Atomfall was once planned around a more Metroidvania-like progression: players would move through a sequence of sandbox maps, using tools or information found in one area to unlock the next. Rebellion changed direction after playtesting showed that this structure guided players too closely for the investigative freedom the team wanted.
What did Atomfall’s early structure look like?
By an internal alpha, Atomfall had a traditional quest system and a sequence of sandbox maps, each built around a major dungeon. The idea was to find a tool or a piece of information in one map, then use it to open access to the next map and dungeon. Rebellion Head of Design Ben Fisher summed up that version by saying, “It was structured more like a Metroidvania.” The Examined Game interview transcript gives the detailed account.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Atomfall - PlayStation 5 | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Scars Above, 1 PS5-Blu-Ray-Disc | $29.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Merge Games Let's Build a Zoo PS5 | $18.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration - PS5 | $44.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
MLB The Show 25 – PS5 | $39.00 | Buy on Amazon |
The structure also suited the team’s practical goal of making a roughly 30-hour RPG-style game rather than a 300-hour one: a chain of areas and unlocks seemed like a manageable way to shape progression. That was a development plan, not a finished Metroidvania project or a description of the game that ultimately shipped.
Why did Rebellion change the design?
Playtesting showed that the map-by-map unlock sequence was too directive for the mood and player role Rebellion wanted. Fisher said, “When we played it, it felt too guiding for the emotional tone that we wanted the game to have.” The team wanted players to feel less like they were following a prescribed route and more like detectives piecing together what had happened.
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallOutdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match#1 Best Overall
- Player Driven Mystery: Unravel a tapestry of interwoven narratives through exploration, conversation, investigation, and combat, where every choice you make has consequences.
- Explore this Green and Unpleasant Land: The picturesque British countryside, with rolling green hills, lush valleys, and rural villages belie the dangers that await you.
- Search, Scavage, Survive: You’ll need to scavenge for supplies, craft weapons and items, and fight desperately to make it our alive!
- “Basic Supply Bundle” - Supplies are scarce in the quarantine zone. Improve your chances for survival with additional items to find, including an exclusive melee weapon to help you in those brutal close-quarters engagements. o Exclusive Melee Weapon Variant o Additional Loot Caches o Item Recipe
That shift fit Atomfall’s premise: the player wakes in a quarantine zone in 1950s northern England, in a fictionalized version of the area around the Windscale disaster. The mystery depends on gathering clues, talking to witnesses, doing favors and deciding whom to trust. In Xbox Wire’s interview with Fisher, he describes a game in which players form their own understanding of the situation rather than simply follow a fixed sequence of objectives.
How did the new progression work?
Instead of making each area a key to the next, Rebellion aimed to open up locations and let players investigate them in different orders. Progress would come through leads, clues and the player’s interpretation of what they found, while still retaining a final progression check. The contrast is not “no structure” versus “structure”: it is a shift from a defined chain of unlocks to a more open investigation with room for uncertainty and choice.
Rank #2
- Tauche in ein ausgeklügeltes Abenteuer ein, das von Klassikern der Science-Fiction inspiriert wurde
- Setze eine Kombination aus Fernkampfwaffen, Gerätschaften, Verbrauchsgegenständen und Nahkampf ein
- Schalte mit dem gesammelten Wissen neue Gerätschaften, Waffen und Fähigkeiten frei
- Aufregende Bosskämpfe: Grauen erregende Gegner, die nach vielseitigen Strategien und Taktiken verlangen
Fisher cited Dark Souls as a reference for free exploration that still has a final gate, and Sniper Elite as an example of Rebellion’s familiar approach to clear objectives with multiple ways to complete them. Those are design references for the redesign, not claims that Atomfall is a Soulslike or a Sniper Elite-style game. The Examined Game transcript explains the comparison, while GamesRadar+’s report corroborates the earlier Metroidvania-like plan and the move toward openness.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Was the released Atomfall a Metroidvania?
Not in the sense supported by these accounts. Fisher’s comments describe an earlier development structure that resembled a Metroidvania: sequential sandbox maps, major dungeons and unlocks carried from one area to another. The team changed that structure before release to better serve Atomfall’s mystery and investigative freedom. The accurate takeaway is that Atomfall was almost built like a Metroidvania, not that the released game is a conventional one.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Road to The Show: Begin your RTTS journey by playing High School and College games in The Amateur Years. Build the RTTS ballplayer you want, the way you want to. Craft Perks to your liking and utilize a revamped attribute progression system for full control of your player's development
- Franchise March to October: A revitalized Free Agency system with risk/reward elements that add strategy, immersion, and excitement to the pursuit of the top free agents each offseason. Enjoy every moment of every game – or choose the key moments that matter, now with improvements to both Player Valuation Logic and Contract Logic.
- Expanded Diamond Dynasty and more: Collect and earn player cards in Diamond Dynasty: 360, as you craft your very own lineup with no more time-limited season restrictions. Try out Diamond Quest with your squad! It’s a brand-new roguelike board game mode, where rewards are yours to earn through moments, boss encounters and more.
- Gameplay Improvements and Expansion: Experience exciting new gameplay in all modes: featuring a variety of all-new RTTS Impact Plays, G.O.A.T difficulty for the ultimate challenge, all-new Ambush Hitting for a more realistic “plan of attack” at the plate, faster online gameplay and hundreds of new animations for extreme realism and much more!
- Visual Improvements: Appreciate incredible high fidelity when you play on a PS5 console including updated dirt and grass, combined with real-time physics, making for an advanced level of detail.
Rank #4
- 100+ classic games lovingly presented with best-in-class emulation and modern quality-of-life enhancements – and the ability to play classic games that have not been available for ages
- Discover the brand that launched the modern video game industry and the creative individuals behind it through interviews, archival images, special source material and behind-the-scenes content within an interactive timeline
- Emulation of games created for seven hardware platforms: Arcade, Atari 800, Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 7800, Atari Jaguar, Atari Lynx
- Over 60 minutes of exclusive interviews with key players in the games industry – from early Atari designers and engineers and other luminaries of the gaming world -- as they discuss Atari’s enduring impact on the video entertainment landscape
- A retrospective on gaming history that is a must-own for collectors and fans of video games
Rank #3
- Build your own zoo with over 500 different animals at your disposal, then splice together over 300,000 different animal combinations
- Keep your animals and your itors happy, with hundreds of buildings, foliage, path and enclosure decorations
- Hire the perfect employees to deal with a variety of life events
- Control everything that happens in your park, from what your animals eat to what eats your animals…
- Decide whether you want to run your Zoo above board... or break the law and pocket the extra cash
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
