Atomfall: The Apocalypse Preview, Inspired by True Events

I recently had the chance to play Atomfall at Gamescom, enjoying a long playthrough of this brand new single-player game from Rebellion. Atomfall was only revealed at the Xbox Games Showcase this year, but it’s already garnered a lot of hype due to the solid post-apocalyptic vibes the game gives off. And inspired by true events.

Atomfall has been dubbed the “UK’s Fallout”, and there’s some truth to that, but there’s enough depth to the game to stand out from the competition that has dominated the genre for many years.

Read on and check out my full Atomfall preview.

Authenticity

From the moment I stepped foot into Atomfall, I knew I was playing a British The first few sequences of my demo had me exploring a rural (but fictional) setting in Cumbria, England. As soon as I heard the voices of enemies across the rocky, green terrain, I knew exactly where I was. As I progressed, I discovered new characters hiding in this beautiful setting, all of them quintessentially British.

I even found a box of tea to drink to cheer me up.

Atomfall is based on true events. In 1957, the worst nuclear accident in British history occurred at the Windscale site, causing a massive release of radiation over a large area. The incident was later covered up by the British government – at least in part – and it took years for the full story to come to light.

In Atomfall, a cataclysmic event has occurred at a nuclear power plant, prompting the government to erect a wall across a vast area of the countryside, trapping the inhabitants and forcing them to fend for themselves, erasing the locations from maps. As factions rise up and survivors still living in the area struggle to escape, intense mysteries emerge and an immersive story unfolds.

I tried to ask the developers what happened and if we would see anything mutated come out of this disaster, but they remained silent.

Getting to the match

I love apocalyptic titles, and that’s what Atomfall is. It’s not a global The apocalypse, but in a smaller version, with the end times concentrated in a small area in England. As I explored the game, I found myself enjoying the traditional survival elements. I had to become a sort of hunter-gatherer, looking for a bullet or two while defending myself against enemy factions.

I quickly learned that in Atomfall, how you behave around others matters a lot. Get too close to a faction that doesn’t trust you and you’ll quickly be attacked. In conversations, you can choose between several options, each of which can lead to a different path. If you want to be stealthy, you’ll put enemies on edge, and if you go all in, you’ll quickly draw a whole force to you.

That being said, I asked the developers how open-ended this game is, and they told me you can kill everyone and still finish the game. It’s very open-ended.

This is a solid looter game that requires some inventory management and has a few skill paths to explore. It’s open-ended and the map is divided into several areas, each with plenty of things to see and do. If you like exploring and uncovering secrets, this game is a sure hit.

It will take between 20 and 30 hours to complete, depending on how you approach the game. I wasn’t able to learn much about the cataclysmic event that erupted at the nuclear power plant. Or what the long term ramifications are, but I’ve been exposed to enough intrigue and mystery to want to play more.

Looking to the future

Atomfall looks great on screen and runs smoothly. Rebellion put a lot of work into this game, and it feels like a living, breathing world with a lot to discover. Everything from the traversal to the stamina system feels well thought out, and the voice acting is excellent from what I could tell.

It’s coming out in March 2025, if all goes well. It’s worth adding to your wishlist – enjoy from a die-hard post-apocalyptic gamer who loves Fallout.

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