Why Atomfall’s No Fast Travel Design Will Make You Love and Hate Exploring

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Summary

  • Atomfall takes an open-zone approach with no fast travel, enhancing immersion but leading to potential backtracking and frustration.
  • The game initially had Metroidvania elements and later evolved into a semi-open world, with an unlockable hub serving as a helpful shortcut.
  • Despite lacking traditional fast travel, Atomfall also offers small, hidden shortcuts on maps to balance this out.

The game titled “Atomfall” is available now, and the latest offering from Rebellion Development strays significantly from their past works within the “Sniper Elite” series. Initially likened by many to a “British Fallout,” “Atomfall” shares some similarities with Bethesda’s post-apocalyptic series, but it is also uniquely distinct. Set in an alternate reality following the Windscale nuclear power plant accident that occurred in 1957 England, the game invites players to unearth the secrets hidden beneath the disaster.

In Atomfall, players dive straight into the action without much introduction. Fans are free to roam and discover at their leisure, even if that leads them to potentially dangerous areas inhabited by hostile groups or hazards. However, unlike an open-world game, Atomfall is divided into several self-contained regions rather than one continuous world. As players delve deeper into the game’s hidden corners to uncover the central storyline about their identity and why they’re trapped in the quarantined area, they won’t find a traditional fast travel system. This choice adds to the game’s immersion in many ways, but it can also pose challenges at times.

Minor spoilers below for Atomfall.

Atomfall Skipping Fast Travel Cuts Both Ways

Atomfall Forgoing Fast Travel Aligns With its Sense of Exploration

In a more conversational style, let me rephrase that for you: Just like some modern titles such as the upcoming “Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth” and Obsidian Entertainment’s “Avowed,” “Atomfall” adopts an open-world game design. However, unlike these games, “Atomfall” does not offer fast travel. This is a notable difference that might be surprising or disappointing to players who were anticipating this feature in the game.

In the fictional town of Atomfall, the safety perimeter encircling the always-present Windscale Nuclear Plant has been divided into five clearly defined sectors.

  • Wyndham Village
  • Slatten Dale
  • Casterfell Woods
  • Skethermoor
  • The Interchange

In the words of Rebellion, they aimed to completely immerse players in the world of Atomfall. To achieve this, they chose to omit a dedicated fast travel feature, which enhances the feeling of freedom and being thrown into an unfamiliar, harsh setting. However, this decision may result in unnecessary backtracking and confusion as players often need to traverse various zones multiple times to locate NPCs and crucial hints. Implementing a fast travel system could have reduced some of the time spent on traveling without significantly disrupting the immersion.

Atomfall Actually Has Fast Travel, Sort Of

Initially conceived as a game heavily influenced by the Metroidvania genre, Atomfall later evolved into a semi-open world game. In the early planning stages, Ben Fisher, head of design at Rebellion, envisioned it to be more aligned with this genre. However, after exploring its structure, developers decided to broaden their horizons and expand the game’s scope. Today, while some elements of its Metroidvania roots persist, they serve to lessen the impact of the absence of true fast travel in Atomfall.

At a specific stage of gameplay, players gain access to a significant hub called The Interchange. Not only is this location crucial for the storyline and essential for completion, but it also serves as a quick route to all other primary zones. However, connecting every part of The Interchange demands some unique key items. This connection can be established relatively early based on the player’s dedication. Once connected, The Interchange offers access to all regions; however, players must still navigate through it to reach their chosen destination. Despite this, utilizing The Interchange is much more convenient than constantly taking the lengthy path.

In addition to the main paths, some maps in Atomfall contain secret, less conspicuous shortcuts. While they might not be as comprehensive as The Interchange, these shortcuts can save time when navigating directly to specific destinations without having to traverse the entire map or move between various zones. Despite the absence of fast travel, which may appear unusual initially, Atomfall effectively compensates by providing alternative means to keep the gameplay immersive and engaging.

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2025-03-30 23:05