Home / Features /Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand genuinely is an enhanced edition of the 2023 action RPG ByRichard Seagrave 6 August 20246 August 2024
I quite liked Atlas Fallen when it launched last year on current-gen consoles and PC. In my review, I stated “While you’re not likely to be captivated by its story or wowed by its presentation, its combat and exploration, both buoyed by the skills granted to you by your mysterious gauntlet, are likely to keep you playing.” The good news is that with the Reign of Sand update, available today, Atlas Fallen is better than ever, and addresses some of the issues players like myself had with it upon release.
Developed by Deck 13, the studio that brought us The Surge and its sequel, Atlas Fallen forgoes being a soulslike in favour of being a more accessible action RPG. It pays dividends, as it welcomes players of all skill levels to its large, sandy, open world. Multiple difficulty levels mean that those who want a serious challenge can find one, too.
After customising their character, players are thrown into a fantasy world – one that doesn’t seem all that kind to them. After finding a mysterious gauntlet that imparts its wielder with considerable power, however, they find themselves in yet more danger, but at least they also now have a fighting chance of survival. For much of Atlas Fallen, players will be trying to find out information about the gauntlet they’ve come to take possession of, and will of course also find themselves embroiled in a greater story.
It’s clear playing through the early hours of Atlas Fallen with the Reign of Sand upgrade that the story has undergone some serious changes here, making it much more attention-grabbing overall. And there’s another thing that helps it along, too; the gauntlet, which is essentially possessed by a spirit, has a new voice in the form of Final Fantasy XVI’s Ben Starr. And so, no longer do the game’s exploration and combat have to be the sole reason to play.
But honestly, it seems like nearly all aspects of Atlas Fallen have been improved in Reign of Sand. Combat has been tightened up a little, and yet more Essence Stones have been added to allow for more playstyles to be developed, leading to more variety. There are also some changes made to the campaign to make it more enjoyable, more content has been added, including new enemies, and there’s now a New Game+ mode.
If you’ve net yet played Atlas Fallen, then, perhaps now’s the time to give it a chance. It was good a year ago, and now it’s markedly better. It’s a bit of a treat for action RPG fans, and thanks to co-op you can enjoy it with others, too. But with the number of improvements here, even those who have already played it might want to jump back in. Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand genuinely is enhanced, allowing the title to finally fulfil its potential.
Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
