Atomfall from Rebellion has been one of the most surprising games of the year so far. It was a brand-new IP that dared to do something very British in the action survival genre. Having collected, witnessed, and unlocked all the endings, I was still hungry for new content—even though it only launched in March. Atomfall Wicked Isle is the first story-driven DLC for the game.
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Wicked Isle adds a new area, as well as new narrative, weapons, skills, and glowing things in the night to bash with your cricket bat.
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It’s worth saying this is very much a bolt-on DLC and not an endgame affair. Atomfall Wicked Isle feels like something you should tackle during a main playthrough. Similar to how Cyberpunk 2077 handled Phantom Liberty, rather than after everything is said and done.
Many of the main game’s endings also involve crossing a point of no return. That’s the situation I found myself in with my main saves, so I had to dig through old files to find one set in the middle of the world falling apart (if you know, you’ll know).
If you’re playing it as part of your overall playthrough, I can easily see it becoming an area you bounce back and forth from as you pursue quests and chase new leads.
Midsummer Marauder
Set on the mysterious Midsummer Isle just off the Cumberland coastline, you take a boat from the docks and are left to explore an abandoned fishing village, a crumbling abbey hiding more than a few dark secrets, and, of course, yet more shady B.A.R.D. facilities.
It’s not a massive island. about the same size as the other zones in the game—but it’s densely packed with enough points of interest to keep you exploring. Expect to find caves, forests, and tunnels.
Backtrack and Forth
You’ll be doing a fair bit of backtracking to the mainland while completing the main questline, which is a bit of a faff since there’s no Interchange location on the island. “Fast” travel isn’t really a thing here. You’ll be hopping on that boat every single time you need to nip back to the mainland.
Which you’ll be doing a lot, as one of the core quests involves finding four keys to open a crypt. It’s essentially one big fetch quest, which may require three or more separate trips to the mainland, depending on how many leads you’ve uncovered.
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It all feels like padding to extend the DLC, especially since retrieving each key just involves using the new variation of the metal detector. Nothing changes in the mainland areas—not even the enemies.
Speaking of which, there are two new enemy types on the island: a Druid cult and Aquatic Ferals. The latter are essentially Atomfall’s take on the Creature from the Black Lagoon and are the tougher of the two, often lurking in water to ambush you.
Combat Flow
Combat remains largely the same. However, there are far more of those mutant plants, which are a pain to deal with and drain resources quickly. And if it’s the type that shoots at you, well, good luck.
On the plus side, there are some new tools to help. The blunderbuss is essentially a souped-up shotgun, unloading two shells and capable of setting enemies on fire. There’s also a new Druid bow. It’s just a quicker-firing version of the standard one, but it does make stealth a tad easier. You can now craft poison arrows, too.
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There’s a Druid dagger that looks cool and changes colour when you kill infected enemies, making it more powerful. I didn’t notice it having a massive impact, though. Bandits on the island wield a new cutlass, giving them a bit of a pirate vibe. On the skills front, there are a few that tap into using infection to your advantage.
Decomposition, for instance, turns enemies into spore resources and leaves nothing but a pile of dust. This is subsequently great for stealth since no one finds a body. Overall, the new skills and gear are decent additions but not game-changers. Don’t expect to roll up, get jacked, and steamroll the main campaign. What you gain here is more about enhancing your existing abilities.
Wicked in Both Senses
The Wicked Isle DLC is a bit of a mixed bag. It does a lot right and even adds a new ending, but it also includes elements that feel off. Especially after the main game, which was a bit of a tour de force.
That could just be me, though, feeling a tad let down after rinsing the core game. One thing’s for certain. The abundance of fetch quests might lead some to view Atomfall Wicked Isle as one massive £16.74/€19.99 fetch quest. That said, if you play it as part of your first run while immersed in the main game, it might not feel as obvious, especially when you’re caught up in what makes Atomfall so compelling.
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