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There are games that are absolutely genre-defining, and which either establish new player niches or re-establish old ones under a different light. This is exactly what Stardew Valley did when it brought casual farming RPG into the limelight, making virtually everyone care about the game and, by proxy, the sub-genre too. Atomicrops isn't exactly this type of game, though it's probably for the best, because someone somewhere had to make this ridiculous idea happen sooner or later. What Atomicrops does is that it takes what made Stardew Valley special, and then turns it on its head, adding mutants, guns, and radiation to the mix for good measure too.
In simplest terms, Atomicrops is the inevitable lovechild of Stardew Valley and Nuclear Throne, and this article is going to take a gander at everything we know about it so far to try and see what is it, exactly, that Atomicrops is going to bring to the table once it's out.
Atomicrops' standout feature is definitely its artwork, and if any of the game's screenshots remind you of some other title that you just cannot place - as was the case with us - you'll be happy to hear what that's all about. The game you're undoubtedly thinking of is Nidhogg 2, and what links that oddity with the upcoming Atomicrops is that a prominent game artist Toby Dixon developed both of their respective art styles. Right off the bat - Atomicrops is rather unique in that regard, though the good news is that it is decidedly less disgusting than Nidhogg 2 was, in case that put you off.
In our description of Atomicrops as being the unholy union of Stardew Valley and Nuclear Throne, we may have understated just how big of a role Nuclear Throne has in this hypothetical situation. Whereas Stardew Valley did have a somewhat speedy tempo that players had to contend with, it wasn't that difficult to pace yourself and plant fewer plants or some such. With Atomicrops, on the other hand, being billed as a fully-fledged rogue-lite, the game will be far more dynamic than Stardew ever was.
Mutants seem like a constant threat at any given moment, and the player's avatar is rather fast and snappy - especially when it comes to unloading hot lead in the general direction of mutated flora and fauna. Indeed, Atomicrops' plants seemingly grow in a very stressful environment, as the player has to keep taking down enemies for their investment to pay off. Thing is, however, that mutants can be used as fertiliser, so if everything turns out well, we might have a hell of a fast-paced experience on our hands with Atomicrops' core gameplay loop.
Not being a simple shooter with a mutant-farming skin on top, Atomicrops will also allow players to interact with various non-person characters and even go out of their way to marry someone whose company they find enjoyable. The non-obvious perk of doing so is that you'll get another set of hands to gun down monsters with. It's all in good fun.
Atomicrops promises opportunities to also befriend various animals and we've seen colourful mount-creatures as well, but it seems that the game will also feature various explorable biomes and whatnot, which will play host to farming equipment, upgrades, gardening tools, and other assorted goodies. All in all - a full package. Atomicrops is slated to launch sometime this year, so stay tuned!
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