- Its stunning visuals and bonkers choices make it stand out from other games. Its light survival mechanics and heavy exploration are also great.
- It doesn’t have any proper waypoints that guide you, the stealth isn’t as refined, and the AI stops engaging in combat at some instances.
- While the game feels polished and refined, it also feels cheap and not very appealing in other instances.
Atomfall is an upcoming post-apocalyptic survival game that has already garnered satisfactory reviews from major media outlets before its release. Its gameplay has been released, and while it does look promising, I’m not entirely convinced.
What I Love About It
The game is said to be a combination of Fallout, Metro, and Bioshock. However, it doesn’t merely include these elements; it merges them to form something unique. While some aspects of the game are flawed, others are brilliant.
Visually Aesthetic
First of all, let’s discuss the game’s appearance. At first glance, it looks like it has Metro Exodus’s brilliant atmosphere, with vast wastelands. But Atomfall’s 1950’s British atmosphere truly sets it apart.
For those who might not see any atmospheric resemblance to Metro Exodus, Atomfall’s atmosphere surely resembles that of the beautiful Stalker 2. This game has a lot of plant life and greenery, just like in Stalker 2.
Bonkers Choice-Based Mechanics
While not all, some of this game’s mechanics are similar to Bioshock’s. There are some ‘bonker’ choices that can trigger some events, which many players can overlook as well. These mechanics have a significant influence on the world.
Light On Survival
Despite being a survival game, there’s not much focus on the survival part. The hunger, thirst, and sleep mechanics are very lighthearted. While this might be disappointing for some, I like this feature as it doesn’t distract me from exploration.
Heavy On Exploration
Speaking of exploration, this mystery game wants you to explore. It’s all about answering the questions and discovering what was happening in the interchange, what the factions are about, and why the protocols are still here.
Being heavy on exploration comes with a price. No directions or waypoints will guide you to your next step. Instead, you rely on leads. This may be difficult for players who are used to having guides in games.
I like being guided in a few instances, but I often get lost in the world when I want to explore more. In a way, this lack of guidance allows players to wander freely and let events take place on their own without having to follow a script.
What Aren’t The Most Exciting Things
Speaking of the things I’m not the most happy about is the combat and the AI. Despite being such a promising game that also appears beautiful, the AI in this game seems like it’s a low-quality cheap game.
AI Is Dumb
These enemies are unpredictable, but not always in a good way. Sometimes, they’ll engage in combat with you, while other times, they’ll only scream at you without doing anything.
There are instances, even on a higher difficulty, when the enemies are stuck on walls and stare at you, and you can kill them easily. This removes the challenging aspect, which is an integral part of any game, let alone a survival game.
Apart from that, this game has instances where rats attack you. Now, this may seem normal, but I’m talking about tons of rats attacking simultaneously. You might consider this part of the game, but it gets annoying if it happens repeatedly.
Stealth Isn’t As Refined
The stealth aspect of this game isn’t very refined as well. What I mean by that is once you take out an enemy, their body will be immediately spotted, and ultimately, the enemy spots you as well.
The inaccurate sound cues in this game also hurts the stealth experince. The enemies could be far away at one corner of the building, but their sound would feel as if they’re close to you.
Even the bad AI experience could’ve been forgiven if the stealth aspect had been done right. Given that Atomfall is from the makers of the Sniper Elite series, which excels in stealth, it is disappointing to see such stealth in this game.
Other Minor Details
Another annoying thing is that you have to open the pause menu to heal yourself. This is frustrating because the enemies can kill you quite fast, especially at higher difficulty settings, and pausing means you’re being an easy target.
It would’ve been great if healing items could be quickly consumed with a press of a button. Speaking of items, you need to manage your inventory smartly, as it can get full quickly, even if you have guns, grenades, and some food.
Atomfall Is Good Or Bad?
Does this mean it’s a bad game? Certainly not. While the game has downsides, the immersive exploration will make you overlook its flaws. Moreover, Atomfall fills the Fallout experience gap, as Stalker 2 did before.
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[Comparisons Expert]
Shehryar Khan, a seasoned PC hardware expert, brings over three years of extensive experience and a deep passion for the world of technology. With a love for building PCs and a genuine enthusiasm for exploring the latest advancements in components, his expertise shines through his work and dedication towards this field. Currently, Shehryar is rocking a custom loop setup for his built.
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