It has only been a few months since Atomfall was released, becoming one of the most hidden gems of the year. Now it’s back for a second helping with the release of the expansion pack, Wicked Isle. Is this story DLC worth checking out? Or should it have stayed quarantined in the Lake District?
Back To The Countryside
Atomfall is still fresh and fond in my memory and for good reason. The story, with its freedom to make choices, ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the year so far for me. So, when Rebellion announced the story expansion entitled Wicked Isle, I instantly wanted to go back into the countryside. Luckily for me, Wicked Isle is just what I wanted more of in the world of Atomfall. The main story of the base game told a tale set in an isolated, bordered up quarantine zone in the Lake District. There are four major locations in the base game and now, with the release of Wicked Isle, there is a brand new intriguing location: Midsummer Isle. This is an island off the coast of Wyndham which has lots of areas to explore – the centre piece being a dilapidated church. It’s a great new mysterious location which adds to Atomfall’s already impressive portfolio of locations.
To access this DLC, you can speak to an NPC named Bill Anderson. He is a boat captain at the docks of Wyndham Village. From here, you are free to travel to and from the island but I’d recommend you fully experience this location with a levelled up character to truly enjoy it. The story of Wicked Isle serves as more of a companion piece to the main narrative. For some, that will be disappointing as it doesn’t do anything particularly different, but for me, for the most part, I loved it. This is more of the Atomfall we know and love. You are free to discover and uncover the mystery of the island, however you see fit. It’s another marvel in player freedom as you wander around this abandoned fishing island, trying to piece together what happened here. The new characters added are memorable with Bill himself the main standout. New endings are also added which help create even more replay ability. The only real gripe I have with the narrative of Wicked Isle is that it has some poor filler quests that feel shoehorned in, simply to stifle the progress of the player. These fetch quests are boring and take you out of the immersion. The length of the DLC is also relatively short and for the price of this expansion, (15.99 – roughly a third of the base game), it may not be enough to satisfy some players. Overall, if you love the story of Atomfall, this is more of what you love. Another fantastic effort in environmental storytelling.
Creatures From The Blue Lagoon
While Wicked Isle has a lot of what made Atomfall brilliant, it also adds some new features for players, albeit too few. New weapons, such as the blunderbuss shotgun, feel great to use and whilst ammo remains scarce, using this weapon is a blast! Daggers and the cutlass are added as melee weapons, which adds to the variety for players. There are also new enemy types to discover and battle, with the aquatic feral taking the limelight. These mermen-like monsters really add a new horror and post-apocalyptic twist and every encounter with these creatures left me feeling tense and panicked. They are a really memorable foe. Alongside these monsters, there is a new cult called the Abbey Druids. Unfortunately, these are just reskinned druids from the base game at Casterfell Woods, which is profoundly disappointing. Additionally, new bandits also feel and act exactly the same as the ones you’ve previously encountered. Thankfully, there are new skills and items to craft, which helps add variety. It’s just a shame Rebellion didn’t add more new items to entice players to come back.
As previously mentioned, there are some issues with the quests and design in Wicked Isle.The tedious fetch quests in this expansion are mind numbingly boring and really stopped my momentum. Along with this, the bizarre decision to not have a shortcut to the Interchange is baffling. In the base game, the Interchange is the research facility that ties all story beats together but astonishingly, in this expansion, there is no shortcut or entrance from the island. This makes it so tedious having to travel all the way back from the island to the mainland to go to the Interchange and really takes you out of the immersion. Rebellion have chosen the safe route and not attempted to truly innovate on their unique design, which to me, is profoundly disappointing.
Idyllic Island
Atomfall is a beautiful game and Wicked Isle only adds to this. The island is stunning, with gorgeous locations like the church which looks so detailed and complex in its dilapidated design. The crypts look creepy and daunting, whilst the chemical bunker is horrifying in its own right. Each location is dripping in detail. A special mention also needs to go to the lighting, which, like the base game, is once again top notch. Atomfall is at its true best when you are skulking through dimly lit corridors wondering what’s around the corner. The design for the new enemies also looks fantastic, in particular the mermen, who look monstrous and terrifying as they chase you around the island. A great effort across the board once again in visual presentation.
Sadly, I regret to say the sound design and score have virtually stayed exactly same as the main game, with no real additions. New characters are voiced charmingly and quintessentially British but the new characters don’t sound unique or memorable whatsoever. The mermen look fantastic but sound very timid, creating a bizarre experience. The most disappointing aspect to this DLC for me was the lack of a new musical score since the game is screaming out for it and this could have been the moment. A true shame.
Verdict
If you love the weird and wonderful world of Atomfall, Wicked Isle is more of what the base game delivered, with new intriguing quests and a fantastic new location. Sadly though, this expansion plays it safe and doesn’t add enough to truly make it stand out alongside the wonderful original title. A lack of new additions, reused enemies and some terrible quest design bog the expansion down. There’s still the British charm, but I wanted more. I hope Rebellion continue to flesh out this wonderful world but take more risks along the way!
