you’ve grown, setting the scene for
wave-based sequences reminiscent
of the top-down shooter action of The
Binding Of Isaac or Enter The Gungeon.
Your goal is to keep both yourself
and your farm alive for a year that
comprises five seasons: Spring,
Summer, Autumn, Winter, and,
toughest of all, Nuclear Winter. Die,and you have to start over. Don’t
worry if that sounds like a big time
investment, though: seasons last
for only three days, and each day is
around three or four minutes, making
each run a speedy affair. At the
end of every season you’ll face off
against a boss, as well as a harvest
festival where you’ll be evaluated and
rewarded accordingly.Farm. Marry. Kill.
Once your chores for the day are done,
you’re free to explore a procedurally-
generated wasteland for resources.
Between that and selling crops, you
earn the cash and materials you need
to earn upgrades such as new seeds
and tools. You can even get animals
who, oddly, work on the farm. Cows, for
example, will water your crops, while
chickens automatically remove weeds.
Hey, we’ll take any help we can get.
You may find yourself longing for
some (almost) human company,
however. Romance in Atomicrops is
enviably simple – just grow some
roses and gift them to someone
in town until they agree to marry
you. Your new partner serves as a
companion in your adventures, adding
their firepower to the fight.
Beyond your basic weapon, most
guns only last a day, forcing you to
mix things up. Each encourages its
own play style – the blunderbuss, for
example, not only favours close-up
combat, but also makes enemies drop
more fertiliser for your crops.
Despite its now familiar setting,
Atomicrops certainly isn’t more of the
same. Mashing up farming sims, top-
down shooters and roguelikes, it may
have a bit of an identity crisis, but it’s
anything but dull. QPost-apocalypses aren’t exactly
uncommon in gaming. At this point,
you probably think you’ve seen
everything irradiated wastelands have
to offer. But wait! You’ve never farmed
in one, right?
In Atomicrops, you own the last
fertile fields in the end times, so it’s
up to you to grow as many crops
as you can to provide food for your
local town. Not for free, of course –
each veggie will earn you a fistful of
cash, proving that even the end of
civilisation can’t stop capitalism.
You need that dosh to keep
yourself well-equipped because,
while your crops are quite safe during
the day, at night mutated monsters
emerge from the wastes. They’re
hell-bent on destroying everythingThe developer was inspired to make Atomicrops after playing countless hours of Stardew ValleyBELOW There’s no
tax benefits in
the wasteland,
but your spouse
can help you
adventure.
Atomicrops
Farming in the post-
apocalypse isn’t so different –
well, except for all the mutants
Adam Bryant
PUBLISHER RAW FURY DEVELOPER BIRD BATH GAMES
ETA 2020“Cows will water
your crops,
while chickens
automatically
remove weeds”
PREVIEW
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