Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora
Reviewed on the Xbox Series X
While it’s nowhere near a perfect game, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is an open-world adventure that fans of the franchise will love. DualShockers was provided with a copy of the game for review purposes.
I didn’t have many expectations going intoAvatar: Frontiers of Pandora, aside from the assumption that it would be an open-world game that followed the basicFar Cryformula. That wasn’t far off, but I think reducing Frontiers of Pandora down to its basic archetype would be unfair, as the game has a lot going for it. There are plenty of things that surprised me, namely the beauty of the meticulously crafted world, and there’s more here than meets the eye.
When the game started, I was captivated by the complexity of the world, its inhabitants, and the atmosphere it creates. The intro cutscenes and first few minutes of the game take place inside the Resources Development Administration’s TAP (The Ambassador Program) facility, meant to train Na’vi to serve as ambassadors between humanity and Pandorans, or so you’re told. Certain events lead to your character escaping RDA captivity and heading out into Pandora to join the resistance. Immediately upon exiting the building, you’re presented with an overwhelmingly beautiful portrayal of the alien planet. The drab and stale scenes you are exposed to within the compound serve as a stark contrast to the world outside, which gives your first glimpse of the environment an even greater impact.
Pandora Has Never Looked This Good
The Avatar films are known for their beautiful environments and detailed world design, and Frontiers of Pandora is no different. The visuals are by far the strongest aspect of the game, a fact the developers are well aware of. Many of the early missions in the game seem to cater to the players' exposure to the world and its different locales. Each time you enter a new area, you’re treated to a visually astonishing landscape with plants, animals, and geologic structures that feel perfectly placed in the biome where they reside. When I completed the missionTake Flightnear the start of the game and claimed my Ikran (the game’s flying mount), I spent nearly an hour flying through Pandora just to take in its allure.
I spent nearly an hour flying through Pandora just to take in its allure.
The developers atMassive Entertainmentknew their source material well, and it shows. Each of the areas, and the unique clans that inhabit them, feel at home within the Avatar franchise. Though the areas in the game aren’t explored in the movies, the fauna and flora felt true to form. For fans of the series, getting to explore the lore and culture of several new Na’vi clans is a pleasure. Each clan feels distinct yet still rooted in Na’vi culture. Players get to interact with clans specializing in painting, storytelling, healing, and, of course, fighting.
You Truly Feel Like A Na’vi While Exploring Pandora
Traversal is another strong suit of the game. Whether I was running through the dense jungles or flying through the floating rocks of the Boundless Range on my Ikran, I never felt limited in where I could explore. This is yet another way the developers ensured maximum immersion. The fluidity of climbing trees and rocks as a Na’vi makes it feel like you’re a true native of Pandora.
There are a few stumbling points with the mechanics. The combat was fun and Na’vi weapons felt balanced and grounded. It was immensely satisfying to take out an RDA soldier from 100 yards away with the power of a Na’vi longbow. The vibrations of the controller as the bow string tightens and the reticle narrows in on the enemy makes combat exciting. The same cannot be said for the human weapons in the game. They are either too overpowered (like the shotgun or the rocket launcher) or too underwhelming and sporadic (like the assault rifle), and I found myself relying on the Na’vi weapons for the majority of the game. I didn’t have any reason to pick up an assault rifle because there was always a better option.
Whether I was running through the dense jungles or flying through the floating rocks of the Boundless Range on my Ikran, I never felt limited in where I could explore.
The enemy AI is shockingly unaware at times. I remember, early in my playthrough, thinking that I had already mastered the game’s stealth mechanics because I managed to skirt a large number of soldiers only to find out later that the AI just wasn’t very perceptive. This was easy to exploit, and it took a bit of the tension/fun away from the stealth mechanics.
The Game Struggles Narratively
The gameplay loop gets a bit tedious after a while. Most of the game’s main story missions consist of meeting new clans and Na’vi and then taking down an RDA base that’s causing them trouble. Players are tasked with taking down RDA base after RDA base, with very little variation in between. This is entertaining enough at first but, after the midway point of the game, I found myself speeding through the RDA take-down sections so I could explore more of the world. There is a bit of reprieve in the side content, as there are a few collectibles and extra objectives to work through, but not enough to constitute hours and hours of play.
The game’s biggest setbacks are in its narrative and guidance-related issues. The story is perplexing at times and introduces several threads that never get a satisfying payoff. From genetically altered Pandoran animals (ferals) to the motivation and driving force behind some of the larger events in the game, many plot details are left behind. It’s clear that the developers wanted to give players a narrative experience similar to the films, but it is overly predictable and falls short of the mark. More than once, the game introduces a character in a main story mission, only to have their entire story arc take place within that mission. It is tough to feel connected to some of the characters and be moved by the emotional scenes in the story because there was very little character development in the game aside from RDA = bad and Na’vi = good. Ultimately, this is a pacing issue. If there were a bit more time spent with each clan, or an incentive to complete the side quests associated with them, I think the connective tissue that runs throughout the story would be much more realized.
Aside from the lackluster story, I had a lot of trouble with the game’s guidance mechanics (waypoints,highlighted NPCs,quest direction, etc.). I found myself spending more timelookingfor where to go and what to do than I did actually playing through the quests in the game. This issue is especially surprising to me because, at the start of the game, I was asked to choose between guided and exploration modes. Guided mode, as the name suggests, gives players a more curated experience with additional tips and instruction. This is the option I chose, and I still had a difficult time with quest navigation, sometimes to a frustrating degree.
While I didn’t enjoy everything the game had to offer and found myself trudging through the late-game content, I think the game accomplished what it set out to do. It creates an immersive and engaging set piece in the world of Avatar. It’s a must-play for fans of the franchise and expands the lore and understanding of Pandora in a way films can’t. The game’s narrative leaves quite a bit to be desired, but the visuals and attention to detail in the world result in a breathtaking experience from start to finish.
WHERE TO PLAY
Play as an unstoppable Na’vi of the Sarentu Clan, kidnapped in youth by John Mercer for his TAP Ambassador Program. Unite the clans as one to take on the RDA in a fight for the survival of Pandora.
