Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora dares to ask what would happen if James Cameron made a Far Cry game

In a closed-door presentation at Summer Games Fest, Ubisoft gave a group of journalists the first look at Avatar: Borders of Pandora. Announced in 2017, the first-person action-adventure game was initially supposed to release in 2022 (probably originally aiming to release around the same time as James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water), but has been pushed back to 2023. Specifically, December 7, 2023. The delay was worth it, from what we’ve seen so far; the game is beautiful and interesting and really evokes the fantasy/sci-fi feel of Pandora, even if the core formula at the heart of the game is basically just a Far Cry rip-off.

There are so many similarities to Far Cry that it’s impossible to watch the trailer and not draw a line between them. You can play everything in single player or in two player co-op, just like Far Cry. You can use human weapons and go into combat loud and aggressive, like Far Cry, or use Navi weapons for a more stealthy and quiet approach, like Far Cry. You need to liberate areas from the big military to liberate the map and progress in the game, like Far Cry. You can have a pet that helps you in battle, like Far Cry. See what I mean? It’s not being cynical to make this link.

But there are some variations: after all, this is Ubisoft Massive making this game, and that part of the Ubisoft family hasn’t made a Far Cry game before. The most interesting departure from the Far Cry formula comes in how you need to be specific about the flora you collect while wandering the western continent of Pandora; just running around and collecting everything will offer lesser rewards. Really evoking Navi’s respect for nature, Drew Rechner (Associate Game Director) told us to “pay attention to the natural flora and take only what you need”, this gives you better quality ingredients, allowing you to cook better. food or make more effective upgrades to your equipment.

And look, I like Far Cry. I think from Far Cry 3 to Far Cry 5 they were great. Taking that formula away from cultists, breakaway nation states, and terrorists is probably a good thing, and the world of Pandora certainly has a lot to offer. Anything Massive has done to the engine has also worked great; the project looks awesome. I for one am looking forward to customizing my Navi and heading out into the woods, tiptoeing around the bioluminescent plants and making friends with all the little strangers who call this planet home.

You are cast as ‘a Navi who has a complex past full of mystery’ who was kidnapped at a young age and trained as a weapon by humans, intending to deploy against your kin. During the events of Avatar 1, you are rescued from your human captors and enter cryogenic sleep until the events of Avatar 2, when you are awakened and the game’s story begins. This means that you are born on Pandora, but raised by the RDA: you have knowledge of human weapons, human machinery, and the human mind. But you need to reconnect with Pandora and discover the ways of Navi; a perfect setup for a game that wants to present a ‘living and immersive Pandora’.

John Mercer is the big villain in this game – the leader of the GDR who spearheaded the plan that saw humanity kidnap and abuse the Navi children, Ubisoft does a fine job of turning him into a villain you won’t be shy about taking down. You know, like the editor has done with the villains in Far Cry. I imagine you’ll work your way through the various districts of the open world (we were shown dense forests with a secret tribe, floating islands, and grassy hills) to assemble the necessary troops to launch an attack on the GDR and repel them. for good

The game looks decent. If you don’t like Far Cry or Avatar, there is nothing here for you. I don’t think Frontiers of Pandora is going to rewrite the rulebook for open world Ubisoft games. But it’s very nice, and James Cameron and his team have been working with Massive to make this more than just cynical license fees. It’s intended as a fitting extension of the Avatar property, a way to “tell new stories with new technology” according to the director himself.

So I’m still interested. It will live and die based on how Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora feels in your hands as you play, something we haven’t had a chance to experience yet. If I were a gambling person though, I’d say it feels like Far Cry. And that’s not a bad thing.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is an open-world first-person action-adventure launching December 7 on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.