Atlas Fallen has the makings of a remarkable game, but almost all of its biggest victories come with major caveats to them. Sand surfing is an excellent mechanic that makes it a blast to get around the game’s vast environments, but outside of that, even the most basic movement actions feel frustratingly clunky.

The combat feels too sluggish and fails to make good on its promise of emphasizing speed and momentum. There’s certainly plenty here that deserves legitimate praise, but the end product is, nonetheless, too unpolished and rough around the edges, and never quite manages to live up to its obvious potential.