Chris InglisWhen I first played Atlas Fallen by Deck 13 and Focus Entertainment last year, I really enjoyed my time in the game with its fast-paced and challenging combat and the vast and beautiful world to explore. I did struggle with character progression and certain monster difficulty, choosing to avoid those fights until they appeared in story beats. This week, Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand launched as a free update that expands on these strengths in exciting ways. Ben Staar, voice actor from Final Fantasy XVI and Warframe, has lended his voice to the male player character, which is nice, though I didn’t really have an issue with the original. However, it’s the changes to combat and gameplay that had me hooked on the game once again.
The Reign of Sand update enhances the already stellar combat by introducing new enemy types that challenges you to adapt their strategies. An expanded Essence Stone system, with a whopping 25 new stones, offers a significant boost to character customisation. This allows for a vast array of playstyles, encouraging experimentation and mastery of different combat approaches. I don’t know if it was just having new essences to use or if it is directly a tribute to how the developers have modified combat, but I found that I was able to defeat some of the monsters I had previously struggled with much easier. I could more easily balance building momentum while keeping agile during fights to dodge heavy hits, and I was having a blast.
Performance-wise, during the original review period last year, the game ran quite rough for my ageing PC. The menu in particular dropped frames hard. That seemed to smooth out a little at release, but once in game it ran smoothly for me. This time around, I felt a similar jank in the menu when I first loaded up Reign of Sand. However, once I locked the FPS to 60, both the menu and in-game ran super smooth, and I haven’t had a single crash whilst reviewing this update. I can’t speak for other players, but I certainly think the game is running the best it has ever done thanks to this update.
The new character experience has been enhanced and progression feels faster and much more concise, getting you straight into the crux of the game’s premise. Sand surfing is still cool as heck, and once you unlock the ability to double jump and double air-dash, traversal is super smooth. It’s hard to work out if the sheer volume of shiny collectibles were the same at launch as there are now, but I took so many detours when I spotted a shiny in the corner of my eye. I was invested in completing collections but also to sell them at travelling vendors for new essences, armour dyes and new armour sets.
There are some new encounters as you progress the story and these start with Corruption Breaches that are multi-phase fights that can get intense. Later, you will unlock rifts on the map. These have you playing as Nyall, previously just an advice-providing companion, who travels to a new map call The Scourge. In these areas, Nyall can use the essences your main character uses, but he also has some new and unique skills that can only be used in the scourge. This new area contains towering structures and a corrupted, almost ethereal atmosphere.
One common critique I heard of the base game was a lack of post-game content. This aspect of games doesn’t bother me much as I’m a gamer Dad with young children, so I am just lucky to complete a game’s story once, let alone want to do more beyond that original ending. However, for the gamers that enjoy testing their skills and extending time in the game, Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand introduces a New Game Plus mode. This mode allows players to carry over their character progression and tackle the game’s challenges with a newfound sense of power. This not only increases replayability but also incentivises players to experiment with different builds and strategies during their initial playthrough, knowing that their efforts will be carried forward.
Overall, Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand is a superb update that substantially enhances the base game making it feel fresh and exciting again. This free update delivers a wealth of new content, expands upon the game’s core mechanics, and provides a new post-game challenge through New Game Plus. Whether you were a fan of the original game’s combat or exploration, or both, Reign of Sand offers plenty of reasons to revisit the world of Atlas Fallen.
This review utilised a key provided by Sandbox Strategies and Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand is out now on Steam, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.
#roundtablecoop
Yonan