If you’re going on a holiday, you pack for the trip. Heading to the snow? Pack heavy. Heading to a tropical island? Pack light. Heading into a militarised exclusion zone around a failed nuclear reactor? Pack a cricket bat and this guide. Atomfall is out now (for those who preordered), I want to make sure you go in prepared because this journey is all about finding your own way.
I’ve put together a few tips for those setting out into the Quarantine Zone for the first time. So strap on your hazmat suits and load up the lorry — we’re heading to the Windscale Nuclear plant!
Be curious, follow leads, and read books to find out more about the world
One of the biggest mysteries in Atomfall is who you are and how you got here. You’ll start off with no weapons — just the clothes on your back — and wander out in the picturesque, irradiated, British countryside.
Atomfall’s quest system is very open-ended. While exploring the world you may find notes that add leads to your quest tracker. For example, you find a bunker where soldiers had stayed previously, and a note gives you coordinates for their next base. You can follow that thread or any number of similar ones you’ve found so far. You’ll consistently find pages and books with leads in them, so taking your time to read everything is time well spent.
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It’s not a traditional open-world game, the world is split into four large hub maps, as well as a myriad of underground tunnels and sub-maps. Finally, there is The Interchange, which is the hub of the scientists who previously worked in the area. There are a number of entrances to The Interchange scattered around the various maps, and you’ll need to delve into each of them throughout your adventure.
Combat is deadly — don’t rush in, plan out your attack.
While you’ll collect various weapons during your travels – shotguns, pistols, bows, cricket bats and more – you won’t find armour or traditional RPG kits to keep you alive. From the very first Outlaw you fight, taking a rifle shot to the face is going to put you down. The same is to be said of the enemies, a well-timed rifle or bow shot from the bushes can easily turn a threat into a non-issue.
So, when you’re travelling across the wilds of the Quarantine Zone, make sure you’re on the lookout for patrolling enemy groups, and wild animals overtaken by the radiation. Your best friend is going to be going in prepared, not running in guns blazing. And speaking of irradiated animals, they’re just as likely to attack enemies as you. So if you’re being chased and see a glowing purple hornet’s nest, consider having your two problems solve each other.
Be smart with your ammo and items
Especially early game, your weapons and ammo will be few and far between and, as mentioned above, taking on two to three enemies at once can be a challenge. However, there are a lot of ways to use the AI to your advantage. Enemies move in parties with one or two melee units, with usually a ranged or sniper to back them up. Isolating that sniper and killing them for their weapon can be a great way to neutralise that threat while giving you the tools you need to deal with the other two.
One AI feature that I loved is that enemies respond to a firearm pointed at them, most often throwing up their arms rather than risking being shot. This is even true if you don’t have any ammo; having an unloaded weapon can be used to de-escalate a situation and give you time to run. After all, the enemies don’t know if that gun is loaded or not.
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Stealth is your friend
For those of you who are fans of the Sniper Elite series like me, you’ll see a lot in common with how the stealth and enemy AI works in Atomfall. As you’re exploring, the map is dotted with bushes to hide in, vistas with big open sightlines over enemy camps, and patrols leading through little choke points perfect for ambushes.
Stealth is relatively simple — line of sight is the easiest way to hide from enemies, whether you duck behind a blown-out car or into a copse of trees. You’ll also see areas of tall grass and dark corners in the underground and cave areas. When the enemy loses sight of you, they’ll split up and search the area where they last saw you. It’s a great feeling to hide from an enemy patrol and pick them off silently with a bow and arrow.
Murder is a big decision
A lot has been said about how you can kill every NPC you come across in Atomfall. This includes quest-givers, allies, enemies and major players in the various factions. Killing an NPC might be an easy way to gain access to restricted areas, or get their weapons — but it can lock you out of relevant quest lines.
Early on, there is a lead that has you checking on the husband of the baker in Wyndham Village. You know that her husband is infected, and could kill her to get the key to where he is being kept. You could also report her to the Protocol soldiers for harbouring an infected person within the town. Alternately, she asks you to seek out a potions-woman in the woods and get a tonic from her that might help her husband.
So far, the game is filled with these little decisions, and the fact that you have full access to your weapons and the ability to kill any NPC really opens up the options for replayability.
Look out for training books
Atomfall features a light RPG system, similar to Sniper Elite before it. In your menu, you’ll see perks split into four categories covering melee, ranged, survival and conditioning. In these trees, you’ll find a mix of abilities — like being able to disarm traps in the world. There are also passive abilities, such as reduced sway to ranged weapons, or quiet stealth kills.
When you start your adventure, you’ll have the first three perks in each of these categories available to purchase with skill points found in caches around the world. However, to unlock the remaining six abilities in each category, you need to find skill books hidden around the world. These can be hidden in enemy bases, secret caches, or NPC areas. If you see a training book, grab it and make sure you unlock these skill trees to keep topping up your abilities in the world.
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Don’t forget your cardio
One very interesting development that Atomfall draws from Sniper Elite is how Stamina functions in the game, and for those new to Rebellion’s games this might seem counterintuitive. Instead of a Stamina bar that decreases while you’re running and fighting, your character’s ability to perform is represented by your heart rate. As you run across the map, or swing your weapon, your heart rate will increase.
Having a higher heart rate makes your weapons sway when you’re aiming, makes your melee attacks slower and capping your heart rate means you need to stop for a breather. In one of the most British things ever, drinking tea is the most reliable way to stabilise your heart rate. There’s nothing like stopping for a spot of tea in the middle of a fire-fight.
Get to know the game’s factions
As you adventure, you’ll meet a number of important NPCs and the factions they represent. Gaining favour and completing quests for these factions can reward you with weapons, items and access to restricted areas on the map. These factions include the Protocol, which is the military force keeping peace in the region. B.A.R.D (British Atomic Research Division) is the scientists and remaining high-technology from the nuclear disaster. The Outlaws are the wandering bands of marauders surviving in the wilds. There are also the Druids who worship the mysterious “Voice in the Soil”.
Lastly, there are the villagers and common folk just trying to survive in the Quarantine Zone. From the outset, these factions are at odds. Early on, you’ll find out about the wandering Protocol soldiers trying to keep the Outlaws at bay, and the villagers trying to get out from under the thumb of the Protocol.
However, be wary of the Ferals, Thralls and irradiated animals — these won’t be reasoned with. Irradiated animals can be recognised by their glowing purple features and nests; there’s hornets, bats and ravens — all of which will attack on sight. Ferals and Thralls are Atomfall’s zombies; Ferals are fast and come at you with swinging claws and gnashing teeth, while Thralls are the remains of the scientists locked inside during the contamination event — they advance towards you slowly like The Terminator and take more shotgun blasts than I expected to go down.
These tips should help guide you through the first ten hours or so of the game. Good luck!
Atomfall is coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam on March 28th.
Keep an eye out for our full review.
Early access to Atomfall was supplied to Quest Daily by the publisher.
