Atlas Fallen is an action RPG adventure that was released on 10 August 2023. It was developed by Deck13 and published by Focus Entertainment. Deck13 Interactive is a German video game developer and publisher behind other successful titles like The Surge and Lords of the Fallen. So, there was no shortage of experience coming into Atlas Fallen.
Atlas Fallen, which is slightly different from what Deck13 is known for, was released across multiple platforms including PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. While the game was a gem in certain areas, graphic issues, and a weak story held it from soaring.
“Atlas Fallen is a solid open-world action RPG with plenty of platforming and large monsters to fight,” IGN’s Gabriel Moss explained his experience after playing on PS5. “Putting aside its weak story and the console version’s gritty graphics there’s a hidden gem of excellent combat, robust exploration, and surprisingly deep customization to uncover in the sinking sands of its arid wilderness.”
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Atlas Fallen starts out with a female narrator saying that “every grain of essence holds eternity”. Essence here is a tiny sparkling rock that the narrator mentioned was not meant for mortals but for Thelos, “the god who demands Essence”.
In the next scene, we see drawings of masked people with pickaxes apparently mining Essence—that painting will be used frequently in the game to give the player a backstory. The female narrator mentioned that after bowing for so long, she would “bow no longer”. So, during an eclipse, she rebelled which led to serious fighting and death. However, she hoped that her action would awaken something.
The next thing that followed was a blue character saying that a light called him. From there the player takes control and starts meeting horned creatures spawning from the ground.
Atlas Fallen failed to grab attention in the first 5 minutes
The epilogue of the game ended with the blue character asking a voice he heard, “Who are you?” After that, the game cuts to the character creation screen with the title—you guessed that right—“Who are you”. For a creative mind, that is really an impressive link.
However, the first major problem of Atlas Fallen was the fact that it failed to grab our attention in those first few minutes. Players got a chance to experience the combat system—which was really great. However, the bland nature of the story can be a bummer for story-oriented gamers. The story simply did not pop. For the first 30 minutes, we were left wondering, “What is really happening?”
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Firstly, there was no real emotion in the female voice narration. It just sounded like a Russian chick soliloquizing. The score didn’t help either. Take God of War, for example. From the first minute of the game, players are drawn into the grief of Kratos as he chops down a log to give his wife her final rite—and the emotion is heightened by the score.
Atlas Fallen had none of that. After the first 5 minutes, it was clear that Deck13 was more interested in building out a glamorous combat system rather than a gripping story. If you are the type that wants action and always skips cutscenes, Atlas Fallen will take you on a memorable ride.
The story gets more complicated after the character’s creation
Once you are done creating your character, you awaken to the voice of Tracker who tells you that the caravan was attacked, that she has been searching for survivors, and that both of you have to make it back to the camp. Apparently, the scene before the character creation was just a dream—your dream.
Then, there is another jump to a scene with you and Tracker sitting in the camp with two burning candles separating the both of you. “We made it… Thank you… for saving my life,” you tell Tracker. The dialogue stretches for minutes. Thankfully, you can skip all of the dialogues.
However, if you decide to stick with it, you will sometimes be presented with options on what to say. However, it is not the sort of game where your choice will eventually shape the direction of the game. The dialogues often feel like rambling that doesn’t really move the game’s story’s needle.
Another thing that is easy to see is the lifelessness of the NPCs. They act totally emotionless and disconnected from their environment. Also, it is not the first time that we have seen a game with a talking gauntlet. We saw it in Forspoken—and the response wasn’t so pleasant.
Unfortunately, you will be stuck with the gauntlet through most of the game. Therefore, you just have to get used to the voice or you will have a rough time. Also, defeating giant creatures with a giant gauntlet felt like Deck13 Interactive was reading from Forspoken’s playbook.
Where Atlas Fallen really shines is the innovative combat system
Atlas Fallen tries to make up for what it failed to deliver in the first hour (or so) by offering background information through tidbits and texts that the player would find during the adventure. However, this may not be a creative way to deliver a great story. Stray did it better.
The story of Atlas Fallen and some of the gameplay elements may feel all too familiar. However, where it really stood out is the beautiful dunes, ruins, and landscapes. The game makes you feel the weight of an unseen eye observing your actions and adventure every step of the way.
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The combat system feels fresh. Atlas Fallen has a feature known as “Momentum”. Your momentum increases with each string of attacks dealt to an enemy. As your momentum grows, your weapon will get bigger and so will the damage dealt on the enemy. However, momentum is a two-edged sword, meaning that as your momentum grows the damage you will take will grow too.
Another area where Atlas Fallen shines is the air-dash combat system. It was so smooth that you can take out a bunch of aerial enemies without touching the ground. Each time you hit an enemy, it recharges your air dash, allowing you to stay suspended for longer.
Also, upgrading the gauntlet will further give you the power to dash through the air more times. Atlas Fallen allows a large degree of customization which is another great feature of the game. For example, Stones are items that players can equip and use in battles. It can be changed in your loadout and offer passive combat benefits.
Idols, on the other hand, is a healing device that players can add to the gauntlet. They also offer different other effects in addition to healing.
Should you buy Atlas Fallen?
If you are drawn to action-adventure games with smooth combat systems, Atlas Fallen would be an easy pick—and it should give you a lot of new features to gnaw on. The game can be likable, but you will find yourself making comparisons if you have played Forspoken—and not in a good way.
Both the world and the wraith will soon start to feel repetitive. Also, the monsters really have nothing about them that leave an imprint. In other words, you will likely forget about them the moment you are done with the game—unlike Nemesis in Resident Evil 3 which scars your mind in a way that is hard to forget.
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It is also important to mention that Atlas Fallen is not one of the games added to Game Pass. So, Xbox subscribers still need to buy the game—at least for now. That may change in the future though.
If you have played Atlas Fallen, tell us what you love or hate about the game in the comment box below. We read every comment. Below is the first hour of the game played by our favorite YouTuber @theRadBrad.
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