Schnegman Atomfall Review

A flawed gem? Despite its - admittedly - numerous flaws, Atomfall has made it into my personal Top 10 of 2025 (so far). With this completely new IP, Rebellion has made a radical break from the familiar development practices, presenting a game that is primarily defined by its minimalist quest and narrative structure. What works: Marker-free quest design, no map chaos - quite the opposite of the outdated Ubisoft formula (I hope this style of map and quest design dies out). Atomfall relies heavily on the player's curiosity and powers of observation, creating a real sense of exploration. Compact size With around 15-20 hours of gameplay, Atomfall avoids the typical 100-hour overkill... The level design and well-designed enemies add to the immersion. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Where it falls short: Combat mechanics & AI Clunky and outdated: the combat system feels like a throwback to the early 2000s, and the enemy AI is accordingly stiff in its response. Flat Progression: Crafting and skill trees offer few meaningful synergies and little incentive for variation. Inventory & System Depth: A cramped inventory (and no sorting function for the super weird hiding system), a lack of day/night cycle and a dynamic weather system that occasionally breaks the atmosphere/immersion. Conclusion Atomfall is far from a perfect game - but its marker-free storytelling and focused level design are refreshingly different. If you can overlook the old-fashioned combat and lack of RPG mechanics, you'll be rewarded with an engaging, well-portioned adventure. Final words: Hats off to Rebellion for taking a bold step out of their well-worn Sniper Elite territory and trying something completely different with Atomfall. If they improve the combat system, AI, crafting and skill mechanics for a possible sequel, and add a few more (and proper) RPG elements, this title could soon be in the same league as Bioshock or Fallout. Rating: 7.8 / 10