A review of Ubisoft’s Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
One where the protagonist would be thrown into in new surroundings and have to fend for themselves and their loved ones, in many ways the Avatar game is just that but it is also so much more.
Hyderabad: I’d like to start this review with an apology: when Ubisoft first announced the Avatar game, my expectations were minimal. The prospect of a game based on James Cameron’s other worldly Pandora combined with the game making skills of a company that has offered us Far Cry seemed like a sensible collaboration but I expected nothing more than a regurgitated experience.
One where the protagonist would be thrown into in new surroundings and have to fend for themselves and their loved ones, in many ways the Avatar game is just that but it is also so much more. Ubisoft has not only managed to faithfully translate James Cameron’s world but has also imbued it with intricate detail and remarkable variety, thereby offering more than just an otherworldly experience.
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During my playtime with the game, two aspects left a strong impression: firstly, the breathtaking beauty of Pandora at night, arguably the most visually stunning sight of 2023. Secondly, I found myself contemplating whether the game’s design would have been better suited for a third-person perspective instead of the chosen first-person view.
I understand the game makers perspective that FPS would mean experiencing Pandora from a closer perspective in manner that would be more immersive but you need to only look at Horizon to know that is not always the case. In its FPS form, a lot of Frontiers of Pandora seemed like a mish mash of Horizon and the rebooted Tomb Raider. A narrative similar to Aloy’s and combat like Lara’s.
While the world and its detail are simply fantastic, the story and combat are Frontiers of Pandora’s weakest points. By developing the various tribes and their roles in Na’vi society, the game takes all the necessary steps for players to embrace an alien society and its various customs wholeheartedly. For example, each time the game’s narrative dwelled on the role and history of the clan that the protagonist belonged to I couldn’t help but be excited, similarly, I was also keen when the game engaged with colonization and its perils. However, I found the experience extremely reductive when it all boiled down to firing arrows and gunning my way through scores of enemies repeatedly.
There is also a strong environment conservation trajectory in the game here but the missions that it comprises of are so repetitive that it almost becomes a pursuit where players are keener to gather resources rather than purify their planet.
Despite its weak narrative and uninspiring combat mechanics, Frontiers of Pandora is definitely worth a try because of the world it offers. If you disregard the uninspiring narrative and the combat, you might find enough reasons to understand what it means to live in Na’vi society.
Sneak Peek:
Title Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
Developer: Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment
Game Type: Single Player, FPS with open-world and Action RPG elements
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows
Price: Rs 4,999 on the Sony Store and Rs 3,499 on the Epic store for PC
Verdict (all scores out of 10):
Innovative Gameplay: 7.5
Game Handling & Quality: 8
Value for Time: 8
Value for Money: 6.5
Overall: 7.5
What Stands Out:
* Pandora at night, bathed in bioluminescent light, is the most breathtaking and beautiful setting you will experience in any video game released in 2023.
* The Na’vi society is built with spectacular detail, from the diverse tribes and their vibrant Hometrees to the otherworldly flora and fauna. This is world-building at its finest.
Fails to impress:
* The first-person perspective that the game offers is a letdown in terms of exploration, especially the verticality.
* The linear narrative peppered with the occasional side quest structure that the game employs doesn’t work too well. Parts of the experience become repetitive too quickly.
