Atlas Fallen is the latest game from the minds of Deck13, developers of The Surge and its sequel, as well as the original 2014 Lords of the Fallen, and it is clear that the lessons they learned from those games have been implemented and polished in Atlas Fallen.
One second you’ll be fighting in the middle of a sandy desert, the next walking through a city that could rival Minas Tirith from Lord of the Rings, and then another time be hunting the local wildlife in the hopes they lead you to some treasure. There is a lot on offer for Atlas Fallen players, and nearly all of it is top notch.
Atlas Fallen – A Sandy Path
Atlas Fallen opens with players having to create their avatar in a relatively shallow character creator, especially compared to the likes of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty and the more recent and incredibly in-depth Baldur’s Gate 3. However, it won’t be long before that thought is long gone, with the game kicking into gear relatively quickly. After the opening involving a suspiciously Avatar-esque inspired character disappearing, we’re then in control of our created player and thrust into what feels like the middle of a story, with characters discussing a long trek, lore being thrown at us from all directions and more besides.
The world, or Atlas as it were, is one of heavy class-divide, with the lower class being denied the most basic of human privileges, and go by the ‘Unnamed’, rather than any individual moniker. Some are lucky enough to be ‘named’ after their occupations, but the majority, including our protagonist, are not so lucky.
Quickly the main quest kicks into gear, and we’re now the lucky owner of a magical gauntlet which grants us various capabilities, and with that, we’re on our way to greatness. This gauntlet is the real main character of the game, with it being the driving force behind the story during the fifteen or so hours you’ll be playing. From controlling the environment to dispatching enemies, the gauntlet is your best friend, and you’ll find yourself quickly becoming adept at using it.
The world of Atlas is massive and for the most part, it doesn’t fall into the same trap other open-world RPG’s do, with it feeling relatively lived in and populated with meaningful quests, collectibles that expand on the lore and more to find. Sand-surfing NEVER gets boring, and may just be the most fun I’ve had covering long distances in a game since Marvel’s Spider-Man.
The game as a whole definitely benefits from a friend, and the co-op in Atlas Fallen is some of the most well done I think I’ve seen. From being able to go in completely different directions, completing different missions and even collecting the many different types of collectibles (which thankfully count for both players), the game seems to have been built with co-op in mind, so find a friend for it.
Atlas Fallen rewards those who explore not just with lore-expanding collectibles, but with additional powers, in the form of ‘Essence Stones’. These can range from RPG-standard-fare fire tornadoes, to blades and more, but they all have a purpose. As a whole though, the combat of Atlas Fallen is one of the few downsides, as it regularly devolves into mashing the attack button with no real rhyme or reason, before blocking an enemy attack to freeze them, and then continuing the same mashing. With three different types of weapons on offer, this does limit the combat experience somewhat, and could certainly do with some more to offer.
Whilst exploring the world you’ll find yourself willingly deviating from the main quest, with your friends from the camp at the beginning long forgotten, and the protagonist thrown into a battle between two Gods, the smaller stakes seem to matter less, and you’ll just want to explore, meet the people of Atlas and take those gauntlet powers to town on the plentiful Wraith that inhabit this world.
Players can expect everything a normal RPG has, with armour-levelling, skill-learning, masses of collectibles and an intriguing story that’ll have you thinking about the world around it, and Deck13 definitely deserve some plaudits for that, as the world itself, along with its inhabitants are some of the most interesting I’ve seen in recent years. Come story’s end you’ll find yourself wanting more, that’s for sure, and that is only ever a good thing where games are concerned.
8/10
Atlas Fallen was played and reviewed on a code supplied by Indigo Pearl.
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