Excitement is building ahead of the release of a highly anticipated Cumbria-based video game.
Rebellion, the developers of Atomfall – a survival-action game with horror elements based on Cumbria and the 1957 Windscale disaster – held an industry preview event for the game in London yesterday.
It saw The Woodman pub, based on Highgate in the city, transformed into the Grendel’s Head, a pub that is set to appear in the game.
The venue was fully decorated with props including a Lake District inspired black and white signpost and was staffed with live actors dressed to represent game characters.
Hawkshead Brewery also created a special Atomfall Ale for the event, which was served on tap to guests.
An Atomfall-themed Xbox was also revealed – but it is not known if this will be available for public purchase.
It comes after Rebellion’s CEO Jason Kingsley recently spoke with Radio Times about the development of the game and the 1957 Windscale disaster and Cumbria as source of inspiration for the game.
He told Radio Times: “I always quite liked the idea of switch points in history, this happened in our real world but what if it was worse or different?
“So it was lets make something in Britain somewhere beautiful but also potentially quite grim and industrial in places.
“Until I looked at a map, I hadn’t realised the beautiful Lake District was really close to the Windscale plant, bizarrely, across this flat landscape up to the coast.
“I went with my partner and we had a good drive and explore around that area and we were taking photographs and I suddenly realised this is probably quite a high security area and I’m probably on a list or being watched now, and that fed into the storytelling side of it as well.
“It just struck me as a really interesting point in history, the whole rocket race for nuclear weapons and power coming just after the horrible period of the Second World War and all of that race for science, I find it a really stimulating place for the imagination.”
Atomfall is set to be released on March 27.
Inspired by the 1957 Windscale disaster, Atomfall is a survival-action game with horror elements based in a post-nuclear apocalypse version of Cumbria and the Lake District.
Players will be able to explore a dark version of the county’s countryside and interact with cults, rogue government agencies, a military beset with factions and other unusual characters along the way.
West Cumbrian landmarks including Sellafield and the site’s old golf ball building and cooling towers also make an appearance.
Rebellion says: “Atomfall tasks players with solving the mystery of what happened at the Windscale nuclear power station.
“To solve this, you will need to navigate military encampments, delve through abandoned bunkers below ground, and risk your life in Pagan ruins.
“Central to the dark mystery are the host of eccentric characters and cryptic organisations that inhabit the quarantine zone.
“These individuals have been cut off from the outside world for years and left to their own devices, so are anything but normal.
“But be careful, they aren’t all friendly and you will need to get to grips with an array of ranged and melee weapons if you are to survive!”
The game – which has been dubbed the British version of Fallout – was announced last June at the Xbox summer showcase by Rebellion, best known for the Sniper Elite franchise.
Atomfall will be available on Xbox game pass, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Windows PC and PC via Steam and via the Epic Games Store.
It will also be available on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4.
