Featured Image Credit: Rebellion Developments
Topics: Xbox, PlayStation, PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PlayStation 5, Steam, Features
Topics: Xbox, PlayStation, PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PlayStation 5, Steam, Features
Atomfall has been one of my favourite games this year, and it’ll no doubt find its way onto my Game Of The Year list towards the end of 2025.
I’ve been enamoured with the game since I played the preview and when I reviewed it I had a hard time putting it down even after the review had gone live. The mystery of the Windscale power plant incident, the suspicious happenings in Wyndham, and the cult-like druids in the nearby forest had me investigating for days on end.
So when DLC was confirmed I was ecstatic and couldn’t wait to board the boat and head to the Wicked Isle, a new map to explore with its own mysteries to solve, much of which ties back to the base game.
I’m quite pleased to say that the Wicked Isle expansion does exactly what it’s meant to, it expands Atomfall’s world and gives me hope that a sequel could be on the cards one day.
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To get to the new map you meet up with a mysterious boatman in Wyndham, who tells you there’s something on the abandoned island that he needs and you might be just the person to get it for him. Agreeing to depart he ferries you across the water and you’re free to explore, though he requests you meet him later to discuss what it is you need to retrieve for him.
Like Atomfall you’re given complete freedom of what you want to do and in what order, with unique dialogue unlocking for NPCs based on clues you’ve found and prior conversations you’ve had. It’s more of the good stuff from the base game, and the new characters are interesting and add greater depth to this world.
What stood out to me the most with the Wicked Isle DLC though was how it dials up the horror. Atomfall isn’t a cheery tale, the desolate bunkers and deceased English residents are a clear indicator of that but Wicked Isle takes the spooks to a new low. Something about the island just felt…off. There were times when it felt like I was being watched, and the disturbing audio cues that played while wandering added tension to the exploration. The Druids from the base game are back and make up the majority of enemies on the island, but they feel more dangerous this time around, and I swear they’re tougher to kill than in the base game.
One unique enemy I came across, the Beekeeper, was straight-up nightmare fuel when I first fought him. He came out of nowhere and was unrelenting in his pursuit of me, making every missed shot feel like a signature on my death certificate.
The Wicked Isle also dives deeper into the supernatural. Without getting into spoilers for those who haven’t played yet, whatever went on at Windscale has done something to the land around it. That’s why the Druids are around, they believe whatever is in Windscale is a key to salvation but The Wicked Isle introduces a faction far more sanctimonious, The Monks.
You’ll meet The Monks pretty early on but not in the way you’d expect, and you can follow their questline to unlock a new ending for the base game if you vibe with them. There are two other people on the island who’ll help you achieve a new ending as well, so it’s a good idea to save regularly so you don’t lock yourself out of any of them by mistake.
In terms of new gameplay innovations there unfortunately aren’t any, but some new weapons have been added like a cutlass, a blunderbuss and some new ceremonial weapons wielded by the Druids. Some new upgrades have been added too, some of which are very useful both in the DLC and the base game.
All in all the Wicked Isle expansion is about what I expected from an Atomfall DLC. It’s reasonably lengthy, adds some fun characters and new secrets to uncover, and I’m always grateful for new endings especially when the base game has plenty of them already.
I really hope this isn’t the end for Atomfall and hope it blossoms into a series of some kind. A straight-up sequel probably wouldn’t work due to the multiple endings but another game set somewhere else that merely references the events if Windscale would be grand. I don’t know if we’ll get it, but I really don’t want to say goodbye to this world just yet.