There have been a few games based on the desert. But unfortunately, there are fewer of them that are open world and even fewer that are good. Atlas Fallen aims to remedy this with its open world game where the protagonists cross the sands by sliding on the surface. Having received an Early Access version two months before its official release, I was able to test a small part of this world.
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Atlas Fallen
The practical experience sets the stage for something much bigger to come. They whet the appetite of potential buyers and thus create some excitement. We will thus be able to see aspects of the gameplay, as well as a little piece of the story.
Most of the game draws its story and even the protagonist's powers from sand. This is the central theme and plot of the game. The sand carries memories of the past, a time when heroes and gods roamed the world together for the good of all. Unfortunately, the gods of today have grown in their vanity and have been cast out. Therefore, only small fragments of the past still survive. This is where the protagonist comes in, exploring the ancient sands, tapping into their powers and reclaiming what was.
The foundations laid in Atlas Fallen Early Access take up certain themes from the story of Dune. Of course, it's not quite the same thing, but the mysticism and the energy drawn from the sands recall the same ethics.
As is almost always the case in open-world adventure games, you are guided by a brief tutorial. What I liked about this experience is that there isn't much of a learning curve, nor was there wasting time unlocking many of the underlying gameplay elements later in the game. Instead, you can experiment with most evolved weapons and moves immediately. This includes sand gliding, which you'll spend most of your time perfecting by traversing the landscape and avoiding enemies in combat.
Speaking of which, the combat elements of the game are a lot of fun. Players can use different options to fight, whether it's rushing headlong into an attack or optimizing their movements to avoid damage. Using specific combos also creates different combat impacts, which allow you to deal more damage. One of the key aspects is the momentum function. The more you attack, the more your momentum increases, allowing you to deal more damage and improve your combat techniques, while being more vulnerable to enemy attacks. However, if you spend more time dodging opponents, the momentum bar decreases and may reset completely, meaning you'll have to put in a lot more effort to take out those enemies.
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Pros and cons
As this is an Early Access release, the game is not free of flaws. However, I didn't encounter anything major and couldn't resolve them. The worst problem I encountered was graphical bugs. Unfortunately, the game is not yet optimized, so I was forced to lower the graphics settings to get smoother gameplay. Additionally, there are also some framerate drops scattered throughout the experience. They occur frequently and, although you can still play, they are quite noticeable.
Additionally, there are a few other anomalies in the way certain objects are positioned. They are a little off and not quite aligned. I won't put them in the same category of graphical errors, but rather in that of X and Y coordinates in the code. Nothing that cannot be corrected by doing a few development tests.
Atlas Fallen has all the potential to be a great game when it comes out. The game already has many fans, but, as we know, its success is mainly determined by sales and profits. With two months until the official release, there is still a lot to do, given the practical experience gained during Early Access. That said, the game has also received a few updates since I received the review code.
As this is an open world game, there is still a lot to discover in the full game. I can't wait to see how the story progresses and how many characters and worlds there are to discover.
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