Atlas Fallen is the latest game from developer Deck 13 (The Lords of The Fallen, The Surge) and is Published by Focus Entertainment. The game is set on the world of Atlas, a once wealthy and prosperous land that is now a desolate world consumed by the dark powers of the Sun god, Thelos.
Not only has the land been stripped of all life but even the world’s inhabitants have been stripped of their names. This is where our story begins. You play as an unnamed hero, that happens to stumble across an ancient relic that could save the world, after your travelling caravan is set off course and attacked, it is now your task to go forth and bring down the tyrant and his Wraiths.
By far the strongest aspect of the game is its combat. The game boasts around 150 different essence stones for you to equip to your gauntlet these are either active or passive abilities that are split into six further categories, which include damage, survivability, and healing.
These are unlocked through the games momentum mechanic, which builds up via successive hits to enemies, however, there is a massive risk/reward to this, as it’ll allow you to deal more damage, but you will also take more damage in the process. So it does pay to be aggressive in your attack, just be prepared to get hurt in the process.
Unlike Deck 13’s previous two series, Atlas Fallen isn’t a ‘Soulslike’ and instead the combat has a heavy emphasis on speed and fluidity, however, fans of The Surge will immediately recognize it’s influence on the games body part targeting system. As the Unnamed, you get to wield up to two weapons at a time through the shapeshifting weapon, and with the right mix of abilities to suit your style, you can pull off some very deadly and satisfying combos.
The world is split into 4 main hub areas for you to explore, each as desolate as the last, but equally as gorgeous to look upon and explore. Your eyes will feast on a pallet of vibrant colours that really make these areas stand out.
From massive sand dunes to underground cave systems and massive rock formations, there are many ways to get around by utilising the gauntlets ability to air dash, raise structures from the ground, or even manipulate the sand beneath your feet to glide across the landscape freely. Each biome of Atlas is a really nice, digestible size and as a result don’t feel too big, so travelling around doesn’t feel like a chore.
Of course, your time exploring Atlas will not go without peril, at any moment you could be set upon by one of Thelos’s Wraiths. These vary in challenge and come in three categories, Lesser, Greater, and Colossal. Each wraith provides its own challenge, so learning the best way to overcome them is key.
If travelling around Atlas solo, is proving too difficult for you, there is the option to bring a friend along. Unfortunately, I was unable to make use of this feature during my time with the game so can’t speak on how well this feature works, however, I can certainly see how taking on the larger wraiths with a friend will be great fun.
With Atlas Fallen being described as an action RPG, there are of course a bunch of side quests and errands for you to do on your adventure. There are a number of towers controlled by an entity known as ‘The Watcher’ to destroy, and in doing so you will bring life back to the land and being to restore Atlas back to its former glory. Along with side quests, there are a vast number of collectibles and lore scrolls to find that will further explain everything that has come to pass.
The influences that have inspired aspects of this game are very evident. The ability to upgrade your armour at one of the worlds many anvils, which in turn levels you up and makes you stronger, is clearly ripped straight from God of War (but why not imitate greatness?). The game may not be a ‘Soulslike’ but the anvils that you find scattered wound the world work in a similar fashion to how a bonfire would work in Dark Souls.
Atlas Fallen is of course not without its faults, and the development team made me aware of several known faults ahead of time, and have stated that there will be a day one patch to fix these, so for that reason I don’t deem it fair to critique those in this review.
There were however a couple of issues that I encountered:
- One of the final bosses I had to hard reset as it stopped spawning the minions that needed defeating to take its shield down and deal damage to it
- There were several instances after fast travel where I was suspended in the air for a few seconds.
- For a game that is current gen only, there were a few load times that seemed to take a bit too long.
With there only being three weapons available, over time I did find the combat starting to feel a bit samey, so personally I could have done with a couple more weapons to have been able to play with.
Overall, for a new IP, and a game that I didn’t know a great deal about prior to playing it, I really enjoyed my time with it. If this is the beginning of a new franchise, then I will look forward to what Deck 13 have to offer as their previous outings in The Lords of the Fallen and The Surge games have certainly cemented them as a solid hand in game development.
-Jim
