It was already six years ago, in March 2017. Ubisoft unveiled a groundbreaking partnership with video game publisher and developer FoxNet, then owned by Disney, the company that owns the rights to the James Cameron-directed film Avatar. This partnership was to lead to the creation of a AAA game for consoles and PC, based on the film Avatar. The project, set on the planet Pandora, was entrusted to the Massive Entertainment studio. Avatar - Frontiers of Pandora has been available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series since December 7!
After a long wait, Ubisoft revealed some information about this long-awaited game at E3 2021. Avatar - Frontiers of Pandora is a first-person action-adventure game. The story takes us to a living, reactive world in an area of Pandora never before seen. Once again, humans and Na'vi will have to battle it out in the air and on land for the conquest of this magical territory.
The images from the very first trailer left us dreaming: the colors, the beauty of the high-definition graphics and the thousands of details suggest that we haven't finishedexploring all the nooks and crannies of this world. All the animals and ecosystems presented also hint at a more complex and diverse story than we can see at present.
In January 2021, whenUbisoft was putting the spotlight on its next Star Wars game, fans had a scare: the Star Wars game had been entrusted to Massive Entertainment, the same studio responsible for bringing Avatar to life. However, David Polfeldt, the studio's managing director, was able to reassure gamers: " We've been preparing the studio for a long time to be able to manage all our projects with equal attention. Since all our teams work with the Snowdrop engine, all projects benefit from each other's progress and success. And of course, with so many AAA projects under one roof, we're always recruiting, and we're currently looking for experienced developers from all over the world to join us in our future adventures ," he announced.
After so many years of waiting, the developers are aware that gamers will be very demanding, especially if Avatar is to run on next-gen consoles. Massive Entertainment is known for its use of Snowdrop technology, which creates highly detailed, immersive worlds.
Our review of Avatar - Frontiers of Pandora :
Playing time: 8h, up to the flight on Banshee + several side missions
The world ofAvatar continues to inspire generations of movie fans... And now gamers too, sinceUbisoft 's game has been waiting for you since December. The game was awaited by many as the messiah, as it seemed to bring something new to the table, and one thing's for sure: we weren't disappointed!
So, what is Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora worth? Graphically speaking, it's a visual slap in the face from Ubisoft, with a very beautiful game, far more beautiful than the studio's latest releases (cuckoo Assassin's Creed: Mirage...). A beautiful, colorful and eye-popping game... But there's a slight downside: okay, the game is beautiful, but in our opinion, it's a little busy, even a little too busy. The flora is abundant (it's normal for it to be dense, it's a jungle on Pandora), but in our opinion a little to the detriment of the graphics and visual effects. It's a shame, but it works very well all the same.
As for the story, we really find the essence of James Cameron's films, and in particular the ecological background. At a time when global warming and its consequences are hitting us hard, the message is important and must be brought home, and Ubisoft does it very well. There are plenty of missions and side quests to extend the experience.
As far as gameplay is concerned, the first-person view is not distracting (we're not necessarily fans of this type of view, editor's note) and works well, and the handling is relatively simple, although it does require some mechanics to pick up. It's not too difficult to switch weapons (bow, explosives, assault rifle...) in the middle of a fight, in a fluid manner. We particularly appreciate the truly liberating flight onIkran/Banshee's back (which we learn a little late, after several hours of play). Another good point: hunting and harvesting fruit and other varied items, also offering a not inconsiderable cooking aspect, since you'll need to eat regularly to survive. Hunting, fishing, harvesting... it's up to you, each with its own mechanics (and that's part of the beauty of the game).
A particularly complete application, then, in many respects. A must-have for all fans of the saga, or at least if you're curious about it. So get set!
For other trailers of Avatar - Frontiers of Pandora, click here :
