Rebellion’s upcoming survival-action gameAtomfallintroduces players to an alternate history of northern England, examining what might have happened if the Windscale nuclear incident from 1957 had ended differently. Using elements from numerous genres, the hype surroundingAtomfallhas increased every time new information surfaces.
Game Rant sat down with Rebellion head of design Ben Fisher to break down some ofAtomfall’s world and mechanics. He explainedAtomfall’s approach to NPCsand dialogue options, as well as some of the choices players are afforded.This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Atomfall’s Quarantine Zone is Filled With Mysteries to Solve
Q: Players take on the role of an amnesiac. What does this perspective offer players and the overarching story?
A:As players will discover, there aremany mysteries to solve insideAtomfall’s quarantine zone, and the player’s identity is the first mystery you encounter. However, we frame this as a moral question– “What sort of person are you?” – because it touches on one of our narrative themes: It doesn’t matter who you say you are; it matters what you do. This setup also puts the player in a unique position in the game world – an uneasy balance has established itself in the Quarantine Zone, and, as an outsider, people treat you a little differently while they figure out who you are and whether they can trust you, which means that perhaps you can tip the balance in one direction or another.
How Atomfall Characterizes its NPCs
Q: How did you approach NPCs? Can you tell us about the most important NPCs players will meet?
A:We put a lot of work into thedialogue we recorded forAtomfall. Our guiding principle was to try and write them as believable, rounded characters – all doing what they consider to be the “right” thing in the face of overwhelming circumstances. We then designed conversations so that there is a natural forward momentum for them and that you open or close topics depending on how smart you are about talking to them (like a real conversation).
You may come acrosscharacters who are more influential in the world ofAtomfall, as well as those who may be more responsible for what happened. Who is the most important will depend on your choices. Among the first you might meet is Nat Buckshaw, who you find playing his guitar in the ruins of an old house. He is very talkative and more than happy to give away everything he knows… but you will need to decide whether he is trustworthy!
Q: Overall, what was your approach to characterization inAtomfall? Are characters supposed to be realistic, or maybe more absurd, likeFallout?
A:We tend to use the phrases ‘quirky’ and ‘eccentric’ when speaking aboutAtomfall’s cast of characters. Importantly, these people have been cut off from the outside world for five years and left to their own endeavors. We’ve really tried to think about how that isolation might affect them, and it’s fair to say that it’s gone a bitLord of the Fliesin places. This matches the tone of the British fiction we used as inspiration – realistic, if a little odd!
Atomfall’s Factions Explained
Q: Can you tell us about some of the “factions” players will meet and fight? How did you approach designingAtomfall’s mutated creatures, cultists, rogue military agents, and robots?
A:One of the factions you will meet early on is Protocol. This was the initial government-backed response force tasked with keeping people safe. But after five years, their outlook has soured, and they have become increasingly authoritarian in their attempt to govern the inhabitants of the quarantine zone. When designing the different characters and factions, we really went back to our influences.
Protocol reflects the Cold War espionage and government oversight that was deeply rooted in British society during the 50s and 60s. Similarly, a group of druids is inspired not only by folk horror but also by ancient Greek and Roman writings on the druidic history of Britain. Beyond this, our creature designs are inspired strongly bythings like earlyDoctor WhoorThe Quatermass Experiment– grounded but exaggerated, otherworldly but with a plausible scientific grounding.
Q: What can you tell us about Oberon, if anything? Who or what are they?
A:Well, that would be telling! It will be down to the player to find out who (or what) Oberon is.
Q: What is the British Atomic Research Division, and how does it impact and influence the story?
A:B.A.R.D. is the organization that operated theWindscale nuclear plant before the incident. They have become a bit fragmented since then. Some you will find working alongside Protocol to try and keep up their research while maintaining order within the quarantine zone. But the event has affected other B.A.R.D. members in different ways, and they are seeking their truth as to what happened. It will be down to the player to decide whom they trust and choose to work with.
How Atomfall Handles Dialogue and Choice
Q: What is the goal ofAtomfall’s dialogue options? How much does choice in dialogue and beyond impact the story?
A:Engaging in conversation withAtomfall’s charactersis central to tracking down the leads that you will discover, but you will need to determine if you can trust the information you’re being given during a conversation. Two characters may have wildly different versions of events and try to persuade you that their version is the truth. This goes for the person you chat with in the pub, as well as a mysterious voice down the end of a phone.
Q: What impacts dialogue options? We’ve seen different tones, like friendly, threatening, and desperate. Are those the three core options available for the entire game, or will certain quests or actions offer more?
A:The tones are inspired by the fact that, intypical conversation systems, it’s possible to choose an option that triggers an unexpected reaction because the way you read the line doesn’t match the way the writer intended. Given that our conversations are high stakes, we wanted to help players make predictable choices. The tones available vary wildly from conversation to conversation – we have always tried to verify there’s a range of available tones to adopt, but they are always relevant as responses to what the other person has said.
One way to look at it is that the other person is trying to get something out of the conversation, too, and the tones cover all the ways you’d expect to reply. There is no hard and fast rule we set ourselves, no “friendly meter” that ticks up to change a general friendliness score or anything like that. You have to use your intuition.
Atomfall’s Core Story Themes Explained
Q: Overall, what are the core themes ofAtomfall’s story?
A:Atomfallis a mysterythat sets you the task of seeking to uncover the truth of what happened with our version of the Windscale Incident. Central to this is the question of how you show people who you are and how you make sense of the world around you. It is a story about making the best out of a difficult situation with no right answers, only consequences.
Q: Are there multiple endings toAtomfall?
A:Yes, there aremultiple endingsthat will depend on the choices you make. Players will need multiple playthroughs to experience them all because the choices that lead to certain routes through the game close off others. All the leads connect to one another, giving the feeling of one flowing story from start to finish.
How the 1960s Influenced Atomfall
Q: The 1960s were also an interesting time for thematic exploration. How would you say the 1960s influenced the story themes, characters, and setting?
A:The pulp culture of the 1950s and 1960s was a major influence onAtomfall. In particular, players can expect to feel the influence ofsci-fi from this era, likeDay of the Triffids,Doctor Who, andThe Quatermass Experiment. The fiction of the era explored themes of paranoia, unease, distrust of the government, uncertainty about urbanization, loss of tradition, and keeping calm in the face of grand threats. All of this filtered into the world ofAtomfall.
Q: How did you approach creating this quarantine zone to also represent the UK at a time?
A:We wanted the quarantine zone to encapsulate what people would find should they travel to Cumbria in England. Therefore,Atomfall’s terrain comprises open moorland, dense woodland, rocky crags, and, of course, picturesque English villages, among others.
Atomfall’s Map and Biomes Explained
Q: What can you tell us about your interconnected map design philosophy at large? How does it serveAtomfall?
A:Rebellion games all build upon an “observe, plan, execute” philosophy – we want to give the player an overall objective and then freedom within a densely connected sandbox to play how they like and express their own story through gameplay. We doubled down on this withAtomfall, amplifying our learnings fromtheSniper Eliteseriesand making the philosophy of a sniper mission apply to the entire game.
Q: What can you tell us about the biomes across its smaller maps? Given the rolling green fields of the UK, how did you ensure each biome remained distinct?
A:As players will see, each biome has a different look and feel and is also inhabited by different enemies, factions, and creatures. This allows us to create different areas that feel distinct and have their own character. For example, open spaces have become populated by roving gangs and invoke a sense ofpost-apocalyptic survival. Whereas in the more isolated areas like Casterfell Woods, we’ve really leaned into folk horror elements that dial up the eeriness.
Q: What can you tell us about Wyndham Village? What should players expect from this town?
A:Wyndham Village embodies that‘keep calm and carry on’ British mentality; despite being cut off from the outside for five years, these people are determined to live a ‘normal’ life. But, as you explore and speak to people in the pub after a pint or two, you will realize that there is more going on beneath the surface in this picture-perfect setting. When you visit Wyndham, be sure to visit the church!
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