By now you have hopefully seen the trailer for Rebellion’s brand-new game Atomfall, which featured in the Xbox Summer Showcase. If not, then take a look:
Atomfall is a single player survival-action game set in post-war Britain that draws inspiration from real-world events, British science fiction (such as The Day of the Triffids, The Quatermass Experiment, and the classic Doctor Who of the era) and mixes in Cold War paranoia and folk horror weirdness to create an intriguing game world that you just have to explore.
For this blog, we thought that it would be fun to give you a little more insight into what you see in the announcement trailer and some extra information about the game, its setting, and the characters you will meet along the way. Here are five key take aways about Atomfall!
1. Where Are We?
The trailer reveals glorious, seemingly idyllic, British countryside – resplendent with a local pub, classic red phone boxes, and a quaint village sign telling you that you are in Wyndham in the Lake District. This cheery outlook quickly changes as you see abandoned cars, a fallen helicopter, and a rusty childless playground. All is not as “bright and beautiful” as it first appeared to be.
2. What’s Happened?
The news report voiceover tells us about an “emergency at Windscale Atom Plant”. To provide some context, in 1957 there was a fire at a nuclear site in the north of England which was the first major nuclear accident anywhere in the world.
Atomfall is a story told in the speculative fiction style of 1950s/’60s Britain, exploring what has happened in the local area five years after the Atom Plant emergency. A lot has changed and it’s up to you as the player to unravel the mystery – meeting various factions, cults, and characters along the way.
The way you interact with the people and groups you meet will shape the story and ultimately affect the fate of the quarantine zone.
3. What’s With the Soldiers?
In response to the disaster the army has been sent in to create and maintain a quarantine zone. This response force is known as ‘Protocol’. They are the ones tasked with keeping people safe -but after five years, their outlook has soured…
You will learn more about Protocol as you interact with them – and the people they seek to control – over the course of the game. Are they a force for good, keeping people safe? Are they a force of oppression, making life harder for those in the quarantine zone? Or is there more going on? What are they hiding?
4. Why do I need a metal detector?
Supplies are scarce in Atomfall. You will need to hunt and scavenge for resources including food, crafting materials, weapons, and ammunition. Every bullet is important, and it is vital that you don’t waste them!
A metal detector will help you to scavenge as much as you can and unearth other secrets too – but firstly you will have to find one or barter for one. Either way, it’s not going to be easy!
5. Did I See Robots? With Flamethrowers!?
Yes! Protocol are using all the resources at their disposal to maintain the quarantine. This includes scavenging equipment from B.A.R.D. (British Atomic Research Division) science bunkers. The robots are programmed to do everything necessary to maintain the quarantine. You need to make sure you know what you are doing before choosing to take one on. I hope you weren’t expecting a pleasant quiet walk in the country!
There is so much more in the trailer we could touch upon: taking out killer Morris dancers with cricket bats, defending yourself with a selection of ranged weapons (including pistols, SMGs, bows and arrows and more), the strange blue glow on the Windscale plant in the distance, creepy guys in hazmat suits, weird monsters hidden in underground bunkers…
However, that will all have to wait for a later time.
We have a lot more to share and reveal in the leadup to the release of Atomfall in 2025. We are delighted to say that the game will be coming to Game Pass on day one and will be playable across Xbox consoles and PC.
We cannot wait for you to explore the Atomfall mystery. See you in the countryside!
