{"id":680,"date":"2025-03-07T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-07T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beyoutifybymeia.com\/?p=680"},"modified":"2025-03-10T13:21:34","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T13:21:34","slug":"atomfalls-unique-approach-to-quests-makes-you-a-post-apocalyptic-rural-detective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beyoutifybymeia.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/07\/atomfalls-unique-approach-to-quests-makes-you-a-post-apocalyptic-rural-detective\/","title":{"rendered":"Atomfall\u2019s Unique Approach to Quests Makes You a Post-Apocalyptic Rural Detective"},"content":{"rendered":"<article id=\"single-207287\" class=\"mssrc-features font--sans has-light-theme has--branding\" data-clarity-region=\"article\">\n<div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n<header class=\"xwsrc-block-post-header is-style-fifty-fifty has-high-density has-text-align-left\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column flex-basis-50\">\n<div class=\"post-header__content has-text-align-left\">\n<ul class=\"post-tags__list\">\n<li class=\"post-tags__item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/news.xbox.com\/en-us\/games\/\" class=\"kicker post__meta--category\"><span class=\"sr-only\">Category: <\/span>Games<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.xbox.com\/en-us\/2025\/03\/\" class=\"kicker\">March 7, 2025<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<h1 class=\"h2\">Atomfall\u2019s Unique Approach to Quests Makes You a Post-Apocalyptic Rural Detective<\/h1>\n<div class=\"post-header__author post-header__author--line\">\n<div class=\"post-header__author__bylines\">\n<ul class=\"post-header__author__list\">\n<li class=\"post-header__author__list__item\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"avatar avatar-144 photo lazyload\" height=\"144\" width=\"144\" data-src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a300445b44f55cefdeaa3f43365cdb1?s=144&amp;d=mm&amp;r=g\"><span class=\"post-header__author__name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/news.xbox.com\/en-us\/author\/dpartis\/\">Danielle Partis<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-column flex-basis-50\">\n<div class=\"post-header__image\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/news.xbox.com\/en-us\/2025\/03\/07\/atomfall-quest-approach-post-apocalyptic-rural-detective\/\" class=\"featured-image size-large default\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image lazyload\" alt=\"\" data-src=\"https:\/\/beyoutifybymeia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Atomfall_Preview_1-fa548331faf893d3cfc9-1024x576-1.jpg\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"post__content\">\n<section class=\"xwsrc-block-content-block\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column flex-basis-50 push--25 column--content\">\n<div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n<p>My personal experience with <strong><em>Atomfall<\/em><\/strong> improved tenfold the moment I stopped trying to follow the quest line in a traditional sense. This might sound weird, but stay with me. During a recent hands-on session, we had the chance to explore a section of <em>Atomfall<\/em> ahead of its launch later this month, and get to grips with how the game redefines traditional RPG questing.<\/p>\n<p><em>Atomfall<\/em> takes place in an alternate version of a 1960s Cumbria, UK, and presents a fictionalized retelling of events following the real-life Windscale Atom plant disaster. Five years later, the surrounding area is still designated as a quarantine zone, and it\u2019s up to you to uncover what\u2019s happening.<\/p>\n<p>Your goal first and foremost is survival in this place, which is overrun by outlaws, possibly possessed druids, remnants of aggressive law enforcement \u2013 and that\u2019s just the human presence. The disaster has also birthed a whole host of nuclear oddities \u2013 in my 90 minutes of playtime I stumbled across a swarm of pulsating violet bees, a mysterious long-necked creature poking out of a pond, and a man bound inside a wickerman with glowing mushrooms spewing out of his chest cavity. All of these discoveries present enchanting narrative threads to unravel, but the first order of business is staying alive.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Atomfall Screenshot\" class=\"wp-image-207288 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/beyoutifybymeia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Atomfall_Preview_8-5db5005b71cc67de322c.jpg\"><\/figure>\n<p>Survival is tough and these hills are unforgiving, but you\u2019ll be rewarded for exploring. During my first druid encounter, I lurched straight in with a cricket bat and landed several satisfying blows before being immediately humbled by the surprising power of a few hardened hatchet-wielding menaces. Things got a little easier after picking up a bow, which allowed me to quickly and quietly pick off baddies with alacrity, each arrow landing with a confident thunk into unsuspecting victims. Ammo is scarce, which meant every kill at range needed to be calculated \u2013 I prioritised taking down fellow bow wielders in a group, before sieging any leftover enemies with whatever blunt weapon I had to hand (and then scavenging as many used arrows as I could).\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll be able to loot most basic supplies from enemies, and it helps immensely to keep entirely stocked up on the materials needed to craft healing items. Enemies deal surprisingly high damage and it\u2019s quite easy to injure yourself falling off a small ledge or wandering into a poisoned area. Eating food also helps with health, and the option to snaffle a quick tin of unbranded canned meat straight off the floor came in extremely handy for quick health top-ups.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Atomfall Screenshot\" class=\"wp-image-207289 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/beyoutifybymeia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Atomfall_Preview_7-01e2eadc8582b5cbee13.jpg\"><\/figure>\n<p>The results were often messy and unpredictable, but it gives <em>Atomfall<\/em> a gritter edge than many of its peers. I don\u2019t feel more powerful or tooled up than anyone else in the vicinity, which leads to careful planning, and chaotic, entertaining outcomes. This doesn\u2019t just apply to combat, but also to how <em>Atomfall<\/em> leads you down a string of quests, not with actionable objectives, but with narrative clues and leads that you have to piece together yourself.<\/p>\n<p>This is a particularly unique approach to the concept of quests; <em>Atomfall<\/em> doesn\u2019t just chuck a bunch of skippable dialogue and a waypoint at you, it instead opts to let you discover where to go, how to approach your mission, and how rigidly you want to stick to the task at hand. In one section, while hunting down a book for someone, I stumbled across a large battery, its use unknown according to my character\u2019s notes after collecting it. Instead of being given a new direction, a nearby phonebox rang ominously, with a mysterious voice telling me that I\u2019ll need to find more for a purpose I\u2019m yet to uncover.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Atomfall Screenshot\" class=\"wp-image-207290 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/beyoutifybymeia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Atomfall_Preview_5-7f91be0181d28b522d51.jpg\"><\/figure>\n<p>In that same area, I discovered a dead body with a note that led me to the rough location of another point of interest somewhere else on the map. After hitting a wall with my hunt for the book (I accidentally went to the wrong place, as it happens) I had a choice here \u2013 continue wandering around a location aimlessly, or follow this entirely new lead. In the interest of preview time, I chose the latter, which took me to an old manor and introduced me to a quirky old woman living within. Amid this dilapidated old house full of rotting food, broken furniture and mold, a kindly old woman assures me everything is fine and normal, and that her sister is busy attending to some tasks. Leaning into this character\u2019s belief led me to discover her sister\u2019s skeleton hidden in a locked room, and onto a path of odd investigation that uncovered more about <em>Atomfall<\/em>\u2018s overarching narrative.<\/p>\n<p>In this instance, I\u2019ve not deviated from a main objective, I\u2019ve followed a lead that has given me more information about the story, enhancing the journey that I\u2019m on. This method of discovery also breeds a certain uneasiness, as you meet characters that aren\u2019t necessarily \u201cbad\u201d, but more, normal people that have been extremely damaged by the catastrophic events they\u2019re living through. Brilliantly, Rebellion promises that every lead in the game, no matter how obscure, can lead you to another, all converging around the game\u2019s central mystery. Think of it as beginning to piece together your own detective\u2019s corkboard \u2013 the red string just keeps on coming.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Atomfall Screenshot\" class=\"wp-image-207291 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/beyoutifybymeia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Atomfall_Preview_4-2f70409776c80d17e020.jpg\"><\/figure>\n<p>And those leads are <em>everywhere<\/em>. Not unlike this year\u2019s <em>Avowed<\/em>, having a keen eye and ear for a lead really is the heart of this game \u2013 those who engage and follow their instincts will find that there\u2019s so much to discover. As if to prove that point, my colleague, playing the same build, at the same time, had a <em>completely <\/em>different experience of the demo to me.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019re not here to pick a mission, see it to completion and then move on to the next one \u2013 new leads can pop up anywhere, they may take you in a completely different direction, and you\u2019ll not always be able to confidently discern what the \u201cright\u201d path is.<em> Atomfall<\/em> lets your detective instincts take the wheel as you vacuum up every piece of information presented, never leaving you aimless, but refusing to hold your hand as you blunder (in my case) through its landscape in pursuit of a bigger truth.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve only scratched the surface of what appears to be a captivating story, but you\u2019ll be able to fully explore the rolling nuclear hills of Cumbria at your leisure when <em>Atomfall<\/em> launches on March 27. Play it on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, and day one with Game Pass.<\/p>\n<div id=\"msp1741349309734\" class=\"\">\n<div class=\"ms-product-badge mspb-large\" data-product-id=\"9nc4wdl5kzbl?\">\n<div class=\"mspb-primary-image\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/store\/apps\/9nc4wdl5kzbl?\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t<img src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Atomfall\" class=\"skip-lazy lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/store-images.s-microsoft.com\/image\/apps.34329.13575061151050973.cebfa75f-b2f4-4dde-99fa-c709bab904af.9b26f97c-19cc-4602-8f8d-27a7ab70c8b0?w=400&amp;h=600\"><br \/>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"mspb-details\">\n<div class=\"mspb-feature-badges\">\n<div class=\"mspb-feature-badge xbox-play-anywhere\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Xbox Play Anywhere\" class=\"skip-lazy lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/assets.onestore.ms\/cdnfiles\/sfw-service-web-onestore-onerf-2017-11-8-12\/store\/common\/images\/xpalogo_black.png\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2>Atomfall<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mspb-secondary-details\">\n<div class=\"mspb-left-container\">\n<p>Rebellion<\/p>\n<div class=\"mspb-rating\">\n<div>\n\t\t\t<span>\u2606<\/span><span>\u2606<\/span><span>\u2606<\/span><span>\u2606<\/span><span>\u2606<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"mspb-full-stars\" style=\"width: 0px\">\n\t\t\t<span>\u2605<\/span><span>\u2605<\/span><span>\u2605<\/span><span>\u2605<\/span><span>\u2605<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mspb-buttons\">\n\t<a class=\"mspb-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/store\/apps\/9nc4wdl5kzbl?\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Get it now<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mspb-bottom-badges\">\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mspb-right-container\">\n<div class=\"mspb-description\">\n\t\tA survival-action game inspired by real-life events, Atomfall is set five years after the Windscale nuclear disaster in Northern England.<br \/>\nExplore the fictional quarantine zone, scavenge, craft, barter, fight and talk your way through a British countryside setting filled with bizarre characters, mysticism, cults, and rogue government agencies.<br \/>\nFrom Rebellion, the studio behind Sniper Elite and Zombie Army, Atomfall will challenge you to solve the dark mystery of what really happened.<br \/>\nPlayer Driven Mystery: Unravel a tapestry of interwoven narratives through exploration, conversation, investigation, and combat, where every choice you make has consequences.<\/p>\n<p>Search, Scavage, Survive: You\u2019ll need to scavenge for supplies, craft weapons and items, and fight desperately to make it out alive!<\/p>\n<p>Desperate Combat: With weapons and ammunition scarce, each frenetic engagement will see you blend marksmanship with vicious hand-to-hand combat. Manage your heart rate to hold a steady aim and ensure you have the energy you need to reach for your cricket bat and land the killer blow.<\/p>\n<p>Green and Unpleasant Land: The picturesque British countryside, with rolling green hills, lush valleys, and rural villages belie the dangers that await you. Navigate cult-controlled ruins, natural caves, nuclear bunkers and more as you explore this dense, foreboding world.<\/p>\n<p>Reimagining Windscale: A fictional reimagining of a real-world event, Atomfall draws from science fiction, folk horror, and Cold War influences to create a world that is eerily familiar yet completely alien.\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>.post-template-default .xwsrc-block-content-block .wp-block-column.flex-basis-50.push&#8211;25.column&#8211;content {<br \/>\n\tflex: 100%;<br \/>\n\tmargin-left: 0;<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside aria-labelledby=\"related-stories--207287__title\" id=\"related-stories--207287\" class=\"curated-content-panel\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns has-border--top\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column flex-basis-30\">\n<h2 id=\"related-stories--207287__title\">\n                        Related Stories <span class=\"sr-only\"> for \u201cAtomfall\u2019s Unique Approach to Quests Makes You a Post-Apocalyptic Rural Detective\u201d<\/span><br \/>\n                    <\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp=block-column flex-basis-70\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns\">\n<article class=\"wp-block-column flex-basis-33\">\n                                                <a href=\"https:\/\/news.xbox.com\/en-us\/2025\/03\/07\/core-keeper-boss-stomps-sandbox-adventure\/\" class=\"featured-image size-full-size default\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1440\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"attachment-full-size size-full-size wp-post-image lazyload\" alt=\"Core Keeper - Bags &amp; 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