When
the
offer
to
spend
90
minutes
with
Rebellion’s
brand
new
IP
Atomfall
arrived
in
my
inbox,
my
reply
was
less
professional
and
more
an
enthuastic
yes
screamed
across
an
Email.
After
spending
some
time
with
the
upcoming
alternate-history
game
(due
to
release
on
PS4,
PS5,
Xbox
One,
Xbox
Series
and
PC
on
March
27)
I’ve
come
away
very
intrigued.
Though
a
little
stiff
and
rough
around
the
edges
–
which
is
hardly
surprising
given
the
double
A
space
Rebellion
works
in
–
Atomfall’s
mix
of
slow-burn
mystery,
first-person
survival
gameplay
and
beautiful,
post-apcolyptic
British
countryside
might
end
up
being
something
special.

The
game
is
built
around
the
infamous
Windscale
nuclear
disaster
that
occurred
in
England
in
1957,
which
ranked
as
a
5
out
of
7
on
the
International
Nuclear
Event
Scale.
A
3-day
fire
raged
at
the
facility,
sending
radioactive
fallout
across
the
country
and
Europe.
At
the
time,
the
government
attempted
to
heavily
downplay
what
happened
lest
the
public
lose
its
faith
in
nuclear
power.
Atomfall
plays
on
this
idea,
asking
a
simple
question:
what
else
was
being
covered
up?
what
if
the
government
locked
the
area
down
completely
for
years?

Atomfall
takes
place
five
years
after
the
disaster,
dropping
players
into
a
fictional
version
of
the
past
in
which
the
area
surrounding
the
nuclear
facility
was
put
into
quarantine,
even
going
so
far
as
to
lock
the
military
in
as
well.
Now,
the
Lake
District
is
a
mess
of
civilians
trying
to
survive,
the
military
controlling
what
they
can
and
cultists
roaming
around.
But
it
isn’t
just
humans
that
are
dangerous
in
this
world.
I
get
my
first
taste
of
this
as
I
traverse
a
short
tunnel.
Lurking
in
the
dark
are
Ferals,
strange
glowing
blue
creatures
that
may
o
may
not
have
been
human
at
some
point.
They
spew
some
mysterious
substance,
briefly
infecting
me
with
a
strange
disease.
They
also
take
a
fair
bit
of
damage
to
put
down.

The
Windcale
plant
is
a
near-constant
sight
in
my
90
minutes
of
hands-on
time
with
the
game.
You’re
never
far
from
somewhere
that
offers
a
look
at
the
plant
in
the
distance,
a
strange
blue
plume
billowing
from
the
ruins.
Atomfall
is
described
as
being
a
very
open
game
in
how
you
approach
it,
with
numerous
paths
available,
but
the
developers
hint
toward
the
majority
requiring
you
to
eventually
enter
Windscale
itself.
After
all,
it’s
at
the
centre
of
the
mystery.

But
that’s
not
important
to
me
right
now.
As
the
amnesiac
lead
character
of
unknown
origin,
age
and
gender,
I’ve
been
dumped
into
a
point
some
3
or
4
hours
into
the
game
with
little
context
of
what’s
happening
or
why.
Rebellion
is
happy
for
me
to
wander
freely,
to
chase
down
any
lead
I
can
discover.
One
of
the
core
tenets
of
the
game
is
that
there
are
numerous
leads
that
can
take
you
to
the
end
of
the
game,
while
many
of
them
will
go
nowhere,
and
you’re
free
to
explore
all
of
them.
The
developers
also
hope
that
people
will
replay
the
game
to
explore
other
avenues
that
were
locked
thanks
to
the
paths
they
chose,
or
indeed
the
people
they
kill
because
it
turns
out
you
can
kill
literally
anyone
in
the
game.
I
didn’t
get
a
chance
to
test
that
particuilar
claim,
though,
as
I
figured
it
wouldn’t
be
a
great
way
to
use
up
my
90
minutes.

Still,
they
have
given
me
one
lead
in
my
journal
already
–
a
lady
who
has
set
up
camp
near
an
abandoned
mine.
She
might
have
some
useful
information.

That
brings
me
to
the
map
and
quest
system.
Instead
of
being
given
a
nice
big
map
marker
to
point
myself
toward,
Atomfall
makes
you
work
a
little
harder.
There’s
no
on-screen
marker,
so
you
need
to
refer
back
to
the
map
figure
out
where
you’re
going.
Sometimes
characters
will
mark
a
specific
location
on
the
map,
other
times
you’ll
have
a
set
of
co-ordinates
that
will
point
in
roughly
the
right
direction.
It’s
refreshing,
as
I’ve
not
played
many
games
lately
that
don’t
point
to
exactly
where
I
need
to
be
at
all
times.

After
taking
30
seconds
to
hit
random
buttons
in
a
bid
to
figure
out
how
things
work,
I
set
out
and
immediately
lay
eyes
on
a
bright
red
phone
box
in
the
middle
of
a
small
valley.
As
a
Scotsman,
I’m
not
unfamiliar
with
these
pieces
of
British
history
and
have
seen
a
fair
few
of
them
in
odd
locations,
but
this
one
is
taking
the
metaphorical
biscuit.
These
odd
phones
are
useful,
though,
as
I
find
out
later
because
they
allow
a
mysterious
voice
to
communicate
with
you.
Who
is
the
voice
and
what
does
it
want?
Both
are
questions
I
cannot
answer
until
the
game
releases
later
this
month.

I
walk
headfirst
into
my
first
taste
of
combat
in
Atomfall
before
too
long.
Being
set
in
Britain
means
guns
aren’t
so
easily
acquired
or
relied
upon,
with
most
of
the
firearms
being
what
you
might
find
on
a
farm
–
i.e
a
rusty
shotgun
or
a
hunting
rifle
that’s
seen
better
days
and
a
lot
of
cow
shit.
That
means
you
need
to
heavily
rely
on
melee
weapons
as
well,
like
a
trusty
cricket
bat
or
a
fireaxe.
At
least,
that’s
the
theory.
In
reality,
I
actually
found
plenty
of
ammo
and
guns
scattered
around,
so
provided
I
wasn’t
overly
trigger-happy
and
used
reasonable
aim,
I
was
able
to
gun
dowjn
most
opponents
at
range.
This
also
led
to
me
learning
that
some
opponents
who
don’t
have
a
ranged
weapon
of
their
own
will
back
off
if
you
aim
a
gun
at
them.

Of
all
the
elements
in
Atomfall
it’s
the
mellee
combat
that
hasn’t
got
me
quite
convinced.
Partially
this
is
because
streaming
a
game
via
Parsec
isn’t
very
conducive
to
first-person
melee
combat.
It’s
easy
to
whiff
even
the
easiest
attacks
when
what
you’re
seeing
on
the
screen
doesn’t
quite
match
up
with
what’s
actually
happening.
The
other
issue
is
that
there’s
no
dodging
or
blocking,
and
movement
speed
is
quite
slow,
so
no
matter
what
I
wound
up
taking
heaps
of
damage.
It
wasn’t
until
closer
to
the
end
my
of
time
that
I
realised
I
wasn’t
using
the
kick
to
full
effect.
Listening
to
a
Q&A
later,
I
learned
it’s
meant
to
be
used
to
push
enemies
back
to
give
yourself
space,
especially
important
when
facing
groups.

Really
though,
the
real
answer
is
that
combat
should
be
avoided
where
possible.
You
aren’t
a
super-soldier,
a
mega-spy
or
freaking
Duke
Nukem,
so
taking
on
groups
is
a
dumb
idea,
as
is
trying
to
fight
an
enemy
armed
with
a
gun
when
all
you
have
is
a
cricket
bat
and
an
attitude
problem.
Stealth
is
the
more
sensible
approach,
as
is
circling
around
the
many
enemy
patrols
that
amble
across
the
landscape
like
they’re
out
for
a
Sunday
stroll.

On
my
way
to
the
old
lady
I
find
myself
distracted
by
a
small
radio
tower,
because
my
gamer
instincts
kick
in
and
inform
me
that
tall,
climbable
things
almost
always
have
loot
at
the
top.
This
one
turns
out
to
have
some
plot
at
the
top,
which
is
equally
as
exciting.
The
tower
is
deactivated,
but
a
strange
note
discusses
needing
something
to
power
it
up.
It
also
reveals
someone
is
camping
out
at
a
set
of
co-ordinates
near
where
I’m
heading
anyway,
so
I
reckon
a
friendly
visit
is
in
order.

After
raiding
a
few
houses,
exploring
a
cellar
and
battling
some
weird
blue
glowing
bees,
I
eventually
find
the
woman
the
note
mentioned
holed
up
in
a
bunker.
After
a
quick
chat,
I
end
up
chasing
down
a
location
called
The
Interchange,
a
massive
underground
bunker
that’s
without
power.
The
structure
is
mysterious,
and
the
character
that
informed
me
of
its
location
wants
power
restored
so
that
she
might
communicate
with
the
outside
world.
But
the
strange
voice
at
the
other
end
of
the
telephone
wants
me
to
power
it
up
too,
though
in
this
case
it’s
so
I
can
kill
someone
or
something
called
Oberon.
That’s
going
to
be
tricky
though,
because
to
power
up
the
structure
I
needed
to
head
underground
into
an
area
rife
with
an
infectious…stuff.
It
quickly
became
clear
that
I
wasn’t
equipped
to
deal
with
it
yet,
a
hint
that
the
Interchange
is
something
to
come
back
to
later.
Plus,
I
probably
shouldn’t
be
too
eager
to
listen
to
people
on
the
end
of
a
phone.
The
last
time
I
did
that
I
ended
up
with
a
restraining
order.

My
exploration
of
the
Interchange
brought
short,
I
staggered
back
into
the
sunlight
and
tried
to
decide
where
to
head
next.
Rebellion
had
mentioned
being
happy
for
me
to
explore,
so
figuring
I
wasn’t
going
to
be
advance
the
story
much
in
the
time
I
had
left,
I
headed
off
to
a
point
on
the
map
which
loaded
me
into
a
new
area.
I
found
myself
in
the
town
of
Wyndham
which
appears
to
be
the
only
remaining
bastion
of
civilization.
It’s
under
the
control
of
the
military,
though,
who
also
found
themselves
locked
down
and
cut
off
from
the
outside
world.
Now
the
town
is
under
control
of
the
military’s
leader
who
rules
with
an
iron-fist
and
daily
yelled
briefings.
There’s
good
news
for
me
though,
because
he’s
apparently
willing
to
give
newcomers
a
bit
more
leeway,
or
at
least
that’s
what
the
chatty
chap
in
the
local
pub
tells
me
as
I
negotiate
for
some
potentially
valuable
information.

It’s
in
this
town
that
I
also
get
my
first
proper
glimpse
at
how
Atomfall
plays
with
its
alternative
view
of
history.
Stomping
around
the
streets
are
mechs
that
appear
to
be
operating
via
some
rudimentary
form
of
A.I.,
although
this
A.I.
does
not
seem
keen
on
answering
whatever
random
questions
I
have.
Both
them
and
the
soldiers
leave
me
along
provided
I
don’t
get
too
close,
which
I’m
perfectly
okay
with
because
I’m
fairly
sure
my
trusty
cricket
bat
and
the
single
shotgun
shell
I
have
left
are
not
going
to
make
a
dent
in
the
mechs.

The
rest
of
my
remaining
time
with
the
game
is
spent
exploring
random
things.
I’ve
been
told
I’m
down
to
just
10
minutes
by
this
point,
so
I
quickly
head
to
explore
a
lead
that
the
pub’s
owner
gave
me
and
wind
up
in
the
Interchange
via
another
door.
It
seems
like
the
Interchange
could
be
used
as
a
shortcut
between
areas,
but
that’s
just
speculation.

So
I
hot-foot
it
back
through
the
Interchange
and
back
into
the
original
area
I
started
in
and
decide
to
see
if
I
can
make
it
to
a
castle
run
by
cultists
to
acquire
a
book
that
old
lady
from
the
abandoned
mine
wanted.
Sure
enough,
I
never
make
it
because
I
am
once
again
distracted,
this
time
by
a
rundown
manor
that
is
apparently
a
hotel.
At
least,
that’s
what
the
crazy
old
bat
living
there
tells
me,
but
she
might
not
be
the
most
sound
of
mind
as
she
seems
to
firmly
believe
there
are
still
guests
living
there
and
that
her
butler
Jenks
will
be
back
any
minute.
Sure,
Granny,
whatever
floats
your
pyscho-boat,
I
guess.

By
this
point
my
time
is
up
and
I
have
to
surrender
control
back
to
the
developers.
Despite
feeling
like
I
wasted
my
time
by
not
focusing
in
on
any
one
particular
story
thread
and
chasing
it,
I
ended
the
session
feeling
like
I
had
an
enjoyable
taste
of
what
Atomfall
is
setting
up
to
be.
The
description
of
British
Fallout
has
been
used
quite
a
bit
to
describe
it,
and
honestly
it
does
conjure
that
feeling.There
is
a
somewhat
Fallout
vibe
to
it
all.
But
there’s
no
doubt
that
Atomfall
is
also
its
own
thing.

Exactly
what
that
thing
is
remains
to
be
seen
though.
There’s
elements
of
survival
games
within
Atomfall,
albeit
nowhere
near
as
hardcore.
You
don’t
have
to
worry
about
food
or
sleeping,
but
you
do
need
to
scrounge
for
everything
you
can
find
(there’s
a
crafting
system)
and
play
cautiously.
It
clearly
isn’t
meant
to
be
a
straight
shooter
or
action
game,
as
your
health
drops
far
too
quickly
for
that.
The
promise
of
there
being
no
specific
path
through
the
game
is
an
intriguing
one,
as
is
the
idea
that
some
leads
go
nowhere
while
other
approaches
will
see
you
through
to
the
end
of
the
game
while
also
leaving
many
questions
unanswered.
To
figure
everything
out,
you’ll
need
to
play
through
a
few
times.
Even
then,
Rebellion
say
there
will
be
elements
of
the
story
left
unasnwered,
a
nod
to
the
speculative
fiction
which
inspired
the
game’s
creation
such
as
Doctor
Who,
The
Wicker
Man,
The
Quatermass
Experiment
and
The
Day
of
the
Triffids.
And
yes,
Fallout:
New
Vegas
is
on
the
list
of
inspirations
as
well.

Whatever
it
does
end
up
being,
it’s
nice
to
see
Rebellion
trying
something
very
different.
Atomfall
is
a
huge
departure
from
the
power-fantasy
of
the
Sniper
Elite
games
where
you
can
merrily
pick
off
every
Nazi
from
a
distance,
toying
with
the
AI
every
step
of
the
way.
In
Atomfall,
you
aren’t
powerful.
Still,
old
habits
are
hard
to
break,
so
for
fun
I
threw
a
cricket
bat
at
a
mech.
It
did
not
go
well.
My
squished
remains
shall
lie
on
the
cobblestone
road
of
that
little,
charming
English
village
run
by
by
a
military
dictator.

Atomfall
launches
on
PS4,
PS5,
Xbox
One,
Xbox
Series
S/X
and
PC
on
March
27th.
Expect
a
full
review.