The time that games based on movies were just easy cash grabs is behind us as we see more and more movie-based games being developed by big studios and a huge budget. For the Avatar franchise (the blue alien not the Airbender) Ubisoft upgraded their Snowdrop engine to deliver the most immersive version of Pandora ever created. Is it worth buying? Time to jump in, Na’vi style!
Same Pandora, different story
As a fan of the gorgeous Avatar movies, I was pleased to learn that Ubisoft worked very closely together with James Cameron so that the game could co-exist with the movies. It’s not a retelling of the famous story, it’s a brand-new story set in Pandora so there’s something new to discover for die-hard Avatar fans. You play as a Na’vi who was taken by the RDA as a kid, together with a couple of others. What looked like a program to learn how to live together as humans and Na’vi quickly escalated into an evil plan to use the Na’vi children to conquer Pandora from the inside. Before the brainwashing could conclude, you’re saved by older Na’vi who went through the same process. Instead of conquering Pandora, you join forces with your family where you’ll try to reclaim Pandora and defeat the RDA while doing so. It’s a different starting point compared to the movies but the main idea is still you fighting against the intruders. This time, you’re not a creepy Avatar but a native inhabitant of Pandora, a planet that will help you throughout your entire adventure if you’re willing to see and listen.
Welcome to Pandora
After a rather brutal awakening where you have to fight your way out of the RDA ship to set foot on your planet, you’ll be blown away when you first see the beauty of Pandora. Ubisoft pushed their Snowdrop to the max and delivered one of the most impressive open worlds I have ever seen. Pandora really comes to life and the jungles are as dense and full of magical details as in the movies. Everywhere you look, you’ll see an alien plant or creature that you want to see and touch. The visuals demand a certain respect from the player since it’s so gorgeously created, that you won’t start running around in this virtual alien jungle, you’ll wander around in it, soaking everything up. Seeing Pandora for the first time is certainly one gaming highlights this year. It also helps that the Na’vi is incredibly well-balanced and can parkour their way through the dense jungle. Running and exploring is probably my favorite thing to do in this game but of course, there’s a job that needs to be done; Ubisoft style!
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is another open-world first-person action/adventure game where you can discover a huge map. There’s a lot to do in Pandora, from clearing main missions and side-quests to destroying RDA facilities that are polluting the planet and hunting down animals to upgrade your gear, it’s all present in this game. Sounds familiar? Well, that’s not a surprise. If you played other open-world Ubisoft games like Far Cry for example, you’ll know what type of mechanics you can expect in this Avatar game. If you’re not a fan of Ubisoft open-world games, then you won’t enjoy this one although Ubisoft did a lot more than just copy and paste the Far Cry formula.
More than a ‘Far Cry’ clone
When you take a look at the screenshots and gameplay online, it’s easy to say that this is just a Far Cry game with an Avatar skin, the truth is way more nuanced. First things first, this isn’t a game where you can go and attack your enemies guns blazing. Avatar needs a more stealthy approach to succeed. If you try to rush the RDA camps, you’ll end up defeated in no time. To conquer your enemies, you’ll need to combine stealth with the benefits of what Pandora provides. Using certain plants to buff your weapons is all part of the game and planning is needed if you want to succeed. The artificial intelligence of the enemies is rather realistic so when they spot you, they’ll act accordingly. Of course, you are able to take down a couple of enemies but it’s never that easy or that over the top as in the Far Cry franchise. It feels more like a successful marriage between Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry while remaining different enough.
Gameplay-wise, it’s a fun game to play. The open world is gorgeously created and has a lot of things to explore while the more action-packed segments offer the needed variation. Combat is extremely intuitive and well-created, it flows as it should and as a Na’vi you got some interesting tricks up your sleeve to spice things up a bit. What I didn’t like, however, is the fact that it all becomes a bit too repetitive after a while. It’s always the same type of mission and the same type of gameplay, especially the smaller puzzle segments were overused, stripping them away from any fun during the later missions. It feels like the developers spend most of their time creating this immersive version of Pandora that they forget to actually alter the gameplay a bit more, with more variation this easily could have been one of my favorite games this year.
Technical issues
Besides the repetitive gameplay, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora also suffers from technical issues on PlayStation 5. Framerate drops, screen tearing, quests not starting, I’ve seen it all and it really took me out of the immersion. Of course, technical issues can always be patched in future updates but it’s a shame that my experience in Pandora got interrupted a couple of times due to those issues. It’s one of the best-looking games I have ever played but performance-wise it certainly isn’t.
Conclusion:
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a gorgeous game and exploring the vibrant jungles of Pandora is high on my list of favorite gaming moments but the repetitive gameplay and technical issues stand in the way of true success. It’s not a bad game at all and if you’re a fan of the movies and have no problem with how Ubisoft creates open-world games, you’ll love it. That being said, I can’t shake the feeling that this could have been a lot more than what it is right now.
