Exclusive First Look: Crafting the Eerie Casterfell Woods in Atomfall with New Screenshots

A few weeks back, we lifted the curtain on Atomfall, presenting the latest trailer for our much-anticipated game. Get ready to embark on a gripping journey, where you’ll need to unravel the enigmatic events that unfolded at the Windscale nuclear facility in the UK during the 1950s. While rooted in history, Atomfall offers a creatively dramatized account of a real-life nuclear catastrophe in Northern England.

This new trailer reveals the game’s folk horror essence and introduces you to the chilling Casterfell Woods. Here, players will encounter a spine-tingling wicker man and a mysteriously ringing telephone box begging to be answered.

So, what sparked the creation of Casterfell Woods? We thought it might be intriguing to share the origins of this distinctive setting with you.

Our vision from the start was to infuse parts of the game with a spooky atmosphere, highlighting folk horror to contrast the more serene landscapes. While most of our outdoor locations burst with vibrant greenery, quintessentially British in their charm, Casterfell is a place designed to make you ponder what lurks in these shadowy woods. Secretive, ancient occurrences… We knew this would be a thrilling addition, so we dove into research headfirst.

Our first task was to pin down the visual groundwork for our exploratory spaces, focusing on the components needed to flesh out various natural environments. Once that was established, we could then weave in our thematic flourishes.

Early into development, our team embarked on numerous journeys to the English Lake District, gathering references and capturing stunning photogrammetry. For some of us, like myself, an American, these landscapes were incredibly exotic. The Lake District, for those unfamiliar, is a haven of lush beauty, teeming with greenery, water bodies crisscrossing the land, and majestic rock formations crowning the peaks. Everything seemed alive with ferns and moss.

Navigating the narrow Cumbrian roads was quite the adventure, especially for someone new to UK driving. Tiny lanes flanked by stone walls on one side and sheer drops on the other were nerve-wracking! Yet, the trips were undeniably worthwhile, yielding excellent reference material, gorgeous photogrammetry, and ensuring we could convincingly anchor the game’s visual identity in northern Britain.

Next up was distinguishing our world from just a scenic escape, immersing players in a bygone era while adding a twist. We delved into folk horror narratives, sci-fi, and vintage British speculative fiction for cues. Films like The Wicker Man, The Blair Witch Project, Annihilation, and Midsommar offered fantastic inspiration. We also drew from iconic BBC series like Doctor Who, The Prisoner, and The Quatermass Xperiment, alongside John Wyndham’s delightfully peculiar tales.

We wished to evoke a past era’s aura. Since the genuine Windscale incident unlocked in 1957, that’s when our game’s quarantined setting was born. But how could we embed this period vibe into nature, which remains timeless? This puzzled us significantly because, let’s face it, woods appear similarly unchanged whether it’s 1957, today, or even centuries ago.

This led us to envision who would inhabit these woods, far removed from village luxuries. How would they endure without the conveniences of modern inventions?

The answer was straightforward—they’d live as people did in ancient times, utilizing readily available resources. Wattle and daub architecture became a staple, along with thatched roofs, woven branches, and dry-stone constructions, lending an air of antiquity. These building methods might remain visible today, but they truly belong to the distant past, especially to those unfamiliar with them as contemporary constructs.

With our media inspirations in mind and a desire for pervasive Britishness, we started adding more symbolic elements. Imagery from ancient lore, effigies, and wickermen entwined with traditional maypoles and bunting fused strong pagan themes into the mix.

Anticipation is in the air! We’re excited for you to explore Casterfell Woods and uncover its hidden tales when Atomfall hits on March 27 for Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC, available day one with Game Pass. We can’t wait for you to dive into this world.

Atomfall is set to challenge players five years after the Windscale disaster in Northern England. Immerse yourself in a world teeming with odd characters, mysticism, cults, and bustling rogue agencies. From the folks behind Sniper Elite and Zombie Army, Atomfall dares you to piece together the bizarre mystery it holds.

In Atomfall, your choices matter. Navigate through the narratives through exploration, conversation, investigation, and combat, aware that each decision can steer your fate. Amidst the lush British countryside, with its picturesque hills and serene valleys, danger quietly looms.

You’ll have to scavenge, craft, and fight to survive in this unpredictable terrain. With limited resources, every combat situation calls for strategic thinking. Manage your stamina carefully, ensuring enough energy to wield your cricket bat when you need it most to tip the balance.

Atomfall reimagines the Windscale event through a blend of science fiction, folk horror, and Cold War influences, crafting an experience that feels both familiar and wholly otherworldly.