfall, they decided to go a little further. Yes, this is a survival game, but the developers approached the genre with a certain calculation: they removed some complex elements that often dragged out the process, and added mechanics that can bring freshness to the familiar formula of the genre. It is difficult to say yet how much the game will change our ideas about the genre, but it is already clear that the developers tried to make it special.
It may come as a surprise to some that Atomfall is based on real events, but adds a generous helping of science fiction, as well as folk legends and Cold War conspiracy theories.
The plot is based on the accident at the Sellafield nuclear complex that occurred on October 10, 1957, better known as the Windscale accident. It is the largest radiation incident in the history of the British nuclear industry (INES level 5). For comparison: the Chernobyl accident and the Fukushima disaster are classified as the maximum INES level 7.
In Atomfall, the events take a much more dramatic turn. The accident turns out to be much more serious than in reality, which leads to the creation of an exclusion zone. The authors tried to recreate a typical British outback: picturesque hills, green valleys, quiet villages with pubs and red telephone boxes. But the picture is far from idyllic – abandoned cars are everywhere, rusty swings without children, fallen helicopters. Something clearly went wrong here. The developers emphasize: “This bright and beautiful area hides a darkness that is waiting for its time.”
According to the developers, the exclusion zone is not just a decoration, but a full-fledged world full of mysteries and dangers. Players will have to explore the ruins captured by sects, climb into caves, open secret military bunkers and encounter what was left after the disaster. The consequences of the nuclear accident were reflected in nature: radiation, experiments and time turned the surrounding area into a labyrinth of threats, where survival becomes the main task.
Our character has lost his memory, so his path, like yours, begins with a clean slate. Over time, exploring the surroundings, communicating with the inhabitants and collecting evidence, you will be able to restore the picture of what happened. As the developers say: “In the exclusion zone, not everything and not everyone is what it seems at first glance. Explore, communicate, look for clues and fight for your life to get invaluable information and piece by piece restore the real picture of the events in Windscale. What to do with the revealed truth is up to you…”
A special role in Atomfall is played by the factions that control or try to survive in the zone. One of them is Protocol, a military organization created to maintain quarantine. Five years later, their mission has begun to change. The developers tried to make the faction less clear-cut. Protocol now looks more like a force that acts harshly and decisively, often putting its interests above the well-being of people. Are they allies who save people? Or supporters of total control, ready to sacrifice freedom for the sake of order? You will have to look for the answers yourself.
Atomfall offers players a mix of exploration, combat, crafting, and role-playing elements that promises to make the gameplay varied and exciting. Although the game does not offer a completely open world, its space feels quite large thanks to several large locations that are interconnected. The rejection of an open world allowed the developers to focus on detailing and filling each zone: from military-controlled villages to abandoned mines, bunkers, and open spaces where bandits and cultists rule.
Each location is full of secrets: notes, messages, hidden items and caches await those willing to spend time on a thorough search. It’s not just about collecting or gathering loot – many finds help to uncover storylines or point to secret places. For example, a note found can lead you to an interesting character or a rare resource. Exploration here is not only a way to survive, but also the key to understanding what really happened in the zone.
Atomfall is a first-person shooter with clear influences from Sniper Elite. The developers have introduced authentic weapons from the Cold War era: pistols, rifles, shotguns, and even melee weapons such as knives, axes, and bats. Stealth mechanics also play an important role, allowing you to avoid direct confrontations or use the environment to eliminate enemies.
When you run out of ammo, you can still fight with your bare hands, but it’s best to prepare in advance. The game offers a wide range of throwing weapons: Molotov cocktails, poison bombs, and even combat chemistry, such as combat stim, which increases the effectiveness of melee attacks and throwing weapons. All of these items can be crafted independently, making crafting an important part of the gameplay.
Crafting recipes are found in the world by exploring locations and interacting with NPCs. Crafting covers both weapons and equipment. For example, placing fabric in a bottle of alcohol will produce a Molotov cocktail. As you progress, your crafting skills will improve, opening up access to more complex items. For example, a metal detector will allow you to find resources that were previously unavailable.
The graphics in the trailers look decent, but their quality is unlikely to surprise anyone. Atomfall is clearly not at the cutting edge of modern graphics technology. Visually, the game resembles projects that we have seen for a long time, but this is not necessarily a bad thing: Rebellion has always focused on atmosphere and details, rather than photorealism.
The advantages include the game’s availability for a wide range of devices. Atomfall will launch not only on current-generation consoles and powerful PCs, but also on more modest platforms – Xbox One and PlayStation 4. This makes the project accessible to a larger number of players.
It is also worth noting the good work of the designers. Although the locations in the game do not seem very diverse yet, the scenery of the British outback looks fresh and recognizable. Perhaps the developers are simply in no hurry to show all the most interesting things in the trailers. And judging by the experience of previous Rebellion projects, such as Sniper Elite, we can count on good optimization and a minimum number of bugs.
Atomfall is a project that clearly draws inspiration from several iconic games and franchises. According to Rebellion Deputy Head of Design Ben Fisher, key sources of inspiration were Fallout: New Vegas, Metro and BioShock. However, the influence of the Sniper Elite series is felt especially strongly, and this is not surprising: the rejection of the open world, the emphasis on detailed maps and exploration mechanics – all this is reminiscent of the approach developed over the years of working on this series. It is strange that the developers did not mention S.T.A.L.K.E.R., because the setting of Atomfall, with an adjustment for the location, practically copies this cult project. The exclusion zone, mutants, factions, secret bunkers – all this evokes associations with the world of Chernobyl. Perhaps Rebellion decided not to focus on obvious parallels in order to emphasize the uniqueness of their interpretation.
It is obvious that Atomfall will be of interest to fans of Sniper Elite, Fallout and even S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Judging by the materials presented, the game has a lot to offer those who value exploration, atmosphere and plot twists. However, it would be wrong to say that the project is aimed only at fans of these series.
Atomfall is positioned as a “well-tailored action game with elements of survival and role-playing mechanics.” This makes it accessible to a wider audience, including those who are simply looking for a quality shooter with exploration and atmosphere. You shouldn’t expect any radical innovations here, but this is perhaps for the best: sometimes proven mechanics work better than risky experiments.
