When Ubisoft revealed the first-look video for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora a few years in the past, I believed, “Oh cool, an Avatar-themed Far Cry sport!” I typically have an excellent time with Far Cry, however have been a bit burnt out on the gameplay loop not too long ago. Seems I used to be flawed. 

Whereas Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora does certainly have some overlapping parts with the Far Cry collection, it’s very a lot its personal sport. If something, it takes these parts and pushes them additional, whereas molding them to suit inside the world of James Cameron’s Avatar.

For followers of Avatar on the whole, Frontiers of Pandora is simply what you’re on the lookout for. Even when you’re not, the gorgeous world that Large Leisure has created combined with its tight fight system pushes the staple open-world enjoyable of Ubisoft to the subsequent stage. Positive, it’s received a number of the identical stuff we’ve finished earlier than: clearing out enemy bases, looking animals for supplies, and extra sidequests and collectibles than you may think about. However even nonetheless, it does so with its personal distinctive additions that make Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora its personal.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (PC [reviewed], PS5, Xbox Sequence X|S)
Developer: Large Leisure
Writer: Ubisoft
Launched: December 7, 2023
MSRP: $69.99

Yo, hear up right here’s a narrative

The story begins with you creating your personal younger Na’vi, who is basically a part of what the RDA (people) name The Ambassador Program. It’s marketed as a program to assist bridge the sport between Na’vi and Human relations, however in fact that’s not the case. Seems, your tribe, the Sarentu, mysteriously disappeared and you’re the final remaining member. The Sarentu have been a really revered and prestigious tribe on Pandora, so their disappearance is clearly worrisome to the Na’vi.

By the top of the transient introduction sequence, you might be older and far wiser about the actual motives of The Ambassador Program, which definitely aren’t favorable to the Na’vi. A resistance group of people and Na’vi breaks you out shortly after Jake Sully rallies the tribes towards the RDA within the film, which is the place Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora actually begins. Though Jake Sully and his actions are referenced, from right here on out Frontiers of Pandora is its personal story set on the Western Frontier continent of Pandora.

At its core, the overarching narrative is generally what you’d anticipate; the RDA is dangerous and as much as no good, and the resistance is attempting to place a cease to it. They’re as much as some extra nefarious issues on Pandora than we’ve seen within the motion pictures, too. However the story additionally delves into the Sarentu as you study extra about their heritage and what occurred to them. As you progress, you’ll rally different tribes to affix the resistance in preventing again towards the RDA, with every one sharing extra info with you in regards to the Sarentu and their significance to the world. The story is strong, however made even higher by the extremely detailed and residing world of Pandora throughout you.

About slightly man that lives in a blue world

Large Leisure actually put numerous element into creating its model of Pandora. The Western Frontier the participant can discover is break up into three areas: The Kinglor Forest, The Higher Plains, and The Clouded Forest. In the beginning, solely the Kinglor Forest is obtainable to you, and also you unlock the opposite two areas by progressing by the primary story. 

The Kinglor Forest is a lush and sprawling rainforest resting beneath a floating mountain formation, one of many iconic biomes from Avatar. To say the world is gorgeous could be an understatement. When you keep in mind the surreal feeling of the forest lightning up at night time when seeing Avatar for the primary time, be ready to relive it.

The world can be large, each in scale and literal dimension. Colossal bushes tower above as you run swiftly by the forest. Among the most memorable moments I’ve with Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora are simply working by the rainforest whereas scaling monumental tree roots and mushrooms, all whereas the chirps and calls of creatures echo round me. It appears like an precise residing world, which is a giant a part of what makes Avatar and extra particularly Pandora so particular.

Additionally, all the things opens up very early, permitting you to discover the world with freedom. You may deal with a plethora of sidequests in addition to search out a ton of collectibles. There’s a 3D world map that marks the situation of a collectible, quest hub, or necessary location. When you’ve acquired the collectible or visited the situation, it adjustments to a inexperienced blip indicating you could have obtained what was there. I’m often not a fan of collectibles, however I had numerous enjoyable searching for them out. Bellsprigs and Tarsyu Saplings, the 2 main collectibles, additionally offer you rewards for locating them. Every Bellsprig you contact grants you a everlasting max well being enhance, whereas every Tarsyu Sapling offers you a talent level. It’s good to have collectibles that aren’t solely enjoyable to discover and search out, but additionally worthwhile by way of rewards for doing so.

Very early on, the Aranahe tribe in Kinglor Forest duties you with bonding with and buying your personal Ikran. For these unfamiliar, these are the flying creatures that Na’vi can bond with to mount and take to the skies. To take action, it’s essential to ascend to the highest of an Ikran Rookery and tame one of many creatures. The journey to the highest is a really aesthetically pleasing expertise, with a little bit of journey, puzzle-solving, and platforming all thrown collectively. The excellent music—which, by the best way, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora‘s complete soundtrack is unimaginable—solely enhances the journey much more. It’s a really cool expertise and ends with you having the ability to fly throughout the Western Frontier of Pandora.

And all day and all night time and all the things he sees is simply blue

For a way genuine the world of Pandora feels, the identical might be mentioned about taking part in as a Na’vi. For starters, you might be taller than a human. It could not appear to be a lot, however with the first-person digital camera towering over people, it’s a noticeable distinction straight away. You may also maintain down the soar button to increase how excessive and much you may soar. As soon as once more, this will appear to be a small factor, but it surely actually makes you are feeling like a Na’vi as you’re leaping throughout fallen bushes and scaling cliff sides. 

Then, there’s the fight. It’s a really tight and practical feeling. Your main weapon of selection goes to be the bow, which works simply the way you think about it could. Maintain down the fireplace button to drag the arrow again, inflicting it to go additional. It’s at all times enjoyable if you completely line up a shot—due to course, there may be bullet, err, arrow drop—and hit your enemy. You’ll even have entry to some extra Na’vi weapons just like the Looking Bow, which is basically a longer-range bow, and the Workers Sling, which lets you hurl explosives at nice distance.

There are additionally a few RDA weapons. Every weapon appears to have its personal strengths and weaknesses. For instance, the bow is a one-shot kill in your primary human enemy. Nevertheless, when going up towards an RDA AMP mech go well with, you’re going to make use of their very own weapons towards them: the Assault Rifle or Shotgun. Whereas it might appear to be the Na’vi weapons are weaker, they sometimes are usually not. You may also craft further ammo for them on the fly, whereas ammo for the RDA weapons needs to be looted, from containers or lifeless RDA enemies. 

A significant a part of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is the crafting. You’ll acquire supplies all through all of Pandora, be it mushrooms rising on the forest ground, honey from beehives hanging from the bushes, and even hides and tooth from animals you’ll hunt. You need to use these supplies to craft varied recipes and designs you’ll unlock by progressing by the story, rising your favor with the varied clans, and finishing particular facet quests. Among the recipes are for higher sorts of meals which, when consumed, offer you buffs. Primarily although, you can be crafting armor and weapon upgrades and mods.

You even have the power to make use of your Na’vi Senses. This places a centered central level of your imaginative and prescient that highlights just about something of be aware: collectibles, gatherable supplies, animals, and even enemies. It’s basically Eagle Imaginative and prescient from Murderer’s Creed. I just like the system, but additionally want it was a bit extra expanded to possibly grant you the elevated senses in your entire imaginative and prescient, not simply the centered heart level. Then once more, possibly that might make it too sturdy.

Like him inside and out of doors

As I mentioned, there are some particular similarities to Far Cry right here. You’ll raid RDA outposts and bases, in addition to shut down their mining and drilling operations. One of many cooler points is doing so eradicates the air pollution in that space. A big portion of the map within the Western Frontier begins off orangeish-brown with air pollution from close by RDA installations. However every one you are taking out permits life to flourish within the space. This isn’t only for seems to be, although. You’ll additionally acquire entry to new sidequests, quick journey factors, collectibles, and loot by doing so. 

I’ve grown uninterested in the entire “liberate enemy outposts” system, however can say I genuinely sought them out and loved doing so in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. As I mentioned, they took a number of the core programs and added sufficient nuance from the Avatar IP to make it totally different and enjoyable. 

There’s additionally a talent system, with 5 totally different paths you may make investments your talent factors into. Talent factors are obtained by looking down Tarsyu Saplings and finishing the primary story and facet quests. There’s fairly a little bit of variety within the expertise, which is sweet. Specializing in the Survivor Talent Tree gives you extra well being and enhance resistance towards sure sorts of injury. The Maker Talent Tree, nevertheless, will increase the standard of supplies you acquire, and improves the standard of kit you craft.

Every talent additionally has its personal Apex Talent that you simply unlock by finishing a selected problem and unlocking each different talent in that tree. All the 5 Apex Expertise are fairly huge, so they’re positively value going for. I personally discovered some expertise extra worthwhile than others, however with all the Apex Expertise being so helpful, I discovered myself desirous to progress by every tree finally. For instance, the Apex Talent for the Maker Talent Tree makes all your crafted gear and weapons extra highly effective. I beelined this Apex Talent and am glad I did so, as a result of the now-increased injury my weapons deal is an actual game-changer.

I’m blue

Sadly, I did encounter a couple of points that at the very least affected my playthrough considerably alongside the best way. I had a fairly well-optimized journey whereas taking part in by the Kinglor Forest space. Nevertheless, as soon as I reached the second and third areas, I noticed some noticeable FPS drops. The dense forest didn’t have many points, however for some cause, the open plains have been a bit extra bother.

I’m additionally not a fan of the Fight Power system in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. I like that there’s no precise expertise grinding to stage up. Your Fight Power is calculated based mostly on the gear you could have outfitted, together with armor and weapons and their attachments. You may also enhance your Fight Power by deciding on sure expertise on the talent tree that enhance injury or well being.

However the primary concern right here is that the quantity acts as form of a tough wall when preventing enemies. For instance, in case your Fight Power is 7, nearly 8, and you might be preventing an enemy that has a power of 8, you’re not going to have an excellent time. The enemy takes diminished injury whereas additionally dealing much more injury to you. Nevertheless, equipping a really minor improve that may push your rating as much as 8 instantly makes the enemy a lot simpler. In a approach, it could possibly really feel as if it trivializes the stats on gear as a result of, on the finish of the day, you simply need to attempt for a better Fight Power than your opponent. 

Lastly, as a lot as I just like the 3D world map, in some instances, it’s not very sensible from a gameplay perspective. I’d typically be on the spot on my map indicating there was a Bellsprig or Tarsyu Sapling—each collectibles—which was actually seen on the map. Nevertheless, the precise location of the collectible was in a close-by cave.

Da be dee da ba di

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora does Avatar justice. Large Leisure has created a very immersive and polished Pandora, that fairly frankly far exceeded my expectations. Large managed to create the identical feeling of awe that I skilled when the Avatar film was launched nearly 14 years in the past. Working by the plush forests of Pandora with its extremely grandiose overgrown flora whereas the sounds of creatures merely residing throughout me creates such an genuine rendition of life on Pandora. 

When you walked away from Avatar wishing a world like Pandora truly existed on the market, right here you go. That is that world. Seeing Pandora is one factor, however having the ability to scale its large treetops, soar excessive above its floating mountains on an Ikran, and traverse its broad open plains on the again of a Direhorse is actually one thing particular. That is the perfect model of Avatar but. 

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}