"Atomfall Massacre: I Snapped and Killed All"

Join me on an exhilarating journey through the English countryside with *Atomfall*, the new survival-action game from the developers of Sniper Elite, Rebellion. Recently, I visited a pub in North London for a hands-on session with the game, and I left with a sense of intrigue about its open-ended mission design and eerie atmosphere. In a moment of madness, I even found myself attacking every NPC in sight, including an innocent old lady, with a cricket bat. Let me walk you through my experience.

In *Atomfall*, every NPC can be eliminated, from the lowliest grunt to crucial quest-givers. As I began my demo, I decided to test this mechanic. My approach was far from elegant; within minutes of exploring the digital Cumbria, I triggered a tripwire alarm and had to dispatch three alerted guards using a cricket bat, which I humorously dubbed my "murder partner" after it was baptized in blood.

Later, I acquired a bow and arrow, satisfying my love for archery in video games. With this, I was equipped for both long and short-range combat, allowing my cricket bat some respite. As I roamed, I encountered a towering wicker man, a nod to the folk horror themes that underpin this part of *Atomfall's* world, segmented into multiple "open zones". The unsettling atmosphere enhances the mystery of what happened in this now-irradiated corner of England.

My musings on the mystery were interrupted by a group of druids, likely connected to the wicker man. They became my perfect targets for testing the bow's range. As I took them down, my inner voice exclaimed, "I'M ROBIN BLOODY HOOD", before I snapped back to the reality of the London pub. It was only 10am, and I hadn't touched a drink yet.

The bow felt great to use, but what really caught my attention was *Atomfall's* innovative stamina system. Instead of a traditional depleting bar, the game uses a heart rate monitor that increases with physically demanding actions. Sprinting, for example, can push your heart rate over 140 bpm, affecting your aim. I later found a Bow Mastery skill manual that mitigated the impact of a high heart rate on archery. While the skill tree may not be the most complex, it offers enough flexibility to tailor your character's abilities to your preferred playstyle, whether it's stealth or direct combat.

Atomfall Screenshots

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With my main achievement being a trail of dead druids, you might wonder what my overarching goal was. Initially, I was unsure, but a note directed me to a herbalist, Mother Jago, near an old mine. As I followed this lead, I noticed environmental storytelling hints, like a shimmering, oily swirl over a power plant and a creepy phone call warning me to stay out of the woods.

The game's environment is filled with subtle storytelling elements, such as an old boathouse with an unsettling alarm system and the ominous message "get lost" painted on it. The eerie atmosphere is reminiscent of *Stalker* rather than *Fallout*, both in tone and game design.

After another druid massacre, I met Mother Jago at her allotment. Her enigmatic responses left me searching for clues in our conversation, much like in classic point-and-click adventures. She promised valuable information in exchange for her herbalism book, which was held by the druids in their fortified castle. With a new objective, I set off to retrieve the book.

*Atomfall's* freeform design allowed me to approach the castle from any angle. I chose a side attack, encountering a druid patrol at an abandoned petrol station. The ensuing battle was chaotic but fun, though the enemy AI could be more reactive. After dealing with archers and using a nail bomb, I made my way into the castle's outer walls.

Inside the castle, I found a locked hut with a note hinting at distant keys. *Atomfall* doesn't use objective markers, requiring players to manually mark points of interest on their map. I decided to explore the central keep instead, where I found more druids but no sign of the book. The game's obtuse mission design can be frustrating, but it encourages a detective-like approach to exploration.

Following the map coordinates, I faced a poison plant monster and used my Skyrim-honed skills to bypass it and retrieve the keys. Back at the hut, I found a perk point and ammo, but not the herbalism book. Venturing deeper into the castle, I eliminated the High Priestess and her followers, uncovering new items and questlines, but still no book.

After my demo ended, I learned the book was in the castle all along, on a table I had overlooked. Frustrated and confused, I returned to Mother Jago, and in my character's descent into violence, I killed her. Searching her body, I found a recipe that could combat the poison monster, which might have been the valuable information she intended to trade.

*Atomfall* promises a lengthy playtime, with the main story taking at least four to five hours, and most players taking around 25 hours to complete. The game offers varied experiences, as evidenced by another player's session involving a crashed helicopter and a region with killer robots and mutants. While some objectives may be too obscure for some players, *Atomfall* rewards those who engage deeply with its quest design, blurring the lines between side and main objectives.

As my session concluded, with bloodied hands from my violent spree, I embraced my British roots: I picked up my cricket bat, headed back to the pub, and decided to wait for the storm to pass.