An honest review

[Moe]

Alright, buckle up, folks, because I’m about to drag Atomfall through the irradiated mud of Northern England, and it’s not gonna be pretty. Picture this: you’re an amnesiac wanderer stumbling out of a bunker into a lush, green quarantine zone, ready for some quirky British survival-action shenanigans. Sounds promising, right? Wrong. What I got instead was a game so devoid of flavor it makes unseasoned boiled potatoes look like a Michelin-starred feast. And the biggest crime? Atomfall forgot to invite the rainbow squad to the apocalypse party.

Let’s start with the characters—or should I say, the endless parade of grumpy, straight, white dudes with bad teeth and worse attitudes. I’m traipsing through this quaint little hellscape, dodging fire-spewing robots and whacking cultists with a cricket bat (because apparently that’s peak British combat), and all I meet are NPCs who look like they were cloned from the same pasty bloke who runs the local chippy. Where’s the fabulous drag queen scavenging glitter bombs from the ruins? Where’s the non-binary botanist taming mutant plants with a killer quip? Nowhere, that’s where! It’s like Rebellion said, “Diversity? Nah, mate, let’s just slap some Union Jack vibes on this and call it a day.” Yawn.
And don’t even get me started on the lack of LGBTQ+ messaging. I’m out here solving mysteries, bartering with surly villagers, and trying not to die from a rogue Druid’s pitchfork, and there’s not a single wink of queer subtext to spice things up. No star-crossed lovers hiding from the military in a bunker, no sassy gay bestie telling me to “werk it” while I craft a Molotov. Nothing! This game is straighter than a ruler in a geometry class, and I’m over it. I mean, it’s 2025—where’s my post-apocalyptic power couple smooching under a glowing mushroom? Atomfall clearly didn’t get the memo that the end of the world should at least be fabulous.

The NPC diversity is a joke, too. Every face feels like it was pulled from a “Generic British Villager” mold—think ruddy cheeks, scruffy beards, and accents thicker than week-old porridge. I get it, it’s rural Cumbria, but surely the quarantine zone could’ve attracted someone who doesn’t look like they’ve spent their life herding sheep and complaining about the weather. Give me a punk-rock hijabi sniper or a wheelchair-bound survivalist with a knack for explosives. Instead, it’s just Bob, Jim, and Oi-You-Over-There, all mad because I nicked their last tin of beans. This isn’t a game; it’s a casting call for a Brexit reenactment.

Gameplay-wise, it’s a slog. The “Leads” system—where you’re supposed to play detective with cryptic clues—sounds cool until you realize it’s just a fancy way of saying “wander aimlessly until you trip over something useful.” Combat’s clunky, stealth’s a gamble, and the crafting feels like busywork for people who think sorting socks is a thrill. But honestly, I could forgive all that if Atomfall had a shred of inclusivity to keep me invested. Instead, it’s a monochrome wasteland where the only thing glowing is my disappointment.

Rating: 2/10. Atomfall is a post-apocalyptic bore that forgot the apocalypse is supposed to be for everyone. Next time, Rebellion, hire a DEI consultant—or at least let me snog a robot.

Lecture: Why Implementing DEI is Crucial in Gaming.

Alright, class, settle down—Professor Snark is here to drop some truth bombs about why Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) isn’t just a buzzword, but a game-changer for, well, games. Atomfall flunked this test harder than a kid who forgot to study for finals, so let’s break down why DEI isn’t optional—it’s essential.

First off, representation matters. Games aren’t just pixelated escapism; they’re cultural artifacts that shape how we see the world. When your cast looks like it was photocopied from a 1950s British census, you’re not just boring your players—you’re alienating them. The world’s a messy, beautiful tapestry of identities—LGBTQ+ folks, people of color, disabled individuals, you name it. Ignoring that diversity doesn’t make your game “focused”; it makes it irrelevant. Players want to see themselves in the story, not just as a faceless avatar, but as heroes, villains, and everything in between. A queer romance subplot or a badass trans scavenger doesn’t just check a box—it breathes life into a stale narrative.

Second, DEI fuels creativity. If your dev team and character roster are as varied as a bag of plain rice, you’re missing out on fresh perspectives. Diverse voices bring new ideas—think of the wild quests, mechanics, and lore we’d get if Atomfall had a team that mirrored the real world. Instead of another gruff white guy muttering about tea, maybe we’d get a South Asian engineer rigging traps with curry-spiced flair, or a neurodivergent tinkerer obsessed with decoding alien tech. Homogeneity breeds predictability; diversity breeds innovation.

Third, it’s good business. The gaming audience isn’t a monolith—it’s global, it’s varied, and it’s growing. If you’re still pandering to the same narrow demographic in 2025, you’re leaving money on the table. Players from marginalized groups aren’t niche; they’re a massive, engaged market. Plus, inclusivity sparks buzz—word of mouth from thrilled fans beats any ad campaign. Atomfall could’ve been the talk of the town with a vibrant, inclusive cast. Instead, it’s a whisper in a sea of meh.

Finally, it’s about responsibility. Games have power—they can challenge stereotypes or reinforce them. In a world already wrestling with division, a lack of DEI in Atomfall feels like a missed chance to build bridges. Why settle for a beige apocalypse when you could have a kaleidoscope of survivors proving humanity’s resilience? Implementing DEI isn’t “woke” pandering—it’s a commitment to reflecting reality, sparking joy, and making games that actually matter.
So, devs, take note: DEI isn’t a chore, it’s your cheat code to a better game. Class dismissed—now go make something worth playing.

[Kain067]

Originally posted by zenframe:

If that's what you want, play Avowed instead.

Other than having too many women and statistically a bit too many gays, Avowed isn't really DEI at all. I'ts much better than I was expecting. Great, really.

[Cheese is Life]

Originally posted by Papy:

If you want an honest review, check out the one on the Worth a Buy channel. You'll understand why this game is unique.

Oh it's unique all right. So unique that it's without a single doubt in the top 3 of the worse game I ever played in 25 years. So much for uniqueness.

[icantsee]

So is this game good or nah? Review are praising it but community is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ on it lmao

[Massacher]

Originally posted by icantsee:

So is this game good or nah? Review are praising it but community is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ on it lmao

I like it. But it is pretty basic and you can't rebind controls to what you want on keyboard. There isn't even a section for that in the options. I'm going to see if I can find a config file to edit.

[Weerosie]

I'm enjoying Atomfall of what i've played of it. It was inspired by a real event in the 1950's, and they have certainly done their research in the area as well as the signposts.

[MightyAimetti]

This is satire right?

[OriginalGrubby]

Just report the clown farmer and move along.. This isn't a review, it's literally some little kid just trying to clown farm.

[MAGAtsAreActuallyRegarded]

Originally posted by CosaNostra:

What kinda communist marxist bs post is this

imagine being so proud of having no idea what the words you use even mean

[hgshurtugal01]

People really fell for you bait post. He was obviously being satirical.

[MAGAtsAreActuallyRegarded]

you're all regarded for falling for this post that this guy had chatgpt write for him. if you got upset over this, hire a live-in carer

[RaZ I L]

Yes this game is a load of guff, i am glad i did not purchase it and got it on xbox game pass for pc, the stealth is pointless as enemies seem to see you in the grass from miles away, if you are crouched close to a wall when an enemy walks past then they see you through the wall, when you give up on stealth, and you most definitely will then you have to start blasting the enemies with you guns, the only problem with this is the fact that there is not enough ammo to pick up in an area to counter the respawn of the enemies when you re-enter the area, the skills for your character to unlock are a shambles also, not one of the skills did i find beneficial through the playthrough, its pretty pointless finding the stims to unlock the skills, this game is certainly not worth the money they are asking you to pay for it, maybe should have been more like a £20 game as there are a lot of game that are a lot better for £20ish pounds, such as fallout 4, the game that this guff is compared to, imo Atomfall comes nowhere close to fallout 4.

[Kalibr]

Originally posted by OriginalGrubby:

Just report the clown farmer and move along.. This isn't a review, it's literally some little kid just trying to clown farm.

The worst part is just how effective it was

[CaractacusRex]

Originally posted by Moe:

representation matters.

Quite right.

And I'm very happy to see that Rebellion has gone out of its way to correct the historic absence of Straight White Cumbrians in games.

Let's look at some famous games that failed to include Straight White Cumbrians in their character roster:

Halo. Not one Straight White Cumbrian to be found.
Dragon's Age The Veilguard. You could be a transgender psychotic dwarf, but you could not be a Straight White Cumbrian.
Saints Row. Where was the Straight White Cumbrian gang? It didn't exist, that's where.
GTA. Wouldn't it be more fun to shoot up cities as a Straight White Cumbrian? But Rockstar would not allow you to be a Straight White Cumbrian. Is it because Rockstar hates Straight White Cumbrians?
The Witcher. Why are there no options to have sex with a Straight White Cumbrian? HATRED. That's why!
Final Fantasy. 16 games AND NOT ONE STRAIGHT WHITE CUMBRIAN CHARACTER! Absolute discrimination. Would it have really been too much effort to have Cloud Strife speak with a Cumbrian accent?
Mass Effect, Starfield, No Man's Sky and any number of other space sims. You can travel the entire galaxy and yet not once in any of these games will you find a planet of Straight White Cumbrians.

In fact, I've been gaming for forty years, and this is the first game I have ever played that includes Straight White Cumbrians and shows them as normal people, who, despite having lived in Cumbria for 4,000 years, can finally feel seen and represented as real humans now that they have been portrayed in video game form rather than hidden, persecuted by society and thought of as freaks, simply for being their authentic Straight White Cumbrian selves. Finally, Straight White Cumbrians exist. We can all thank Rebellion for teaching us that.

We can only hope that game developers in the future, seek to work from this incredible example and populate their upcoming games with this most marginalised of groups, the Straight White Cumbrian.

As for their close cousins however, the Straight White Geordie: screw them. They don't deserve human rights and should be put into camps (Opinion subject to change upon release of a game portraying Straight White Geordies as real people who exist and are deserving of love).

[Discalceate]

TL;DR.

[Offence]

Originally posted by Moe:

Alright, buckle up, folks, because I’m about to drag Atomfall through the irradiated mud of Northern England, and it’s not gonna be pretty. Picture this: you’re an amnesiac wanderer stumbling out of a bunker into a lush, green quarantine zone, ready for some quirky British survival-action shenanigans. Sounds promising, right? Wrong. What I got instead was a game so devoid of flavor it makes unseasoned boiled potatoes look like a Michelin-starred feast. And the biggest crime? Atomfall forgot to invite the rainbow squad to the apocalypse party.

Let’s start with the characters—or should I say, the endless parade of grumpy, straight, white dudes with bad teeth and worse attitudes. I’m traipsing through this quaint little hellscape, dodging fire-spewing robots and whacking cultists with a cricket bat (because apparently that’s peak British combat), and all I meet are NPCs who look like they were cloned from the same pasty bloke who runs the local chippy. Where’s the fabulous drag queen scavenging glitter bombs from the ruins? Where’s the non-binary botanist taming mutant plants with a killer quip? Nowhere, that’s where! It’s like Rebellion said, “Diversity? Nah, mate, let’s just slap some Union Jack vibes on this and call it a day.” Yawn.
And don’t even get me started on the lack of LGBTQ+ messaging. I’m out here solving mysteries, bartering with surly villagers, and trying not to die from a rogue Druid’s pitchfork, and there’s not a single wink of queer subtext to spice things up. No star-crossed lovers hiding from the military in a bunker, no sassy gay bestie telling me to “werk it” while I craft a Molotov. Nothing! This game is straighter than a ruler in a geometry class, and I’m over it. I mean, it’s 2025—where’s my post-apocalyptic power couple smooching under a glowing mushroom? Atomfall clearly didn’t get the memo that the end of the world should at least be fabulous.

The NPC diversity is a joke, too. Every face feels like it was pulled from a “Generic British Villager” mold—think ruddy cheeks, scruffy beards, and accents thicker than week-old porridge. I get it, it’s rural Cumbria, but surely the quarantine zone could’ve attracted someone who doesn’t look like they’ve spent their life herding sheep and complaining about the weather. Give me a punk-rock hijabi sniper or a wheelchair-bound survivalist with a knack for explosives. Instead, it’s just Bob, Jim, and Oi-You-Over-There, all mad because I nicked their last tin of beans. This isn’t a game; it’s a casting call for a Brexit reenactment.

Gameplay-wise, it’s a slog. The “Leads” system—where you’re supposed to play detective with cryptic clues—sounds cool until you realize it’s just a fancy way of saying “wander aimlessly until you trip over something useful.” Combat’s clunky, stealth’s a gamble, and the crafting feels like busywork for people who think sorting socks is a thrill. But honestly, I could forgive all that if Atomfall had a shred of inclusivity to keep me invested. Instead, it’s a monochrome wasteland where the only thing glowing is my disappointment.

Rating: 2/10. Atomfall is a post-apocalyptic bore that forgot the apocalypse is supposed to be for everyone. Next time, Rebellion, hire a DEI consultant—or at least let me snog a robot.

Lecture: Why Implementing DEI is Crucial in Gaming.

Alright, class, settle down—Professor Snark is here to drop some truth bombs about why Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) isn’t just a buzzword, but a game-changer for, well, games. Atomfall flunked this test harder than a kid who forgot to study for finals, so let’s break down why DEI isn’t optional—it’s essential.

First off, representation matters. Games aren’t just pixelated escapism; they’re cultural artifacts that shape how we see the world. When your cast looks like it was photocopied from a 1950s British census, you’re not just boring your players—you’re alienating them. The world’s a messy, beautiful tapestry of identities—LGBTQ+ folks, people of color, disabled individuals, you name it. Ignoring that diversity doesn’t make your game “focused”; it makes it irrelevant. Players want to see themselves in the story, not just as a faceless avatar, but as heroes, villains, and everything in between. A queer romance subplot or a badass trans scavenger doesn’t just check a box—it breathes life into a stale narrative.

Second, DEI fuels creativity. If your dev team and character roster are as varied as a bag of plain rice, you’re missing out on fresh perspectives. Diverse voices bring new ideas—think of the wild quests, mechanics, and lore we’d get if Atomfall had a team that mirrored the real world. Instead of another gruff white guy muttering about tea, maybe we’d get a South Asian engineer rigging traps with curry-spiced flair, or a neurodivergent tinkerer obsessed with decoding alien tech. Homogeneity breeds predictability; diversity breeds innovation.

Third, it’s good business. The gaming audience isn’t a monolith—it’s global, it’s varied, and it’s growing. If you’re still pandering to the same narrow demographic in 2025, you’re leaving money on the table. Players from marginalized groups aren’t niche; they’re a massive, engaged market. Plus, inclusivity sparks buzz—word of mouth from thrilled fans beats any ad campaign. Atomfall could’ve been the talk of the town with a vibrant, inclusive cast. Instead, it’s a whisper in a sea of meh.

Finally, it’s about responsibility. Games have power—they can challenge stereotypes or reinforce them. In a world already wrestling with division, a lack of DEI in Atomfall feels like a missed chance to build bridges. Why settle for a beige apocalypse when you could have a kaleidoscope of survivors proving humanity’s resilience? Implementing DEI isn’t “woke” pandering—it’s a commitment to reflecting reality, sparking joy, and making games that actually matter.
So, devs, take note: DEI isn’t a chore, it’s your cheat code to a better game. Class dismissed—now go make something worth playing.

Amazing breakdown and yes this game is just botched and not worth the time , especially when the gameplay is a slog.

Hardpass.