Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is the subsequent canonical chapter of the Avatar mythos. Set through the one-year hole in Avatar: The Means of Water on the opposite aspect of Pandora in a brand new space known as the Western Frontier, gamers management a Na’vi raised and educated by the Sources Growth Administration (RDA) who finds themselves taking the struggle to the company. That requires, fairly actually, getting again to their roots as they reconnect with Eywa whereas studying what it means to be a Na’vi by ingratiating themselves with the sport’s three new clans.
In a latest preview occasion, I spent about two hours enjoying 4 early story missions. Right here’s a breakdown of the world, fight, and exploration mechanics I sampled throughout my keep on Pandora.
Fight and Stealth
My demo begins a number of hours into the sport within the Kinglor Forest, a rainforest-like space house to the Aranahe, one of many new clans and the primary one gamers encounter. The Aranahe largely consists of artisans and weavers, and so they depend on silk produced by giant moth-like creatures known as Kinglor (therefore the forest’s identify). Nevertheless, this symbiotic relationship has been disrupted by the RDA, and it is as much as me to revive steadiness.
As a first-person recreation, controls are acquainted to trendy shooters. Because of their background, the customizable protagonist wields Na’vi and human weaponry. The previous consists of a number of bows, reminiscent of ones fitted to brief and long-range, with numerous arrow sorts, together with hearth and poison. Probably the most distinctive weapon is the Workers Sling. Resembling a lacrosse stick, it is used to lob numerous explosives.
The RDA weapons I used included an assault rifle, shotgun, and stun grenades. On the whole, Na’vi weapons are quiet and nice for stealth. Arrows can be crafted by gathering vegetation rising within the surroundings, which means ammo was hardly ever a problem. Conversely, weapons are extra highly effective however louder, and you may solely replenish them by discovering ammo at RDA outposts or on lifeless troopers, making bullets a scarcer useful resource. All the weapons have a very good really feel and pack a punch, although I usually favored the Na’vi instruments as a result of my proclivity for stealth and roleplaying the fantasy of being a Na’vi.
Although I engaged in a number of skirmishes with RDA platoons patrolling the world, probably the most combat-heavy sequence was a mission tasking me with shutting down a big outpost. These services could be discovered throughout Pandora and pollute the surroundings. Thus, eliminating them is significant.
Gamers have the choice of going loud, however I go for sneaking. Being a 10-foot tall creature makes sneaking round considerably odd, as human-sized boundaries don’t conceal me fairly as effectively, which means I’ve to get a bit extra artistic and quiet. Selecting off foes with my huge arrows feels good, as does performing melee assaults that ship their comparatively smaller our bodies flying. The bottom is crawling with AMPs, the strolling mech fits from the movies, which offer a extra evenly-matched adversary as a result of their dimension, armor, and extra highly effective weaponry.
Taking these down could be a battle, however you possibly can circumvent that through the use of your SID (Methods Interrogation Machine), a hacking gadget that, after ending a minigame the place you information nodes by means of an obstacle-laden maze, can briefly disable AMPs, leaving them susceptible to assault when you select.
This part was powerful as a result of sheer variety of enemies. Alerting them sends your entire base after you, with even aerial reinforcements arriving within the type of the RDA Wyverns (these fancy helicopters from the movies). I managed to finish my guidelines of goals principally quietly, during which I needed to shut down or outright sabotage a number of key factors throughout the sprawling facility. After I was caught, the RDA maintained some type of gentle alert standing even after I evaded their gaze for a very good whereas, which I appreciated as a contact of realism – they didn’t completely overlook I existed.
Platforming and Flight
Since Na’vi have superhuman agility, I’ve a typical soar and a extra highly effective vertical leap by holding down the soar button. My Na’vi senses, activated by holding the proper bumper, function an enhanced view of the environment by revealing animal scent trails (nice for monitoring and looking, extra on that later) and highlighting targets by means of the thick foliage.
Platforming has components of parkour, showcased finest in a mission the place I have to scale the suspended islands of the rookery to tame my flying mount, the ikran. Sprinting throughout its huge vines, climbing up platforms, and grabbing objects reminiscent of climbing vines can all be finished whereas working, creating an pleasant movement of motion and momentum. The extent design additionally feels pure; climbing factors aren’t apparent, however I can nonetheless get a very good sense of the place I must go.
Alongside the way in which, I encounter the ikran of my fancy and try to assuage it by slowly approaching and whispering candy reassurances. Every time it ignores my advances, it flies off, triggering one other spherical of platforming. After I lastly attain the highest and earn its belief sufficient to carry out the ceremonial bond, the ikran turns into my mate for all times, which means it turns into my everlasting flying mount (and may’t be killed). I additionally give my ikran a reputation from a preset checklist – Carol, when you’re questioning – and outfit it with adornments reminiscent of a saddle and masks.
Ikran could be summoned by hitting Up on the d-pad, and the attitude modifications to third-person whereas mounted. Flying usually feels good as I’m capable of increase flight pace on the expense of my mount’s vitality bar. I replenish this by feeding it meals, which is completed on the fly by way of an merchandise wheel. Along with performing tips like barrel roles, flight opens up enjoyable fight alternatives. I come throughout a number of Wyverns and have interaction them with my bow or weapons, each of which may scale back a chopper right into a fiery heap. It’s usually simple to purpose and shoot whereas steering the ikran, although the actual enjoyable is available in messing round with some artistic stunts. My favourite trick is to dive off the ikran in midair, provoke a free fall, pull out my Workers Sling to lob bombs at targets on the bottom, then command my ikran to catch me and take off as explosions rattle beneath.
Ikrans additionally make for good distractions. On the RDA outpost, I known as it to the world, which attracted the soldier’s consideration. As they opened hearth at it, it gave me a window to slide by unnoticed. As your bond together with your ikran grows by means of the journey as you reconnect to Eywa, you should utilize them to journey to the sport’s different two areas – Higher Plains and Clouded Forest – as soon as they turn into out there by means of the story.
Exploration, Looking, Crafting, and Cooking
Kinglor forest is large, vibrant, and teeming with life. Better of all, the map isn’t plagued by icons. Frontiers of Pandora avoids this pitfall of many Ubisoft open-world video games for a less-is-more strategy. Solely key places are highlighted, and goals tasked me with figuring out components of the surroundings in a basic space or cardinal path (reminiscent of a stone pillar lined in willow bushes in a single mission) to search out my location as a substitute of shoving a waypoint precisely the place I must be. This manner, I’m capable of preserve my eye on the sport as a substitute of on the menu and really feel higher linked to the world because of this.
Like within the movies, the world feels alive due to the dynamic interactions with the alien flowers. Some are playful, like watching orange funnel vegetation shoot into the bottom upon strategy. Others are useful, reminiscent of blue flowers that launch speed-boosting pollen when stepped on. Some flora are harmful; preserve an eye fixed out for big, risky egg bulbs that explode in shut proximity. Probably the most useful flower I discovered was the Tarsyu. This huge, pink flower rewards a ability level when you hook up with it. They tower above the bottom and often require traversing elevated platforms or terrain to achieve them, however they’re price stopping what you’re doing to go to when you see one.
As I discover, I harvest a few of these vegetation for supplies utilized in crafting and cooking. This characteristic is extra concerned than I anticipated. Circumstances reminiscent of time of day and climate decide the standard of the yield. A flower plucked within the afternoon could also be of decrease high quality than if it have been picked at night time, as a primary instance. A short minigame accompanies harvesting as I rotate the angled persist with discover a candy spot earlier than yanking or reducing stems. You may scan vegetation, animals, and different objects by clicking the proper analog stick, which saves all of their info, reminiscent of location and their ultimate situations for harvesting, to a menu database.
Looking is equally concerned. Animals sport weak factors, and concentrating on them is not going to solely drop them sooner however end in cleaner kills. That is necessary as the standard of the meat and hides depends upon how a lot ammo you dump into them and what kind. Arrows are nice for this as a result of their precision and energy. A few well-placed pictures can protect the meat whereas hitting weak factors ends in a merciful kill, including a bonus to your total yield high quality. Killing creatures with weapons renders them completely unharvestable – Na’vi abhor metallic, in any case. Thus, when confronted by extra aggressive beasts, the selection of killing them extra rapidly with weapons and shedding out on the reward is fixed and provides weight to battles.
A cooking system paying homage to the latest Zelda video games enables you to flip hard-earned components into quite a lot of dishes. Combining components ends in sudden combos. Some plates bestow short-term buffs. Unhealthy combos end in gross dishes unfit for consuming. Recipes are routinely saved to a database for straightforward reference. You should utilize harvested supplies to craft new weapons and armor at a weapon bench. Armor has color-coded rarities, although are nuanced with specialised perks.
Outdoors of crafting and consuming items, one specific recurring sidequest entails donating requested items to a tribe’s communal basket. Most villages I visited had one in every of these, and every requested a sure kind of plant, meals, or merchandise of a particular high quality or rarity. Fulfilling these requests stuffed parts of a spiral meter. I didn’t fill it up throughout my session, and the Ubisoft consultant didn’t clue me in on what occurs whenever you do after I requested. We’ll simply have to attend and see the way you’re rewarded for being a beneficiant giver.
All the pieces you do feeds into leveling up, which unlocks ability factors to spend on 5 ability bushes: Survivor, Warrior, Hunter, Rider, and Maker. Survivor dictates stats for well being vitality (mainly stamina) and will increase your stock dimension. Warrior pertains to all issues fight, letting you increase proficiency with weapons. Hunter unlocks extra expertise to enhance your monitoring and determine higher-quality supplies. Rider gives expertise in your ikran, reminiscent of barrel rolls or catching fish when flying near water. Lastly, Maker improves cooking and crafting attributes.
General, I largely loved my time with Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. On one hand, it’s acquainted within the sense that it channels video games like Far Cry in its open-world fight and exploration. Alternatively, it treatments criticism of Ubisoft’s open-world design, reminiscent of eliminating icons and letting gamers discover utilizing the beautiful sights. The sport admirably captures the spirit and identification of the IP, particularly since exploring and poking round is entertaining by itself. It stays to be seen how the storytelling holds up, however we received’t have to attend an excessive amount of longer. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora launches on December 7 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Collection X/S, and PC
