WhenAtomfallwas released earlier this year, it was compared to a wide range of games, fromFallouttoStalkerand evenFar Cry.Even though fans came to realize that this game was much more than the sum of its parts,one thing a lot of us couldn’t shake was how short it felt.
More than anything else,Atomfall’sbase experience is a fascinating experiment in game design, stripping large open-world structures of their by-the-booktower climbing monotonyand providing players with a much more open and survival-focused world where quests occur naturally.
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For me, the selling point of Atomfall was that absolutely any NPC can be killed,regardless of whether the game considers them a key NPC. Compared to other RPG narratives that create essentiallyunkillable characters, this felt like a step in the right direction.
However, the short and freeform quest design meant that, while there was a lot to explore if you were up for it, it was possible to play through the game in record pace.Atomfalleven has an achievement forparticularly slick speedrunnersaiming to make a fool out of the developers.
Luckily,Atomfall’s latest DLC,Wicked Isle, has addressed many of our complaints about a lack of overall content.While ourinitial reviewmentioned the game as having “four pocket-sized open spaces,” the latest DLC essentially boosts that to five, expanding on the depth of content found inAtomfall’squarantine zone.
The added space even goes so far as to create cohesion between areas of the base game, meaning this DLC functions less like a side-expansion area, and sometimes like an actual fifth addition to the base game.
However, you may be right to assume that simply adding a fifth island to a very narratively complex game doesn’t work seamlessly. Like seasoning a chicken when it’s already out of the oven, sometimes it’s too late to patch up some of the bigger issues.
That said, although the stitches to this DLC experiment may be visible and uncomfortable to get used to,it easily delivers on the one thingAtomfallfans want: moreAtomfall.
The very first thing that struck me when playing this DLC wasn’t the new questlines, factions, or even the ominous fisherman that ferries you to the new island, but the striking atmosphere of the island that feels entirely distinct from the rest of the game.
The island of Midsummer seamlessly alternates betweenLovecraftian horrorand the traditional British-infused atompunk aesthetic of the base game. The best illustration I can give is climbing up an ancient monk’s observatory, built back in the days of Henry VIII, only to be met with an ancient leviathan when looking out at the ocean’s horizon.
While these aesthetics may seem clashing, they are executed perfectly. The standout points in my playthrough were the subtle moments of slowly wandering around a rainy fishing village filled with pirate-dressed bandits or exploring a seaside cave filled with bright blue, fluorescent nuclear fauna.
If anything, this DLC made me wish that the baseAtomfallcontent had gone even further in these wondrous yet vivid aesthetic designs.While the base game’s areas varied from mechanized military bases to crazed cult outposts, I found that these aesthetic choices finally clashed perfectly when I started playing this DLC.
Also, a massive amount of praise should go to the ever-beautiful environmental design and lighting.The added element of rain made some of these environments stand out even more than the gorgeous, picture-esque moments of the base game.
Given that this expansion is significantly more aquatic-themed, the water graphics shouldn’t be underappreciated either. Mixed with a new mob of pirate-themed mercenaries tied to a major questline, everything seems to come together perfectly.
The island of Midsummer seamlessly alternates between Lovecraftian horror and the traditional British-infused atompunk aesthetic of the base game.
What I kept thinking throughout my entire playthrough was how many more areas felt explicitly designed to be viewed from that one, postcard-looking position, with cliff faces, paths, and man-made structures all lining up in the same frame.
If you’re a fan of the base game and aren’t too sure about the reasons to pick up this DLC expansion, these minor aesthetic tweaks and differences may be worth the price of admission alone.
Same Atomfall Gameplay, For Better Or Worse
Alongside the popping new aesthetic choices,a few minor tweaks have been made to the gameplay to update it for this DLC, including new weapons, enemies, and upgraded equipment.
On theweapons sideof things, unfortunately, a majority of the new equipment is either a reskin or a minor upgrade. While it was fun to pick up the occasional bright illuminated dagger or a double-barrel blunderbuss shotgun that ignited enemies, my tried and true axe from the base game still carried me through the entire experience.
The new enemies, like the water-based nuclear-infected merfolk, while interesting, don’t do much to mix up the gameplay,especially considering how they retain the lackluster AI that made combat feel dull in the core experience.
However, my big question going into this DLC was,does this expansion feel like end-game content, or is it just more of what we’ve already gotten?
Here’s the big thing I ultimately realized: as a survival-focused game, the level of player impact needs to remain relatively low. Unlike let’s say,Fallout 4’s expansions, which give you game-breaking weapons and upgrades,Atomfall’s Wicked IsleDLC upgrades are the bare minimum.
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That means, when going into this DLC, you should try not to think of it as that final victory lap, and more of a continuation of the brilliant story and world design thatRebellionis slowly chipping away at.
Because of the previously mentioned lackluster AI enemies, they can’t begin to introduce larger packs of enemies or higher-level enemies that don’t just feel like bullet sponges.Being honest, more unique enemy interactions would have definitely been appreciated.
Atomfall’s base content is made to be tackled in any order; there isn’t a difficulty curve, as much as there’s a difficulty flatline.This DLC’s integration essentially keeps that flatline on life support, as the mediocre combat scenarios and basic puzzles are virtually identical to those in the first three hours of the game.
Your progress isn’t marked by binary statistics, but by your actual understanding of the world’s architecture.
However, I wouldn’t chalk this up as a bad thing. The entirety ofAtomfallworks like a massive detective novel, uncovering leads and storybeats as you explore and unwind the mystery of the quarantine zone; the basic survival gameplay may lack in substance, but the story doesn’t.
Like other free-form detective games, such asOuter Wilds, the progression feels a lot more internal. Your progress isn’t marked by binary statistics, but by your actual understanding of the world’s architecture.
But this doesn’t detract from the fact that, if you’re not playing this DLC for its incredibly immersive narrative design, this DLC may not be for you, especially at the $20 asking price.
A Tale Of Pirates, Monks, And Monasteries
Because this DLC is just a single expanded island, much of the content is fairly self-contained. Compared to the winding threads of the base game, the DLC presents just two or three fairly linear, but very competent storylines for you to discover.
A new sort of time-flashback mechanic takes you back to the time of monks and monasteries, deeply connected with the production of paranormal psychoactive alcohol. This provides a storyline from centuries ago, which develops slowly alongside your actual discoveries on the island of Midsummer.
Another storyline takes you along the path of pirate-themed raiders (although they shy away from the pirate moniker). This, along with the monk storyline, leads to two additional endings to the main game, which almost function as a reskin of previous endings.
Compared to the base game content, the DLC delves much further into thesupernatural elementsof the quarantine zone. Although you unfortunately remain a pawn in the schemes of other NPCs, the ever-expanding world of the monk storyline leads to possibly the most trippy endings of the entire game.
After playing through almost all of the main endings alongside all of the endings for this DLC, I would honestly argue that they’re some of the most worthwhile endings in the whole game, even if, like the base game’s endings, they lack a bit of depth.
While more linear than prior questlines, it wholeheartedly delivers onAtomfall’sbrilliant writing that it had previously established. This, alongside some immersive sim-esque, narrative sandbox elements, provides an experience fans have been hoping for.
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One thing to admit is that I truly wish this DLC had more side quests.Although the island is fully fleshed out, it feels more like a vehicle for them to deliver one or two main questlines, lacking many of the subtle underlying tones that come from having additional side stories to uncover.
Really, this is just moreAtomfall, with a new aesthetic twist that keeps the clock ticking. For that reason, the gameplay enhancements may fall flat, but the experience stays fresh as ever.
A Case Study Of DLC Design
One thing I want to emphasize is how well-integrated this DLC is into the base game.
When you think of detective, unwinding mystery games like, once again,Outer Wilds, the DLC has the impossible task of maintaining continuity with the base game, which is whyDLC content forOuter Wildsis noted as being a bit more linear and inconsistent compared to the base experience.
While sticking to the formula of being a tad more linear, in the case ofAtomfall, I was surprised to find that a few mysteries that I had thought were left unanswered were actually reconciled with this DLC.
An enhanced metal detector, for one, has you returning to areas of the base game to uncover new, previously hidden mysteries. A specific oddity I distinctly remember discovering in my main playthrough — an unusual monument of stones — finally gained enhanced significance when I returned to it in a WTF moment during the DLC.
It felt like the game had heard me say, “these stones are here for no reason, huh?” and then spent 4 hours giving me a psychic explanation as to why they were there.
Additionally, some questlines may bring you to interact with core characters from the base storylines in new and exciting ways, which makes it feel that the choices you made within the DLC also intertwine with decisions and questlines of the main story.
I was surprised to find that a few mysteries that I had thought were left unanswered were actually reconciled with this DLC.
As I’ve hinted at before, I considerAtomfallto be an experiment. It’s an experiment in alternative narrative structures, and in immersive, sandbox design principles. To me,Atomfalland its new DLC may not be masterpieces, but they succeed because of their willingness to try new things.
Something game designers have been stating over and over for nearly a decade is that for bigger and better games to succeed, we need more trials by fire; we need morerisky AA titlesthat aren’t afraid to push us into uncharted territory.
Atomfall’s Wicked IsleDLC surprised me because of its unwavering ability to stand by the base game’s goals. I can criticize it for being short, for lacking a bit more context and depth in gameplay mechanics, but like the base game,Atomfall’sDLC is an exciting experiment in game design.
Closing Comments:
Atomfall’s DLC is a notable accomplishment for one big reason: it successfully adds a story expansion that almost seamlessly integrates itself into an incredibly delicate, immersive sim-like storyline. While it may not fix any of the issues with the base game, the added lore and questlines put another profound spin on the Atomfall world. More than anything else, the ambiance and beautifully distinct aesthetic of the new expansion should be a massive reason for fans to give this DLC a whirl.
