It wasn’t long before we were back in the post-apocalyptic hills of the UK playing Atomfall, and the reason for this is because of the new second story DLC pack, The Red Strain, which drops on the 16th September 2025. I was lucky enough to get my hands on this DLC content and give it a try before it was released, and I can say that it didn’t disappoint. It adds a new zone (Scafell Crag), a secret research facility (Test Site Moriah), as well as new enemies, weapons, and gear. Then, to top it all off, we get another alternate ending that interlinks with the main storyline.
The Story Behind The Red Strain
Here is a quick synopsis of the new DLC pack: Nestled in the hills, there is a secret research facility called Test Site Moriah. Built by B.A.R.D. on the site of an old missile testing facility, it has become shrouded in mystery ever since its opening. Though thanks to the quarantine, the facility has fallen into the wrong hands, and a deadly virus has begun to seep out from the secret networks of the underground bunkers and labs. Though after locating a route back into the facility, you take it upon yourself to go and explore and uncover the truth behind this place and the virus.
Atmosphere and Gameplay
The new expansion leans heavily on a more eerie, post-disaster science/survival aesthetic compared to the main game. The new area, with its overrun lab environments and crimson foliage, gels really well with the game’s lore and continues to flesh out the world. This is done familiarly with notes, journals, and the environment. Though a new location isn’t the only thing we are graced with in the new storyline DLC, we get some new threats in terms of mutated/infected variants, robot enemies, and drone packs, to name a few, and of course, we get some new weapons added to our arsenal.
These are in the form of suppressed guns, heavy machine guns, which are my favourite, and flamethrowers. Not to mention a few new gadgets that complement elements of the new DLC pack, which make them relevant and fun to use. I do enjoy the additions of new endings, lore and storytelling that comes with The Red Strain as Atomfall’s base storyline was good so when you get new content that builds upon it you can’t go wrong even more so when it feels a lot more polished than Wicked Isle did, and as a returning player captures more of what I fell in love with in the base game.
Lingering Frustrations
Though I wouldn’t say it goes without its faults. The ever-present backtracking and quality of life issues are still here. I don’t know if it is because I’m accustomed to fast travel in other games, but I do find it a bit annoying that the game doesn’t have it, even more so when you do go back and forth to the same locations over and over. You also have the inventory constraints, which, when you have new toys to play with, do grind my gears a bit. There is nothing more annoying than having to spend ages trying to decide what weapons/items to take.
Final Thoughts
Overall, The Red Strain is the better DLC pack out. Its setting, sense of exploration, combat, and survival tension are everything I loved from the core game, and the DLC delivers while also adding enough new content to keep the game alive. That being said, it’s not ideal for every type of player if you are someone, like me, who sometimes gets frustrated by repetitive traversal, lack of fast travel, and sometimes really vague quest markers that do at times lead you to go around in circles.
On top of that, we still have the limited inventory space that was an issue with the base game and previous DLC pack. But these issues seem to be inherent in what makes Atomfall tick. And for those reasons, I’m giving The Red Strain DLC pack an 8 out of 10 for providing more content for us post-apocalyptic lovers.
Atomfall: The Red Strain Trailer
I would recommend this DLC pack to Players who loved the base game’s atmosphere and want more lore and new areas.
Now, for something new for me, let’s compare the first DLC (Wicked Isle) to the New one to see which one I prefer/recommend. If you are like me and enjoy deeper lore, exploration, and meaningful story connections to the main game, then go for The Red Strain but if you prefer a shorter, more self-contained adventure, then go for Wicked Isle. Ultimately, you will probably want to play both if you love the main game like me. Though The Red Strain is the better of the two in my opinion.
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Game code was provided to us for the express purpose of reviewing.
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