PlayStation 5 Critic Reviews

Atlas Fallen is a solid game that respects a player's time.

In this big open world there is plenty to see, do and experience. Atlas Fallen is full of puzzles and treasures. You can play the game alone or with a friend. The navigation works very organically and if you pick up the game again after a long break, you can find a short and concise tutorial list in your journal. This way you can quickly pick up the adventure without too much hassle. As far as we’re concerned, this game is easy to recommend.

When you break it down, there is nothing in Atlas Fallen we haven’t seen before. Everything it does, someone else has done in another game. That being said, what Deck 13 have done is bring these elements together into a rollicking adventure that hits all the right notes for action fans, tells an engaging (if cliched) story and never outstays its welcome.

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.

In its current state, Atlas Fallen is an excellent showcase of modern gaming that features some exciting mechanics that other action games could benefit from.

Atlas Fallen isn’t a terrible game by any stretch of the imagination, nor an exceedingly memorable one. Still, I did enjoy the time I spent playing it and think it serves as a decent diversion, if nothing else. I don’t recommend buying at full price, but I could see it being a game one might purchase at a discount later and have fun with. With the shifting of sands and the passage of time, Atlas Fallen can become a pleasant surprise for those who might eventually unearth it.

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.

While this sandy action RPG is somewhat lacking in technical and visual polish, Atlas Fallen is still a strong outing from Deck13, with the outfit continuing to prove it's got the chops when it comes to crafting interesting mechanics and fun combat.

Atlas Fallen manages to mix its constituent elements with a certain harmony. Its sandy world is pleasant to explore and contains a secondary offering that - while not straying from what we have seen in other exponents of the open world genre - expands the hour count in an uncontrived way. The clashes at the center of the experience are satisfying, thanks to the well-constructed combat system. Together with the ups and downs of performance and in terms of artistic direction, the narrative scaffolding is the most sore point of the production, which, net of its rough edges, however, is capable of genuinely entertaining.

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.