Movie tie-in games have been a mixed bag historically.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is coming out Thursday December 7, 2023 with the “Ultimate Edition” costing north of $129 USD (what is it with all these new games costing over a hundred bucks?).
Not sure enough on this one, despite the uber-polished trailers, to take a chance buying the full game, and with standard edition still 70 bones, so likely taking the Ubisoft+ deal instead.
Again.
Some dedicated readers (thank you!) might remember it being a better deal subscribing for a month to Ubisoft+ ($14.99 USD+tax) to check out the best version of The Crew: Motorfest vs. buying the $120 deluxe version (see: How to Check Out The Crew: Motorfest Ultimate Edition with Ubisoft+ for $14.99 instead of $119.99 – and 100+ more games).
I wasn’t very thrilled with The Crew, but still felt paying $15 to be able to check out and play other games on Ubisoft+ in addition to The Crew at launch was worth it. Hoping I feel the same about this Avatar game which is giving me some Horizon Forbidden West vibes.
Played in a first-person perspective, players take control of a Na’vi orphan raised and trained as a soldier by the Resources Development Administration (RDA), before being put into suspended animation and waking up fifteen years later in an abandoned facility. The player must embark on a journey across the Western Frontier, a never-before-seen region of Pandora, discovering their origins and organizing the local Na’vi tribes to fight back against the RDA as they attempt to exploit the natural resources of the Western Frontier.[3] The game’s story is said to be partially tied to the films, while remaining standalone.[4]
The game will also support 2-player cooperative multiplayer.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora – Wikipedia
Haven’t heard much buzz among other PGM members and friends on this game, probably because it’s not getting a Steam release and is jailed on Ubisoft+. There is an Xbox and Playstation 5 release at the same time, but again, it’s been eerily quiet from gamers I know online.
Gamespot has a fairly thorough write-up, including that this game is entirely canom. There will even be additional content in the game when Avatar 3 hits theaters December 19, 2025. Seems like this would be one earlier way to get even more into the world of Avatar and be teased to the third Cameron film.
In traditional Ubisoft open-world fashion, upgraded gear comes in handy as you clear enemy outposts, especially with the need to craft specialized ammo and healing items mid-battle. There’s an extensive gear system with different rarities you’d expect from a Massive game. Clearing outposts will help heal the world of Pandora, opening up new resources for you to use in crafting. Some more rare plant and animal ingredients only appear at certain times of day and weather conditions.
There is also an upgrade tree, which is accessible by connecting with Eywa, the Na’vi’s goddess that connects all living things on Pandora. In the lore of the films, this connection allows a Na’vi to view the memories of the deceased, and this provides access to the player’s five upgrade paths: hunter unlocks better tracking abilities, maker improves crafting skills, rider allows players to upgrade their ikran, survivor modifies health and inventory, and warrior raises weapon proficiency.
Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora – Everything You Need To Know – GameSpot
Am not a huge Avatar fan, but did enjoy watching the first two films. They aren’t the kind of movies I want to see again, however, I remain intrigued by how an open world game would be used as backdrop. I might be even more interested in this if it was an MMORPG, but will reserve judgment until after playing it. Will likely stream as well.
What about you? Are you looking forward to playing Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora? Already preordered? Some interest? No interest? Can’t wait for the launch? Share your thoughts on this game in the comments.