If ever there was a game that could be a hit or a miss it is Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. And, just like the movies it’s based on, it’s a game that’s dividing opinion.

Fourteen years ago, James Cameron’s Avatar presented filmgoers with a visual feast: a vibrant alien world, an exciting, familiar, but sombre tale with an ecological message, cutting-edge visual effects, and all this in 3D. Around the same time, Ubisoft released an Avatar game in 3D. Like the movie, the game all but disappeared into the mists of time.

Last year we finally got a movie sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water. Much to the chagrin of the naysaying millennial moviegoers, who deemed the first film to have had no cultural impact, the Avatar sequel did rather well, raking it in at the box office.

A little late to the party, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, allows players to revisit the movies’ magical world of Pandora, albeit in a different region. For this new open-world Avatar game, Ubisoft tapped The Division’s Massive Entertainment with their Snowdrop Engine to bring the Na’vi, the menacing human RDA, and the forests and plains of Pandora to life.

The game starts during the first movie’s time period, with the player as one of several young Na’vi being taught in a human RDA facility. As the prelude unfolds, there is a time jump of sixteen years to when the humans return to Pandora, setting off the events of the second movie, Avatar: The Way of Water.

As a young Na’vi separated from their people, players get to experience the world of Pandora through fresh eyes and experience the magic, wonder and perils of the planet first-hand, along with their character. It’s a good way to integrate the role-playing elements into the game as the young Na’vi discovers their heritage and skills.

Ubisoft hasn’t strayed far from its comfort zone. There’s a definite whiff of the Far Cry series about the game, especially if you’ve spent time playing the prehistoric Far Cry Primal. Ubisoft, is, however, playing to its strengths in giving us a massive seamless playground with no loading screens. The RDA installations are similar to the enemy settlements in pretty much every Far Cry game (and Assassin’s Creed game, for that matter), right down to highlighting enemy locations. The hunting and crafting mechanic is also a Ubisoft staple, but one found in many games these days.

The star of the show is the world of Pandora, which has been brought to life in a way that I didn’t believe possible. It looks straight out of the movies. The lush forest floor and open plains are rich with exotic plants, some familiar and some new. Some offer fruit and resources and others poison and pain. Lumbering beasts and hungry predators roam amongst the skittish prey animals. Huge trees and monolithic rock formations are entwined with massive vines. Gigantic hollow home trees accommodate the Na’vi just as they do in the first movie. At night, the environment lights up in Bioluminescence. It’s a breathtaking game to look at.

From your first clumsy steps to soaring in the skies, the game slowly reveals itself to the player. As your abilities improve so does your locomotion, the player learning the ways of the Na’vi in step with their character. Running, jumping, and climbing becomes easier and faster.

The game’s combat is pretty good. The RDA can come at you hard, so sometimes stealth is the way. I found it next to impossible to carry out sabotage missions without being spotted and all hell breaking loose. As well as a Na’vi bow, you get RDA explosives and rifles to use, evening out the fight. RDA grunts are like flies to your massive Na’vi, but the RDA exoskeletons and aerial attack craft put up a fight.

Your Na’vi vision can be used to find points of interest and highlight opponents’ weak spots and scents for tracking. You can also use it to “scan” plants, wildlife, and other objects for reference later.

As you start to master running and jumping, the first mount, the winged ikran (or banshee) unlocks and the sky is yours. At only a few hours in, I thought this was a bit early. And that it unlocks an hour or so before the more sedate direhorse is puzzling as well. This uneven pacing is not unusual in Ubisoft games and is likely down to the way they farm out elements to the different studios around the globe.

Avatar does seem to throw all its toys at you and demand that you play. In time, though, the game evens itself out. It did give me what I can only refer to as Ubisoft game exhaustion. It’s another massive Ubisoft game world, packed with things to do. The game is full of collectibles, side-quests, cooking, and crafting that can become a bit overwhelming. Don’t get me wrong, I love Ubisoft’s huge games. I think they represent the best value-for-money games that you can buy. But I find I have to put them down after a while to for a rest. I tend to nibble at Ubisoft games like Assassin’s Creed for a couple of years after release. I can see Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora being the same.

For all its breathtaking beauty and immersive gameplay, there were times when did get a bit samey. The game progresses via a mission structure that is the bread and butter of Ubisoft games. There’s plenty of variety in the quests, though some elements can get repetitive. There’s always a side quest or some hunting or foraging if you fancy a break from the grind.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a great game if played in small bites. Extended playtimes start to reveal the game’s sometimes repetitive structure. It’s a breathtaking experience, though, offering players the chance to visit locations that look straight out of the movies.

This is a game for Avatar and Ubisoft fans but others may not be quite so enamoured.

The post Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora (PC / Xbox Series X) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Ubisoft has just announced that Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is now available on Ubisoft+, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC through Ubisoft Connect.

Developed by Massive Entertainment – a Ubisoft Studio in close collaboration with James Cameron’s production company Lightstorm Entertainment and Disney, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a first-person standalone adventure that takes place on the same timeline as the Avatar films, built using the latest iteration of the Snowdrop engine.

“From the soundscape of Pandora to the living and reactive open world, every moment of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is designed to keep players immersed in this incredible world,” said Magnus Jansen, creative director at Massive. “We worked closely with the Avatar filmmakers to create a faithful extension of the Avatar universe while giving players a new setting and story to experience.”

Set in the Western Frontier, a never-before-seen continent, players can explore Pandora firsthand. With brand-new Na’vi clans, flora, and fauna, including a banshee companion to bond with and ride in the open skies, players can interact with the vibrant open world in single-player or online in two-player co-op. In Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, the human militaristic RDA corporation is back on Pandora and stripping away resources from the land and its inhabitants. Players will play as a Na’vi, born on Pandora but abducted as a child and raised away from Na’vi culture in an RDA training program. With Na’vi roots and a human upbringing, players will find themselves suddenly free only to feel like strangers in their homeland. Players must protect the Western Frontier from the RDA’s return, reconnect with their lost Na’vi heritage, and unite disparate clans for the greater good.

Across the expansive Western Frontier, players will meet unique clans who will teach them what it means to be Na’vi, such as honing their “Na’vi Senses,” mastering their strength to navigate the beautiful and dangerous open world, as well as upgrading their skills to push back the RDA; using traditional Na’vi weapons like bows for precision and spear-thrower for high impact; and forming a lifelong bond with a banshee – who can also be a powerful aerial combat ally. Players can leverage their human training and use weapons like stun grenades and employ multiple combat styles to fend off the RDA.

Players can customize their character with options including different body types and voices. As they journey across the Western Frontier and connect with their Na’vi heritage, players can equip more gear, craft better quality weapons, and upgrade skills to fit their playstyle. Customization also extends to the player’s banshee with unique gear pieces, and more.

PlayStation players will have free access to the Aranahe Warrior Pack. Season Pass owners will also have a bonus quest available at launch, and two-story packs that will be available in 2024 for players who want to continue their adventures on Pandora. Through Ubisoft+, players can access The Ultimate Edition, which includes the season pass, digital artbook, the Sarentu Heritage cosmetic pack, and the Sarentu Hunter equipment pack.

To transport players to Pandora at any given time, the Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora – Original Game Soundtrack  featuring music by Emmy-nominated conductor, composer, and performer Pinar Toprak, can be streamed, and purchased now.

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Ubisoft has announced to StG that it is partnering with Lightstorm Entertainment and Fox Interactive to create a cutting-edge new game for consoles and PC set on Pandora, the beautiful and dangerous moon from James Cameron’s Avatar film franchise. Massive Entertainment, a Ubisoft studio, is leading the game’s development.

Massive is behind the creation of Tom Clancy’s The Division, which last spring broke multiple records in the games industry, including the record for the industry’s best-selling new game franchise in an opening week. They are now working on a new AAA-project based on Avatar, the highest-grossing film of all time. Four sequels to Avatar are currently in development, and Lightstorm, Fox Interactive and Massive are working together to create a game that will continue to expand and deepen in the Avatar universe in exciting and innovative ways along with the films.

“James Cameron and Lightstorm Entertainment changed the way we think about immersive storytelling with the first Avatar, and the ambition that they have for the forthcoming films and this game is really inspiring,” said David Polfeldt, Managing Director, Massive. “It’s a privilege to work with them and we’re honoured that they’ve entrusted us to create an experience worthy of the Avatar name.”

Cameron and Lightstorm entered this partnership after viewing an early game prototype the team at Massive created using its proprietary Snowdrop engine. Snowdrop is a tailor-made, custom game engine that enables the creation of ultra-realistic game universes, enhanced by dynamic global illumination, stunning real-time destruction and an incredible amount of detail and visual effects. It was used to develop The Division, and also is the engine behind a number of other unannounced Ubisoft projects.

“What impressed me about Massive were the group’s passion for this project and the power of its Snowdrop engine,” said Cameron. “I believe Ubisoft’s team at Massive Entertainment are absolutely the right partners to bring the beauty and danger of Pandora to life.”

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