Despite being a fan of the James Cameron Avatar movies, I was sceptical ofAvatar: Frontiers of Pandora, if still slightly hopeful. While Ubisoft’s new open world game may be based on a multi-billion dollar franchise, there hasn’t been much fanfare surrounding the game, especially when releasing during the busy Christmas season.
After ploughing through the first few introductory hours, I soon began to appreciateUbisoft’sAvatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Simply dubbing this as aFar Cryreskin, a label that I’ve seen plastered across quite a lot of social media conversations, would be unfair. Regardless of whether you see it as a sci-fi Far Cry or something more,Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandorais a very fun game.
Check out the Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora trailer below:
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When the proverbial poop hits the fan you, along with some of your orphan friends, are placed in a cryo chamber to be awakened several years later. When you do wake up, it’s to find much has changed. Before you’re tasked with joining the resistance against the RDA, you create your avatar in the basic create-a-character suite before all the fun begins.
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The first few hours ofAvatar: Frontiers of Pandorawere a slog, it has to be said. But once I’d gotten used to how the game plays and how to navigate my way through Pandora using ‘Navi sense’, and despite the not-so-clear navigational indicators on the map, it soon became quite a task to put the controller down as I forever had the itch to achieve just one more objective or explore the distance lands, especially when I had acquired my Mountain Banshee, aka my Ikran, who I named Floof.
Make no mistake, despite being unfair to call this a Far Cry reskin, it does invite comparisons toFar Cry Primal,primarily through the fact that you’ll mostly use a bow and arrow as your main weapon.Avatar: Frontiers of Pandorais also brimming with wildlife and foliage. However, whereFar Cry Primalfeatures animals that once wandered our planet,Avatar: Frontiers of Pandorais an alien world filled with wondrous science fiction creatures and plants, many of which are out to kill you. What’s more, given the fact that we pesky humans have invaded Pandora, you’ll also have access to weapons such as machine guns, shotguns and more. Each of your weapons and gear comes with the option of adding perks which can increase damage to certain enemy types, as well as health and resource bonuses.
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Taking inspiration from the Far Cry series, it would also be wise to craft whenever possible whether it be a food recipe to give you a stamina or power boost in the heat of battle or upgrading your weapons and gear. If you avoid much of the crafting inAvatar: Frontiers of Pandora, you’re going to have a more difficult time against the RDA and later areas in the game. Acquiring the ability to tame animals whether it’s so they won’t attack you or better still, assist you will also become a handy ability.
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When I played thepreview ofAvatar: Frontiers of Pandoraearlier in the year on PC, it was stunning, and playing on Xbox Series X offers a similar experience, even if it can’t quite match the fidelity of a high-end PC. Despite some odd graphical glitches and shimmering,Avatar: Frontiers of Pandorais one of the best-looking games this year. That being said, you have two options that favour visuals or performance. I found that when favouring visuals, the framerate suffers too much and for that reason, I’d recommend favouring performance. It’s also worth noting the graphical difference between the two isn’t all that noticeable. Speaking of options,Avatar: Frontiers of Pandorahas the option to tone down tinnitus-triggering sounds and as someone who suffers from constant tinnitus, I wish more games had this function.
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Finally, the soundtrack ofAvatar: Frontiers of Pandorahas to be commended thanks to its composer Pinar Toprak. It draws a similar emotion to the James Cameron movies. As for the acting, that’s a mixed bag. Some of the character’s voices are delivered with conviction while others are less so, which can slightly break my immersion, especially during more pivotal moments in the story. Overall, thankfully the inconsistent level of acting quality shouldn’t hinder your experience and enjoyment of the game.
In a year that has provided so many gems including the likes ofBaldur’s Gate 3,Alan Wake 2andThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, it would have been easy forAvatar: Frontiers of Pandorato get lost amongst the shuffle. I’d be surprised if this latest Ubisoft open-world game wins Game of the Year awards, despite its best efforts. Yet,Avatar: Frontiers of Pandorais a surprise cherry on top of what has been a fantastic year for video games and I encourage fans of the Avatar movies to put this unexpected charming delight on your ever-expanding wishlist.
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Pros:Gorgeous visuals, fantastic soundtrack, fun combat, decent crafting system
Cons:Repetitive side missions, map indicators not that clear
For Fans Of:Far Cry Primal, Avatar movies
Topics:Ubisoft,PC,PlayStation,PlayStation 5,Xbox,Xbox Series S,Xbox Series X
