Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora: A First Look at Being a Na’vi

In the final stretch of an accelerated 2023, we might think that all the big names we were expecting are already behind us, or that we simply won’t see anything new after November. However, Ubisoft still has its hand up to remind us that Massive Entertainment, (the same people behind The Division 2 and the upcoming Star Wars Ourlaws) are ready to release their adaptation of James Cameron’s Avatar world for video games. Ahead of its release, we had the opportunity to play Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora for a few hours.

Traveling through Pandora

Pandora looks just as we saw it in the Avatar movies, a stunning place with a density of forests and flowers that show off the full power of the Snowdrop engine. The Kinglor Forest is well detailed, from the grass to the impressive trees to the huge floating mountains. This representation of Pandora could not have been brought to previous generation consoles without losing this level of detail at some point.

Something I have to point out is that, unlike many Ubisoft titles, the interface has been kept to a minimum, with hundreds of points of interest, mission objectives or items to pick up on the map. This was a twist that caught us off guard, because without a tutorial beforehand and without the usual navigation prompts, the first few minutes were about discovery and getting carried away as we traversed this forest.

Being a Na’vi

Fortunately, as Na’vi, we have a number of abilities that allow us to move around the world with ease. The latter is thanks to a sixth sense, activated like in other video games, that tells us where to go, as well as certain additional elements on the screen. The path is usually not so direct and the use of the map is a great help along with our abilities.

Balance with nature continues to be an important theme in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and the way we interact with the environment is always one of care and respect. If we are attacked by a wild animal and we are victorious, our character will always thank us for the resources we have obtained. On the other hand, if we want to take some fruit, we will have to take it from the right angle and throw it delicately to make better use of that resource.

The first stage of the demo takes us in search of an ingredient for an important ritual. As we take our first steps in search of the nectar of this special fruit, we become aware of the most important mechanics, such as running, sliding, and climbing through the vines. Of course, Pandora’s forest is now an even more dangerous place, as in addition to the wild creatures we share the habitat with, we must also be on the lookout for the RDA. This will provide our warrior with a wide range of equipment, from clothing and armor pieces to an arsenal that ranges from different types of bows and arrows to rifles and grenades. We will also be able to use the fruits to restore our health and gain other benefits. We will also be able to create our own outfits and even use the resources we obtain to cook a combination of ingredients to form a new food.

Our first mission leads us to discover that the ecosystem of a type of moth called Kinglor is being damaged by the RDA. Here we take the next step in the demo and begin the climb to find the Ikran.

The Ikran are winged beasts that will help us take flight and in addition to traveling faster through the western border of Pandora, they will allow us to travel through the air. This stage is impressive, the game manages to convey the difficulty and importance of this ritual, making reaching the Ikran and that one chooses you as its companion feels like an achievement. The scenario, besides being composed of a verticality, also has elements of puzzles to move forward and precise jumps where we will have to rely on special leaves to reach higher, as well as our skills to avoid falling into the void.

Having finally obtained it, we take to the skies of Pandora in a very emotional sequence. However, there is still work to be done and we begin our work by hacking some floating platforms placed by the RDA, while facing a series of helicopters that protect them. The Ikran’s flying abilities allow it to have a quick boost that allows us to escape the helicopters’ gunfire, while firing with our arsenal, both arrows and bullets.

For the final part, we enter one of the RDA factories to sabotage it. Basically, the idea is to use stealth to our advantage as we turn off switches and close valves, although stealth is a great option considering there are humans in their heavy exo-suits, so use all the skills you have learned so far (such as using your sixth sense to see the weak points of the exo-suits).

More than a Far Cry in another color

By now it’s clear to us that Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a far cry from what many expected from a Far Cry in a different setting. The idea of a publisher incorporating many of the elements of one of their flagship titles into a licensed game doesn’t sound far-fetched, but while there are some elements that are very similar, there are others that are completely different from Far Cry, making the experience in Pandora a solid one with the Avatar elements.

Just like the films it is inspired by, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora justifies its long development time and has shown us an adventure far from what Ubisoft is used to. The title will arrive on December 7 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC.