Atlas Fallen | Review Thread

[John Elden Ring]

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Game Information​

Game Title: Atlas Fallen

Platforms:

• PC (Aug 10, 2023)
• PlayStation 5 (Aug 10, 2023)
• Xbox Series X/S (Aug 10, 2023)

Trailers:

• Atlas Fallen - Lord of the Sands
• Atlas Fallen - Combat Trailer
• Atlas Fallen - "Behind The Sand" Gameplay Presentation

Developer: Deck13

Publisher: Focus Entertainment

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 67 average - 27% recommended - 47 reviews

Critic Reviews​

AltChar - Asmir Kovacevic - 80 / 100

Atlas Fallen is an action-adventure RPG that evokes a sense of nostalgia for classic hits while also infusing the genre with a refreshing and unique touch.

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Attack of the Fanboy - Marc Magrini - 4 / 5

Despite all of its flaws in story, visuals, and even design, Atlas Fallen excels simply as a video game.

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But Why Tho? - Abdul Saad - 7.5 / 10

Ultimately, while Atlas Fallen‘s narrative is a bit of a hit-and-miss, it still offers players, especially action RPG fans, a highly engaging gameplay experience in a well-crafted world.

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CGMagazine - Justin Wood - 4 / 10

Atlas Fallen is a hard game to recommend. Between janky controls and a really rough-feeling platforming system, it feels like it fights you every step of the way.

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COGconnected - Mark Steighner - 68 / 100

Like in their earlier games, Deck 13 Interactive is definitely punching above their weight. If this results in some moments of unexpected awesomeness, it also results in some rough patches and missing polish.

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Cerealkillerz - Nick Erlenhof - German - 7.3 / 10

Atlas Fallen is a difficult case. On the one hand, there's great surfing through the sand, fun-heavy combat and extensive gameplay style customization, as well as all sorts of things to discover in the open world. On the other hand, there are boring characters, a far too serious and predictable story, repetitive mission objectives and artificially difficult battles. Thus, the game can only be recommended if you lower a few expectations and are aware that it gets clunky and lacks variety in some places. Because the fun of the game is really only a layer of sand away most of the time.

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Checkpoint Gaming - Luke Mitchell - 6 / 10

There are some fundamentally great things about Atlas Fallen, like its gorgeous desert landscapes and its super-satisfying sand sliding, plus combat that has a tonne of options and flows well. But its open world of interesting enemies suffers from a rinse-and-repeat approach, where what was exciting in hour two becomes boring and repetitive by hour eight. It's not that it's poorly made, but its mission structure and by-the-numbers narrative delivered in a boring way make for an adventure that is more generic than unique. Atlas Fallen is much like a mirage in its sandy desert setting; enticing at first, but a bit disappointing once you look closer and realise it's not what you'd hoped.

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Destructoid - Steven Mills - 7 / 10

I do think there is reason enough to experience Atlas Fallen. Especially if you are a fan of the action RPG genre. It may not leave a lasting impression once you’ve completed the adventure, but it will be enjoyable enough along the way to hold your interest.

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Eurogamer - Kaan Serin - 3 / 5

Atlas Fallen echoes other mid-00s slashers with fun melee combat and cool ideas, trapped in a run-of-the-mill open world.

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GGRecon - Kiera Mills - 4 / 5

Atlas Fallen isn’t a game that will push the action RPG genre forward, but it's so much fun to play it doesn't really matter anyway.
The gameplay loop is satisfying and the aerial dash and sandglider mechanics are smooth enough that you'll be happy just exploring the world of Atlas, even if you're not progressing through the main story.
Its clunky plot holds a certain charm, and with enjoyable combat and traversal it's worth a look for anyone looking for a meaty adventure before the Fall deluge.

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GameGrin - Artura Dawn - 6.5 / 10

Atlas Fallen has a great premise with pretty enjoyable old-school combat when it works. Frustrating and unreliable mechanics might be a bit of a hindrance, but it works great as a gameplay-heavy title to pick up and play.

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Gameblog - French - 6 / 10

Deck13 brings very good ideas, but either it does not go to the end, or it misses in the execution.

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GamesHub - Edmond Tran - 2 / 5

Surfing through the beautiful world of Atlas Fallen is nice, but unsatisfying combat struggles to keep you invested.

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GamesRadar+ - Jon Bailes - 2.5 / 5

It's proficient in some respects, adequate in others, and manageable at worst. But that leaves a creative void in its world and the way you interact with it that calls into question the value of the whole endeavour.

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Gaming Nexus - Jason Dailey - 7.5 / 10

Atlas Fallen might not make any game of the year lists, but its inventive, refreshing combat is worth checking out. It will require a bit of patience, as the opening and closing acts are a protracted slog, in addition to numerous bugs, but the foundation is set for a sequel that capitalizes on the promise of this new IP.

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GamingTrend - David Burdette - 75 / 100

I wouldn't go into Atlas Fallen looking for a great story, but if you're looking for an interesting world to explore, this might fit the bill. The gameplay is a lot of fun, with foes worth your time to engage, and a fantastic customization system to battle your way. Atlas Fallen fills that old "AA THQ" hole, perfect for what it is.

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Generación Xbox - Adrian Fuentes Berna - Spanish - 84 / 100

Atlas Fallen is a game that I wanted to play since I saw the first videos, although once played it does not reinvent the wheel, if it does enough things well to consider it a game to take into account if you like its premises. It is an RPG, with a light combat system like a Hack and Slash, with touches of Darksiders and a great atmosphere.

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God is a Geek - Mick Fraser - 6.5 / 10

From the outside Atlas Fallen has all the pieces of an open world fantasy epic, but if you look a little more closely you'll see the cracks.

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Hardcore Gamer - Kyle LeClair - 3.5 / 5

Atlas Fallen is far from a perfect game, but the important thing is that it's still a fun game.

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Hobby Consolas - Ángel Morán Santiago - Spanish - 83 / 100

Atlas Fallen does not invent the wheel, but it scratches at a good level in almost all its sections, and bets on a charismatic fictional universe (with potential for a sequel). If you like hack and slash, action-RPG or the oddities of the PS3 and Xbox 360 generation, here is one of the surprises of the year.

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IGN - Gabriel Moss - 7 / 10

Atlas Fallen is a solid open-world action RPG with plenty of platforming and large monsters to fight with a co-op buddy, so long as neither of you cares about story or is a stickler for high-quality textures.

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IGN Italy - Angelo Bianco - Italian - 7 / 10

Atlas Fallen is a decent action-RPG that, with all its merits and flaws, attempts to emulate God of War with a fun and dynamic combat system. Unfortunately, in addition to the challenging confrontations with the imposing desert creatures Deck13 Interactive's game does not have much to offer from a quality standpoint. An unsteady frame-rate, along with some problems related to enemy lock-on, prevent the developers from taking the next step after the good results achieved with the two chapters of The Surge.

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Kotaku - Ethan Gach - Unscored

Deck13’s latest can’t get off the ground. Like the sandy ruins filling its world, the best parts of Atlas Fallen feel buried beneath the same open-world junk you’ve already done in a bunch of other games.

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Lords Of Gaming - Mahmood Ghaffar - 8 / 10

Despite its technical and QoL shortcomings, Atlas Fallen has me excited. The game is a testament to how far AA development has come in recent years. The game does take tired open-world tropes but adds that extra creative and unique layer that AA developers are known for. Atlas Fallen delivers a fascinating, albeit undercooked, world with solid combat and build mechanics. Undoubtedly, Atlas Fallen is another feather in Deck13’s cap.

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Metro GameCentral - Nick Gillett - 5 / 10

A combat-heavy action RPG with fun fights and spectacular landscapes, that's brought down by glitches, fiddly navigation, and an over-reliance on fetch quests.

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Multiplayer First - James Lara - 7.5 / 10

There’s a lot of potential in Atlas Fallen that, sadly, feels heavily bogged down by its forgettable and, at times, repetitive story. If you can look past that, you’ll find Atlas Fallen has much to offer. It’s a great callback to classic hack-and-slash titles, filled with hours of senseless, monster-slaying fun that can be enjoyed with another player online. It’s not without its faults mind you, but it does build a great foundation, one I’d like to see built upon with potential sequels.

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Nerdburglars - Dan Hastings - 6.5 / 10

Atlas Fallen is a mixed bag. It has classic elements that resonate with fans of open world RPGs, clever combat mechanics, and some unique exploration elements. BUT, the repetitive, hopeless world, lacklustre narrative, and often frustrating UX pitfalls temper this potential. Atlas Fallen feels more like a well-made mod than it does a standalone release.

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PCGamesN - Matt Poskitt - 8 / 10

Atlas Fallen's superb combat, intruiging world, and fluid traversal make up for a play-by-numbers narrative. Thankfully, simple things like surfing the sands of a ginormous desert wasteland and taking on behemoth beasts mean I can enjoy the game for what it is instead of what it could have been.

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PSX Brasil - Bruno Henrique Vinhadel - Portuguese - 65 / 100

Showing good ideas with poor execution, Atlas Fallen is an action RPG with flaws, strange decisions and an underused universe in many ways. It is a better experience when enjoyed cooperatively, but just a decent game nowadays.

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PlayStation Universe - Timothy Nunes - 7.5 / 10

Atlas Fallen suffers a few mishaps along the way, with enemies able to do cheap shots, modernized fast travel limitations, and a rather empty map. At the same time, there's a fun story here that keeps you moving forward, and combat itself feels visceral without being over-demanding. This is a great entry point for newcomers to the genre. Atlas Fallen has high fantasy alongside simple but intricate combat. It may not make game of the year by any means, but it certainly makes a good impression.

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Press Start - James Wood - 6 / 10

Atlas Fallen layers interesting and engaging combat systems onto a lacklustre world and frustrating camera controls making for an uneven and forgettable fantasy action outing. Deck13 continues its work of innovating the genre in interesting ways but there's just a little too much going on for Atlas Fallen to ever find solid ground.

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Pure Dead Gaming - Jim - 7.5 / 10

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.

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Push Square - Liam Croft - 7 / 10

It's disappointing to come up against a few too many flaws, but when Atlas Fallen is on form, its marriage of movement and fighting shines through.

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RPG Site - Adam Vitale - 6 / 10

Atlas Fallen is an average action RPG with some interesting Momentum combat mechanics, a passable open-world, subpar presentation, and a disappointing narrative.

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Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Ed Thorn - Unscored

An action adventure with endearing six-out-of-ten jank, carried by weighty combat with heaps of style and customisation.

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Saving Content - Scott Ellison II - 3 / 5

Atlas Fallen is a fun and exciting journey over the sand and under the sun with a combat system defined by enhancements and not the weapons themselves. The story is forgettable, but the experience isn't. It's a game that has a bevy of systems, yet it all feels artificially restrained for unknown reasons. I found the gameplay loop to be enjoyable from start to finish, and the game ended right when it needed to. Atlas Fallen is a little flat in its presentation, but it's a good way to spend a dozen or so hours sand-gliding and fighting as the Summer winds down.

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Spaziogames - Gianluca Arena - Italian - 6.3 / 10

It's a shame that Deck13 new IP it's so generic and confusionary, because there are also bold new ideas in it. Nonetheless, as it is at the time of writing, Atlas Fallen is a by-the-book action RPG with a problematic targeting system and just a handful of open maps to explore, with so much better choices on the market.

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SpoilerTV - Chloe Curnow - 7 / 10

Though the story falls short of the mark, stunning visuals help give the game a solid and polished feel. The immersive and dynamic combat gameplay however is the game's best asset, giving players full customisation of their playstyle and bringing the world to life. A good choice for a breezy and fast-paced gaming experience.

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Stevivor - Steve Wright - 7 / 10

Atlas Fallen‘s core is solid — though combat still needs some work — but it seems a bit sparse.