Summary
Though it may have received a bit of a mixed critical reception,Avatar: Frontiers of Pandoraactually has a lot going for it, and that’s especially true for die-hardAvatarfans. Along with some solid shooting mechanics,Avatarhas a slew of great traversal features including a surprisingly fun parkour system and intuitive, satisfying flight system. And whileAvatarmay lean into the traditionalUbisoft open-world formulaa bit too much, it does still put a few twists of its own on the genre.
Ultimately, this means thatAvatar: Frontiers of Pandoracan be a very fun game, albeit one that might end up feeling a tad repetitive 20+ hours in. But regardless of that,Avatar: Frontiers of Pandoraproves that Ubisoft Massive is a developer capable of making something truly impressive with a well-established IP, and that bodes very well forStar Wars Outlaws, with oneAvatarfeature in particular hopefully being an exciting sign of things to come. The feature in question is environmental design, as Pandora steals the show in the latestAvatargame.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora’s Environmental Design Bodes Well for Star Wars Outlaws
Pandora is One of Avatar’s Biggest Highlights
InJames Cameron’sAvatarmovies, Pandora is essentially a character in and of itself, and is one of the most important characters at that. Much ofAvatar’s story revolves around the conservation of Pandora, and the fight to keep it safe from invaders that look to pollute the planet for their own personal gain. In an attempt to make audiences connect to Pandora in a meaningful way, James Cameron and the rest of hisAvatarcrew went to great lengths to ensure that the planet felt like a real place, filling it with wildlife and lush foliage.
Pandora is still one of the most visually-impressive settings in movie history. From its floating cliffs and its gigantic trees to its hanging vines and quirky plants that react in fun little ways, as well as a slew of adorable and dangerous creatures, every inch of Pandora strikes the perfect balance of fantastical and real. That’s only made better at night, whenthe forests of Pandoraare given a striking neon-soaked bioluminescent look.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandoraknew just how important its setting was, and it doubles down on it in the best ways.Frontiers of Pandorais an absolutely gorgeous game, with Ubisoft Massive nailing the look of the planet from its foliage to its floating cliffs to its wildlife. Ubisoft Massive also did a great job of capturing Pandora’s magic-realism, with some excellent sound design making every footstep, leaf crunch, and Ikran screech sound exactly as it should. Every technical aspect comes together to makeAvatar: Frontiers of Pandora’s worldfeel just how it does in the movies, and though the game doesn’t have too much biome variety, there’s more than enough there to keep fans invested.
Ubisoft Massive Can Use The Same Expertise for Star Wars Outlaws' Planets
ButAvatar: Frontiers of Pandoraisn’t the only huge AAA franchise Ubisoft Massive was working on.Star Wars Outlawsis currently set for release next year, and from what fans have seen so far, its environments could end up being a real highlight. From cold slumplanets like Kijimito lavish casino planets like Canto Bight,Star Wars Outlawswill probably take fans across the whole galaxy. From the looks ofAvatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Ubisoft Massive was probably the right choice for the job.
Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora
WHERE TO PLAY
Protect Pandora. Become Na’Vi. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora™ is a first-person, action-adventure game set in the open world of the never-before-seen Western Frontier of Pandora. Abducted by the human militaristic corporation known as the RDA, you, a Na’vi, were trained and molded to serve their purpose. Fifteen years later, you are free, but find yourself a stranger in your birthplace. Reconnect with your lost heritage, discover what it truly means to be Na’vi, and join other clans to protect Pandora from the RDA.
