This upcoming'survival action game' looks like Stalker crossed up with an episode of your mother's favorite British murder mystery show

Have you ever wondered, "What if Stalker were extremely British?" You probably haven't, but if this idea has intrigued you, you might be interested in Atomfall. It looks like it might just fit the bill.

Atomfall, developed by Sniper Elite's Rebellion studio, is a single-player "survival action game" set after a fictionalized nuclear catastrophe. In this case, the Windscale Fire of 1957, which was the largest nuclear accident in UK history. The Windscale fire was not as catastrophic as the 1986 Chornobyl catastrophe, but it did burn for three days. It also released radioactive fallout over the UK and much of Europe.

The real-world government at the time covered up a lot about the accident. Atomfall imagines an alternative outcome: instead of trying to bury it all, authorities create a quarantine area around what is a mostly idyllic, rural landscape, similar to the kind of location you'd find in a typical Midsomer Murders episode.

Atomfall takes place five years after Windscale, and the situation is not good. Five years is a very long time to be isolated from the rest of the world. Some locals are getting twitchy. You'll also have to deal with military encampments, armed people who live there, abandoned underground bunkers and pagan ruins. There are also giant robots and other "secrets" that you can dig up using your metal detector.

What is your role in all of this? I suppose it's to figure out why this supposed short-term quarantine has now lasted five years. Steam says: "Explore a fictional quarantine zone. Scavenge, craft and barter your way through a British country setting filled with bizarre people, mysticism and rogue government agencies. "Unravel the tapestry of interwoven stories through exploration, conversation and combat. Every choice you make will have consequences."

Stalker's not the only post-apocalyptic game you could compare it to. Fallout is a natural choice because of the 1950s setting. I can even detect a little Atomic Heart in it. Atomfall, to me, looks like The Very British Stalker. For that, you have my money.

Atomfall will be released in March 2025. It is now available on Steam and Epic Games Store for wishlisting.