Table of Contents
Preface
The trailers made it obvious: ATOM RPG is an indie clone of the early Fallout games. What’s interesting is that the developers didn’t even try to hide it, they leaned into it, even poking fun at some Fallout cliches. As a big fan of the series, I decided to give it a shot. I wasn’t disappointed.
Graphics
The first two Fallout games are ancient. I doubt you could even run them on a modern PC without an emulator, and even if you managed, the original graphics would look pretty rough since we’re all used to higher resolutions and better visuals now.
I’m glad ATOM RPG didn’t try to clone the original Fallout pixel‑for‑pixel. Instead, the developers went with modern 3D graphics. Here’s a screenshot from the main menu:
It looks pretty good, especially for an indie game.
Gameplay
The gameplay is very close to the early Fallout games, and I think that’s intentional. Why change what works perfectly? There’s a huge debate over whether Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 are “true” Fallouts, and it’s a valid one.
Most game designers see themselves as artists. You can’t exactly tell an artist, “make an exact clone of this masterpiece, and don’t add anything new, it’ll only make it worse”. Artists have their own ideas. When working on sequels to classic games, they often try to express themselves, which regularly disappoints longtime fans.
I like Fallout 4, but I also admit it has almost nothing in common with Fallout and Fallout 2 in terms of gameplay. Until now, we haven’t had a 3D game that truly replicates the old 2D Fallout experience. ATOM RPG finally brings 3D graphics to that classic style, and it doesn’t feel like a completely different game, it feels like a natural extension of the original Fallout world.
Role System
The role system is very close to Fallout’s original SPECIAL system. You can also choose starting “prior conditions” when creating a character, which makes each playthrough and character build feel unique.
The skill system works the same as in Fallout and Fallout 2. You earn skill points each level and distribute them among a wide range of abilities, from pistol handling and speech craft to survival and science.
What Makes This Game Unique?
Despite its many similarities to the old Fallout games, ATOM RPG has plenty of its own flavor. The developers come from ex‑USSR countries, and the game is set in a post‑nuclear Soviet Union. That changes the entire aesthetic: buildings, cars, and NPCs look completely different from what you’d see in a Fallout title.
There are also tons of cultural references that might fly over the head of someone unfamiliar with Soviet and post‑Soviet life. Take the random encounters with scavengers on the world map, for example:
The scene shows squatting men, one in a newsboy cap. That might not mean anything to a Western or Asian player, but anyone from an ex‑USSR country knows these are “gopniks”, a low‑life social group that survives on petty crime.
All these details make ATOM RPG feel like a Slavic Fallout. The Slavic vibe might seem odd to Western fans, but I don’t see that as a bad thing. A 100% clone would be boring. This game feels more like 75% Fallout mixed with 25% weird, original ingredients that fit surprisingly well into the classic gameplay formula.
Conclusion
ATOM RPG is a great game that takes the best parts of the early Fallout titles and brings them into 3D. It’s also packed with the same kind of dark‑humor‑filled dialogue that made Fallout so memorable.
I’ve put over 50 hours into it and really enjoyed the ride. I was also impressed that the developers kept polishing the game after launch, it just keeps getting better. Honestly, I have no idea how a team that size pulled off a project on this scale. ATOM RPG doesn’t feel like a low‑budget indie effort, and I was really hoping they’d make a sequel.
Update: They did.