Shattering Boundaries: How Fallout: New Vegas Inspired the Freedom of Atomfall in Post-Apocalyptic Cumbria

Since its release in 2024, Atomfall has often been compared to the Fallout franchise. Even though Insurrection’s open-world survival game commands its own unique style for the most part, there is undoubtedly some influence from its peers. However, the main appeal of Atomfall is – at least in my opinion – its portrayal of a post-nuclear devastation version of England (and no, it’s not present-day Birmingham); the game is based on an alternate history in which the Windscale fire in Cumbria back in 1957 turned the Lake District into a Fallout-like disaster zone.

On the other hand, Atomfall designer Ben Fisher has stated that he was significantly inspired by Fallout, particularly by the best Fallout game: New Vegas. This was something he discussed while speaking with TheGamer. “The storyline [of New Vegas] primarily reflects this pivotal location and the happenings within it, and every character you encounter is an eccentric individual with their own viewpoint regarding that central location,” Fisher explained. This is just one of the many influences in terms of world design, but it draws another element from New Vegas: the ability to eliminate every character.

Fisher revealed that initially, “Atomfall was designed more like a Metroidvania,” but it wasn’t quite fitting together. “So we posed the question: what if we leaned into that Rebellion cultural essence of granting players freedom and openness?” Fisher elaborated, reaching the conclusion, “What if we simply allowed them to defeat everyone? And yes, it might limit their paths, but that’s perfectly fine. It suits their style of play.” TheGamer’s Rhiannon Bevan noted in the interview that the game features ‘mysterious phone boxes’ that involve “an unknown caller guiding you in specific directions,” indicating that there are indeed safety nets to help you progress in the narrative even if every NPC is eliminated.

However, conversely, the opposite also holds true. Fisher asserted that players could feasibly navigate Atomfall without taking a life. Though, as someone who experienced a portion of the game at Gamescom 2024 and was defeated over 10 times within that hour, I doubt many players will adhere to their non-violent ambitions.

Atomfall is set to release later this month, but if you truly can’t wait, why not check out our list of games similar to Fallout to satisfy that post-apocalyptic craving (which you can definitely explore)?