The saga of ‘Avatar’ commenced in 2009 with its greatly anticipated release, marking a significant moment in cinematic history. With the recent launch of ‘Avatar Frontiers of Pandora,’ does this new experience evoke the same awe-inspiring sensation that captivated audiences during the movie’s debut?
It was a film that director James Cameron had been working on for 15 years, patiently waiting for the technology to catch up.
It quickly became a worldwide phenomenon due to its cinema defining special effects that went into creating the world of ‘Pandora’ and for its phenomenal success at the box office, shooting straight to the top of the rankings as the most successful and highest grossing film of all time surpassing Cameron’s previous film ‘Titanic’. An honor it still holds to this day with over $2.9 billion to its name.
The first game to come out of this franchise was ‘James Cameron’s Avatar’ which was released the same year. It was a surprisingly good game, featuring its own original story and allowing players to experience two separate campaigns from both the human perspective and Na’Vi perspective. I thoroughly enjoyed that game and have many fond memories from playing it. It’s a shame it’s not backwards compatible.
We then had to wait 13 years for the next ‘Avatar’ film for technology to improve even more so Cameron could perfect the underwater scenes he wanted to film for the sequel. ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ was released in 2022 to huge success taking the number 3 spot of highest grossing films of all time. The film takes place 14 years after the events of the first film.
There are another three films planned with ‘Avatar 3’ expected to release in December 2025. However, if you are craving for that return to Pandora, then ‘Ubisoft’ and ‘Massive Entertainments’ latest game ‘Avatar Frontiers of Pandora’ is the game for you.
Avatar Frontiers Of Pandora is set in an entirely new area of Pandora not seen in the films. The Frontier. And boy, oh boy is it just a treat to play.
So let’s dive right in.
‘Avatar Frontiers Of Pandora’ takes place shortly after the battle of the Hallelujah mountains as depicted in the first film. You start off as a young Na’Vi abducted from the Sarentu clan in a school for TAP (The Ambassador Programme) run by the RDA.
It’s here you meet the central villain of the game James Mercer (The Director of TAP). There are a few time jumps here as the game establishes your character. The location of Hells Gate (featured in the first film) then comes under attack and you are then put into cryo sleep to keep you safe.
You awaken 15 years later after the RDA returns to Pandora.
So Avatar Frontiers Of Pandora establishes itself slap bang in the middle between ‘Avatar’ and ‘The Way Of Water’ (Avatar 1.5 to let’s call it).
You will hear of events from the films during your time playing Avatar Frontiers Of Pandora.
After waking up you escape the TAP facility with the help of the resistance and join their cause. You then have plenty of quests to complete as you take on the RDA and their foothold on the Frontier.
I’m not going to say much else about the story as I really don’t want to ruin it for you.
First off I want to talk about the gameplay. This has to be one of the most enjoyable games that I have played all year. The movement is fluid and fun as hell.
Avatar Frontiers Of Pandora really puts you in the shoes of a Na’Vi and immerses you in the world of Pandora by opting for a first-person view over a third-person view like the previous game. And it does this so well making you feel like a Na’Vi with the seamless movement between running, jumping and climbing around Pandora. It’s fun, fast and responsive making for one hell of an enjoyable experience.
The combat is also done really well lending to that fun experience, with fluid gun/bow play and hand-to-hand combat that really lands each powerful punch making you feel 10 feet tall.
Along with traversal and combat you can also fly in ‘Frontiers of Pandora’. And when you get your Ikran, not only does it open up the map more for you, but it also lets you experience the Frontier from the air. And boy do they make flying an Ikran in Avatar Frontiers Of Pandora fun! Whether you’re flying high, nose-diving or skimming the water you will start to form a bond with your Ikran for allowing you to experience Pandora in a completely different way.
Now Avatar Frontiers Of Pandora does have some RPG elements to it. It allows you to customise the look and sound of your Na’Vi at the beginning of Avatar Frontiers Of Pandora, but also allows you to equip them with gear that will help towards your overall level score (a bit like gear score in ‘The Division’) while keeping the appearance you want for your Na’Vi. And remember to maintain your gear score, missions are ranked by level and going into a high-level mission with a low gear score is a bad idea. Believe me, I’ve tried and failed.
You can also equip new skills to help you along your way which can be spent with points you earn by completing missions. There are also special skills that can be learnt by connecting with trees to Ewa. These will come in handy so be sure to collect them.
There are many quests and side quests to complete with Avatar Frontiers Of Pandora, but there are also areas of pollution to clear which will help you when it comes to hunting for supplies to craft weapons and gear. To complete these you will have to take out RDA facilities that are polluting areas of the Frontier. It’s very obvious when you’re in one of these areas as the fauna and wildlife have died and the colour of the area is bleak.
Now at first, I was expecting these clear missions to be a bit repetitive however they are far from it. Each RDA facility is different and poses new challenges and more enemies to take out. So make sure you are prepared before hitting one. Once the facility is destroyed the pollution is cleared and colour and life will return to the area. You can then hunt and forage freely collecting supplies.
There is also the ability to play Avatar Frontiers Of Pandora with a friend allowing you to explore Pandora together making for an even more enjoyable experience.
The biggest thing about Avatar Frontiers Of Pandora is its visuals. Like the ‘Avatar’ films, this game is a technical marvel. ‘Ubisoft’ and ‘Massive Entertainment’ have pulled out all the stops to make sure that this game is truly stunning. The ‘Snowdrop’ engine outshines previous ‘Ubisoft’ games as this is the most stunning game I’ve played in a long time.
When I first left the TAP facility through a long tunnel and out into the forest my jaw literally hit the floor. And playing in 4k with HDR and settings set to quality, there are times when it feels like you’re in the ‘Avatar’ films. It’s an achievement in what video game graphics can be. It really is truly stunning.
The fact that you can see floating mountains in the distance, fly to them and then see the vast horizon of the Frontier from above is jaw dropping. There were many times during my playthrough where I should have been doing a quest but instead I was exploring Pandora and seeing where I could get to.
Usually with ‘Ubisoft’ games I find the maps too big and get bored after a couple of hours, but with this I am never bored. I can spend hours just exploring the Frontier.
The visuals alone are a key selling point for Avatar Frontiers Of Pandora and it really is a true next-gen title.
A few other key points to mention is that the soundtrack truly feels like a continuation of the ‘Avatar films with the authentic ‘James Horner references to keep you within the world.
The sound effects also feel authentic. Whether it’s walking on the soil of the Frontier forests, diving into the lakes and streams, soaring through the sky or the thud of your feet on metal floors to emphasize your size, Avatar Frontiers Of Pandora does a good job at immersing you in the world.
A final note for any virtual photographers out there, Avatar Frontiers Of Pandora has a great photo mode to take stunning photos of this world.
Overall ‘Avatar Frontiers Of Pandora’ was an absolute blast to play.
With fluid and enjoyable gameplay and truly gorgeous graphics, what’s there not to love with this game. ‘Ubisoft’ and ‘Massive Entertainment’ have created something truly special and deserves a 10/10.
It’s my game of the year for sure!
Avatar Frontiers Of Pandora is available now for Xbox Series S/X, PlayStation 5 and PC. This review was based on an Xbox Series X playthrough.
Avatar Frontiers Of Pandora Trailer
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