Atomfall Review

When looking at trailers and screenshots of Atomfall in the run-up to its launch, I was on the same fence as everyone else, as it looks very similar to Bethesda’s Fallout experiences. It didn’t feel like this at all to me, in all honesty, and I was half expecting a very similar feel to the Sniper Elite series as Rebellion appear to adopt the same approach across the majority of their titles. Whilst I did feel some slight similarities in the stealth aspects of the game, I was pleased that this is a unique adventure in the British countryside of the Lake District that stands on its own two feet as a great new IP. Those who have an active Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription will have access to this game at no extra cost, so I’d urge you to go and at least try it for yourself.

A Unique Concept Well Executed

Atomfall is purely fictional, and with me being British, we always love to get stuck into a game that is set in our small collection of countries. I don’t want to dip into the storyline too much as I don’t want to spoil it, but you can get an idea of the setting if you’ve watched trailers before. Set in the Windermere area of the Lake District, you awake in a quarantine zone following a nuclear incident that has unsettled the surrounding area and communities. Before you is an atmosphere of unrest, turmoil and an evident lack of trust between people. What I immediately noticed was how fantastic this game looked on a 4K screen with my Xbox Series X from the get-go.

Play It Your Way

I always start games with the best of intentions, that I’ll just be stealthy all the time and try and get away with everything. Unfortunately, I am not the most patient of people, so it isn’t long before I dive in all guns blazing. Atomfall doesn’t hold your hand, and you can approach the game whichever way you choose in that respect, and whilst I loved just bouncing a cricket bat off people, it isn’t long before you come across weaponry, ammo and more. I normally moan when there isn’t a tutorial or some direction on where to go and what to do, but I don’t think this game needs that, and it encourages you to explore this world on your own and make your own decisions. I’ve been told there are multiple endings, and whilst I only saw the one, it is clear that the choices you make both within the game’s narrative and also the path you take may have consequences and take you in different directions. This brings replayability, should you choose to see the game from different angles and perspectives.

Skills & Crafting

An RPG experience wouldn’t be right without some sort of skillset or crafting elements to play around with. You’ll be happy to know you don’t have to focus on levelling up your character or have to grind to learn any of this stuff, and it isn’t ever overbearing or complex. You’ll start the game with a very basic skillset, but to unlock more, you’ll need to locate skill manuals, which are spontaneously placed throughout the open world. Collecting these will open up new skills, but you’ll also need to acquire training stimulants to activate them fully. I enjoyed looking for both the manuals and stimulants as it meant I was combing through areas with a fine-tooth comb, and in conjunction with metal detecting, it felt like I was making the most of every single surrounding piece of the environment.

Visuals & Audio

Rebellion has done an excellent job with the visual presentation of this game. The environments are what you’d expect from rural Britain, and it isn’t long until you sight the traditional red phone box from the 1960s era. NPC’s are intriguing and all have well-voiced dialogue with several options to respond with, most of the time, this brings great variety in conversations with some great characters with strong personalities. As you are having these chinwags with people, you start to hone in on the level of detail throughout the game. The foliage, the lighting, the shadows, the glisten of the light bouncing off the water, I’d say it is Rebellion’s finest work yet.

You do get some moments of Sniper Elite’s engine shining through, mainly when it comes to some of the moments where you have to sneak around. But you’d only really feel its similarity if you’ve played those past titles, and it isn’t a negative point, if it works, then why change it? The game runs very smoothly on Xbox Series X in stunning 60fps, and I didn’t encounter any bugs or crashes during my playthrough. Sound effects are prominent enough to knit into this atmosphere, the ripple of a stream, the sound of birds and the clunk of your feet across wooden bridges make up a range of incredible sounding moments on a top range headset.

Final Thoughts

Rebellion has experienced incredible success with Atomfall already, with over 1.5 million players playing the game, which is their most successful launch of a video game ever. It shows how creating a completely new game rather than a recurring one can capitalise on gamers always wanting to try something new. They have managed to capture the charm of the British countryside whilst putting a dark tinge on it, with room for discovery and exploration. It isn’t a huge game, and I didn’t want it to be, considering I’m also playing Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which is also consuming a lot of my time. I took my time with this one, and I clocked around 40 hours of gameplay when I finished it.

It is an incredibly beautiful title from a talented studio that will no doubt run with this and perhaps make future titles along these lines. I loved that the map wasn’t some vast expanse but instead a series of areas that were still large enough to explore, scavenge and experiment throughout. Also, I’ve never played a game where I can crack someone across the back of the head with a cricket bat, call me sadistic if you want, but it was hilarious and satisfying at the same time. Atomfall will nestle amongst one of the most memorable games of 2025 for me and is a must-play, especially if you’re on Xbox Game Pass.