I haven't felt this conflicted playing a game in a long time. I'm talking Atomfall, the British open-world disaster title that's just launched on Xbox Game Pass from Rebellion.
Obvious comparisons have been drawn to Fallout, but it's so much more than that. I promise being British, I'm not just showing (obvious) bias.
Atomfall isn't quite what I was expecting, in a good way. Having read our Atomfall review, I was aware of the freedom of decisions the player would be afforded. I wasn't ready for how I'd start to second guess myself while playing.
I'm only a few hours in, but I'm pretty sure I'm going straight to hell.
Wyndham Village, the scene of some heinous behavior
I'll just come right out and say it: I killed a Vicar.
I won't give too much away in case you haven't played it yet, but needless to say, you have the freedom to be a pacifist, or a monster. I, clearly, have chosen the latter.
It all happened inside the church in Wyndham Village. I went in, found the Vicar and some other people, and some shenanigans had gone down. I had the conversation, all was well, and off I went.
But then I found a chest upstairs that needed the Vicar's key. A key he hadn't given to me through the conversational choices I'd previously made. AND I WANTED THAT LOOT. Not least because there's an Atomic Battery inside.
So I killed him and took the key. But not before I'd already killed a potential witness. Not content with this, I also grassed up the Vicar to the Captain as having been a bad boy. Even though I just killed him, I had to make it worse for the poor fellow.
But I got my battery.
Clearly I wasn't racked with enough guilt, because once again I decided to behave unspeakably on another part of the Captain's mission chain. This time in the bakery. Again, mild spoilers...
Turns out the fellow in the bakery has had a run in with some mysterious blue goop and isn't feeling very well. After talking to his wife, I decided to go and have a rummage upstairs. Where said fellow was waiting with glowing blue eyes.
Naturally, I despatched him. No problems with that. But then his wife came in screaming, and screaming, and so, er, I killed her as well. And then I went back and told the Captain what I'd done (without mentioning the wife, of course.)
Who am I in this game?!
The ultimate freedom is an absolute master stroke
The non-linear approach to playing through Atomfall coupled with this freedom to play how you want to play is a master stroke. I've only played it for a few hours so far, but I'm fully emotionally invested. Right back to the poor fellow who helped me get out of the bunker at the very beginning.
There's so much to explore, so much story to unravel, and just who or what is Oberon?! And who keeps calling me on the telephone?!
I'm really enjoying the way you can mix up your gameplay. The way you can sneak around, or you can try and gain favor. You can use stealth to avoid the 'bad' guys, or you can use stealth to eliminate them.
Atomfall always keeps you on your toes. For example, I thought being friendly with the Captain meant I could help myself to any areas in Wyndham Village. But that doesn't apply to the substation, and so, out came the more violent option.
Be righteous or make seriously questionable choices. It's up to you. And I love it.
Atomfall is available now on Xbox, PC, PS5, and Xbox Game Pass.
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