While I’ve never quite gotten on with Genshin Impact, I love its aesthetic. It’s vibrant, colorful, and gorgeously animated, blending traditional Asian visuals with a sprawling open-world that’s to die for. It’s grindiness and gacha mechanics are largely what’s put me off of playing it, and its high fantasy setting is something I very much need to be in the mood for. I love a bit of grit and grime, hence my affinity for Zenless Zone Zero, and new roguelike Atomic Picnic feels like it’s got that in droves. Blending HoYoverse-style animation with Hades’ traditional roguelike mechanics and fast-paced combat, Mad Mushroom’s new shooter just dropped, and I want in.
It all began with a mysterious explosion, known as the Harvest Festival. In its wake “weird things started happening,” and from the depths came myriad monsters, rendering vast regions uninhabitable. But the scorched plains are also home to various artifacts, capable of bestowing immense power on those who wield them. In Atomic Picnic, your job is to locate these items, add them to your arsenal, and try and rebuild the world.
Much like Hades and other roguelikes, these artifacts (or ‘Curios’) drop at random, and are an essential part of upgrading your build. Standard Curios grant various bonuses, and can be fused together to create Evolved Curios, which enhance your character even more. Then, there are the Cursed Curios, which offer some serious boosts, but come with an associated cost. You’ll need to weigh up what works for your character, and see if you’re willing to make the trade-off.
Speaking of characters, there are four available as part of Atomic Picnic’s early access: Ash, Bonnie, Hani, and JD. Each has their own unique set of skills, and completing runs (or ‘Picnics’) and objectives earns you Mementos, which permanently upgrade them.
You’ll be able to choose from a roster of five weapons, too, with more being added as early access rolls on. There’s also a mod system in the works, which’ll give you even more control over your specific loadout.
Finally, there are three maps to explore – City of Sands, Train Plateau, and Twilight Dam – all with their own unique enemies and bosses. As early access progresses, we’ll see more foes join the fray, and more characters to combat them. Atomic Picnic promises a vast, expansive world, and I can’t wait to explore it.
Atomic Picnic is out now in early access on Steam. It’s available for $19.99 / £16.75, and you can pick it up right here.
If it’s Atomic Picnic’s cartoon aesthetic that drew you here in the first place, we have a list of all the best anime games to keep you busy. Alternatively, if you’re looking for a more traditional shooter without the roguelike bells and whistles, check out our guide to all the best FPS games.
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