Deck13 Studios, known for their hit games The Surge 1 and 2 along with Lords of the Fallen, has unveiled Atlas Fallen as one of summer’s most anticipated titles. With Focus Entertainment throwing full support behind it, including a flurry of exciting trailers and insightful commentary videos, there was a lot of buzz around this game. However, once the reviews started rolling in, things took a disappointing turn. Upon checking Metacritic, where the global score currently sits at 64% based on 44 compiled reviews, it’s clear that expectations were not met. The consensus seems to be that Atlas Fallen falls short of its promises, with reviewers pointing out unappealing visuals, cumbersome mechanics, and frustrating controls. Most importantly, players are finding the gameplay dull despite the initial promise of an open world set in a sandy landscape with surfing adventures and battles against swarms of enemies. Here’s a rundown of the scores from around the globe.
Metro GameCentral gives Atlas Fallen a score of 5 out of 10. While the game offers thrilling action RPG gameplay with satisfying battles and stunning scenery, it’s let down by several flaws. Players will encounter frustrating navigation challenges and an overabundance of tedious retrieval quests, which can dampen the overall experience despite its promising start.
Over at CGMagazine, Atlas Fallen receives a score of 4/10 and earns the label “hard to recommend.” With janky controls and a challenging platforming system that seems to work against players, the game makes each step feel like a battle.
GamesHub: 4/10 – The initial joy of surfing down a sand-covered mountain in Atlas Fallen is truly exhilarating! You’ll instantly crave another go and can indulge as much as you like whenever there’s sand around, soaring over vast distances while taking in breathtaking views. Sadly, this isn’t the case for combat, which quickly becomes tedious. When dull battles dominate your playtime, it’s tough to muster enthusiasm for all the game has to offer beyond just exploring its beautiful landscapes.
Gamekult: 5/10 Sometimes, a preview can be deceiving—and rarely for the better. In my young but enthusiastic career as a journalist, I’ve never encountered a demo that later turned into a pleasant surprise. Instead, it’s often the case that a condensed gameplay experience feels far more engaging than its sprawling final form stretched across twenty hours. Keeping a concept vibrant over such an extensive playtime is no small feat. Today, we dive into Atlas Fallen with high hopes, only to find them buried in the vast desert sands of the game. Here, innovative ideas and creative elements struggle under the weight of execution challenges, where bursts of adrenaline are overshadowed by stretches of tedium.
Gameblog: 6/10 It’s tricky to find your rhythm with **Atlas Fallen**! Deck13’s title offers some fantastic ideas, but it either falls short or stumbles in the execution. Imagine feeling exhilarated during a boss battle only to have that thrill cut short by a major bug that forces you to load the game again—or struggling through the next encounter because of imprecise targeting. The movement across open zones is enjoyable, yet there’s so little to see that it becomes frustratingly dull. To truly enjoy **Atlas Fallen**, everything has to come together perfectly, but with all its pitfalls, it rarely does. So, you might find yourself getting pulled back into its shifting sands much less often than you’d hope.
ActuGaming: 6.5/10 Atlas Fallen might not be Deck13 Studios’ strongest entry yet, but there’s plenty of potential hiding within its world. The lore is captivating, and the story is well-crafted, making for an engaging experience right from the start. The combat system, in particular, is lively and surprisingly accessible, providing moments of pure fun that keep players hooked. However, as you delve deeper into Atlas Fallen, you’ll notice some areas where it falls short. For instance, the RPG elements feel a bit simplistic and underutilized, leading to repetitive gameplay over time. The narrative also tends to fade into the background at times, and the final boss fight might leave you feeling let down. On top of these issues, there are several bugs that can be frustrating, like enemy locking problems that disrupt your flow. Despite these challenges, Atlas Fallen is a game you find yourself wanting to return to, almost as if it’s a guilty pleasure. It may not be perfect, but it has enough content and charm to keep Action-RPG enthusiasts entertained.
IGN: 7/10 Atlas Fallen shines as a solid action RPG set in an expansive open world filled with thrilling platforming and colossal monsters to conquer! While the storyline might feel a bit underwhelming and the graphics could use some polish, especially on console versions, there’s still a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. The combat is superbly crafted, the exploration is robust and full of surprises, and the customization options are surprisingly deep. Exploring its dark sandy landscapes with a friend online is a blast, even if cross-play isn’t available. Despite minor setbacks, Atlas Fallen delivers an unforgettable world that’s truly worth diving into!
Push Square gives Atlas Fallen a 7/10, calling it Deck13 Interactive’s boldest venture yet—and their best game so far! The navigation system is fantastic, and the combat really keeps you engaged; they’ve nailed gameplay in every way possible. That said, there are some rough edges to smooth out—technical issues and lengthy loading times can be a bit of a bummer. But when Atlas Fallen hits its stride, it’s absolutely mesmerizing—the seamless blend of movements and combat is simply dazzling!
Gamereactor UK : 7/10 The story of Atlas Fallen will provide you with a few hours of enjoyment, but won’t be particularly memorable.
Noisy Pixel: 6.5/10 If you’re someone who longs for that classic sense of adventure and discovery, Atlas Fallen might hit all the right nostalgic notes. Yet, while exploring its vast world is undeniably captivating, other aspects such as the story, character development, and overwhelming customization options feel less polished, leading to a somewhat forgettable experience overall.
SpazioGames: 6.3/10 It’s really disappointing that Deck13’s new IP feels so generic and confusing, especially since it has some bold new ideas hidden within. Right now, Atlas Fallen is more of a typical action RPG with frustrating targeting issues and just a few open-world maps to explore. Sadly, there are better options out there for players looking to dive into an expansive world.
Finger Guns: 6/10 Atlas Fallen really sparkles when you’re having fun kicking around crabs and battling massive snakes! Unfortunately, those delightful moments are few and far between. While navigating the vast desert landscape is smooth sailing, the repetitive trek across its deceitful terrain can become tiresome after just a short while. Once you’ve crossed that tedious stretch thirty times, you’ll find yourself losing interest in exploring further. The combat system gets high marks for being engaging, but it’s also easy to overlook once the initial excitement wears off.
Developed by Deck13 Studios (the minds behind The Surge 1 and 2, as well as Lords of the Fallen), Atlas Fallen was hyped up to be one of this summer’s must-play games. With Focus Entertainment’s generous promotion through trailers and commentary videos, it seemed like a surefire hit. But alas, reality has come crashing down in the form of reviews that have poured in over the past few hours. A quick glance at Metacritic reveals a global score of 64% based on 44 reviews, which is quite a letdown. The consensus is clear: Atlas Fallen falls short of expectations. Despite its potential—a vast open-world desert setting where you can surf and battle hordes of monsters—it struggles with unappealing graphics, clunky mechanics, awkward controls, and an overall lackluster gameplay experience. Here’s what the world has to say about it:
Developed by Deck13 Studios (the creators behind The Surge 1 and 2, as well as Lords of the Fallen), Atlas Fallen was hyped up as one of this summer’s must-play games. With Focus Entertainment throwing their weight behind it—producing a flurry of trailers and commentary videos—the game seemed destined to wow players with an unforgettable experience. Alas, reality has fallen short of expectations. As soon as reviews began trickling in, the buzz quickly turned to disappointment. A glance at Metacritic reveals an underwhelming score of 64% based on 44 reviews, which is a major letdown for what was once such a promising title. Across the board, critics agree that Atlas Fallen falls short of its lofty ambitions, plagued by unattractive graphics, awkward mechanics, and frustrating controls. Most damningly, the gameplay feels monotonous and lacks sparkle. It’s truly unfortunate because the concept itself—exploring an open-world sandy environment where you can surf and fight hordes of enemies—sounds incredibly exciting. Here’s a rundown of how different outlets have rated it:
GameSkinny: 6/10 Despite its promising elements, there’s plenty of room for improvement. I found myself having trouble connecting with the characters and frequently felt bored. The story didn’t grab me like others have in the past, making it tough to get fully immersed. Atlas Fallen isn’t a bad game by any means; it just falls short of being truly outstanding.
GameWatcher: 5.5/10 **Atlas Fallen** might best be described by one of the last powers you unlock for your gauntlet—lifting ancient structures, revealing a hidden world with majestic buildings and long-lost relics. Yet after this thrilling moment, you find yourself faced with empty boxes and wooden planks scattered in the sand, collecting them tediously for resources. Are you eager to uncover the mythical history of the divine battle that lies beneath your feet? Alas, it seems more like gathering metals from the local terrain just to make ends meet… These letdowns speak volumes about a game that starts off promising but quickly becomes monotonous. There are moments of enjoyment and cooperative gameplay can indeed bring out more乐趣似乎在这里中断了，我继续以符合指令的方式完成：While there are definitely enjoyable moments in **Atlas Fallen**, and cooperative play does add an extra layer of fun, the overall experience is marred by a sense that the game actively resents its players. Despite the initial thrill of uncovering ancient secrets, the reality often feels like grinding through repetitive tasks just to progress. It’s a shame because there’s potential for so much more—a world brimming with history and adventure—but instead, it leaves you feeling let down and unfulfilled.This disappointment permeates most aspects of **Atlas Fallen**, making it hard to recommend as an engaging action-RPG experience despite its initial allure.
The Sixth Axis gave Atlas Fallen a score of 5/10. The game truly shines during epic battles against massive enemies where you build your constructions through trial and error, but it soon becomes tedious and frustrating as you repeatedly face the same foes, the story loses its spark, and environments start to feel repetitive and blend together.
GamesRadar+ : 5/10 If you were asked to picture a rather average open-world action-adventure game in 2023, Atlas Fallen might come to mind. While nothing here is outright terrible, there’s also very little that stands out as original or genuinely entertaining. It feels like everything has been done before, and if you haven’t experienced it already, there are definitely better games to dive into.
Gaming Nexus: 7.5/10 Atlas Fallen might not make it to any ‘Game of the Year’ lists, but its innovative and refreshing combat system makes it a game worth exploring. While getting through the opening and closing stages can be a bit tedious with numerous bugs along the way, there’s definitely potential for a sequel that could truly shine based on the promise of this new IP.
Everyeye.it: 7.5/10 – Atlas Fallen manages to blend its various elements with a delightful harmony! Its sandy world is a joy to explore, and it offers plenty of secondary activities that keep you hooked for hours on end—much like other top open-world games out there. The combat sequences are particularly satisfying, thanks to the well-crafted battle mechanics. While there might be some performance hiccups and artistic challenges, the narrative takes center stage as both the most vulnerable and captivating aspect of the game. Despite its flaws, Atlas Fallen truly entertains and offers a unique adventure that keeps you coming back for more!
Player 2 gives Atlas Fallen a glowing 8.3/10! While it’s true that every aspect of the game can be found in other titles, Deck 13 has managed to blend these familiar elements into an exhilarating adventure that hits all the right marks for action enthusiasts. The story may lean on some well-trodden tropes, but it’s still captivating, and the game never overstays its welcome, making for a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
Developed by Deck13 Studios, the creators of The Surge 1 and 2 as well as Lords of the Fallen, Atlas Fallen was hyped up as one of the summer’s must-play games. With Focus Entertainment’s enthusiastic support, complete with engaging trailers and insightful video reviews, it seemed like a surefire hit. But alas, excitement turned to disappointment almost immediately. Critics have given it mixed reviews, ranging from a meager 5/10 to an impressive 8.3/10, showcasing the vast divide in opinions about this game’s quality.
