Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
- December 7, 2023
- Ubisoft Düsseldorf
- 22h median play time
"Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora™" is a first-person, action-adventure game set in the Western Frontier of the fictional planet Pandora. Players will assume the role of a Na'vi, exploring an open world and battling opponents using various weapons and abilities. The game offers different editions with bonus cosmetic and equipment packs, as well as a Season Pass for additional story content.
Reviews
- The game features stunning graphics and a beautifully designed world that captures the essence of Pandora.
- Gameplay mechanics, including exploration and crafting, are engaging and immersive, allowing players to feel like they are truly part of the Avatar universe.
- The combat system is fun, with a variety of weapons and abilities that enhance the experience of playing as a Na'vi.
- The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including frequent crashes, long loading times, and bugs that can hinder gameplay.
- The story and character development are often criticized as being weak and lacking depth, making it hard for players to connect with the narrative.
- Many players have reported problems with keybinding settings not saving, which can lead to frustration during gameplay.
- story301 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The story in "Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it engaging yet predictable and lacking depth. While some appreciate the connection to the film's lore and the immersive world, others criticize the repetitive mission structure and uninspired character development. Technical issues, such as bugs affecting mission progression, have also detracted from the overall narrative experience.
“The story is not scared to kill characters, which I enjoy, so it's more real.”
“The story is captivating, the views are absolutely beautiful, and the traversal is incredibly fun.”
“The world feels somewhat immersive, the characters grow on you, and the general plot has enough substance to bite into and keeps you hooked for most of the campaign.”
“The storytelling is terrible, with weak characters and a lackluster premise that fails to engage from the start.”
“The story is soulless, the voice acting had me cringing very hard, it lacks the effect that the movies had.”
“The story is weak (not the crime against storytelling some have described it as, but it peaks at mediocre).”
- graphics176 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora" are widely praised for their stunning visuals and immersive world design, often described as some of the best seen in gaming to date. However, many players report significant technical issues, including graphical glitches, crashes, and performance problems, even on high-end systems. While the game's aesthetic appeal is undeniable, these technical shortcomings can detract from the overall experience.
“Amazing next-gen graphics!”
“The graphics are absolutely fascinating!”
“Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora dazzles with its stunning graphics, immersing you in the vibrant, breathtaking world of Pandora.”
“Game is not very good in quality like the other reviews said as I don't feel like the immersiveness lives up to what it promises; the graphics are really glitchy even on ultra with all recommended and custom settings alike.”
“The game looks interesting, but the inability to run on medium or even high graphics ruins the amazing graphical aspect the game is supposed to have.”
“Now the problems are that the game has way too many crashes (I've tested on two systems and reloaded drivers and installs); second is constant graphical bugs that are so frequent they pull you out of any experience and gameplay you were immersed in.”
- gameplay125 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora" is characterized by a mix of familiar mechanics reminiscent of the Far Cry series, including combat, stealth, and exploration, which some players find enjoyable despite its repetitive nature. While the visuals and world design are praised for their beauty, many reviews highlight technical issues, such as crashes and lag, that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the gameplay is considered decent but lacks innovation, making it appealing primarily to fans of open-world exploration and the Avatar universe.
“The gameplay is compelling and thoughtful—unlike a lot of these games there’s no incentive to scavenge every single thing you see, and it’s incredibly satisfying to sneak your way through an oil refinery that’s making a polluted mess out of your surroundings, sabotage it, and see the natural world shoulder its way back in.”
“Gameplay is similar to Far Cry but with some unique movement mechanics and weapon types.”
“Freedom of exploration: the ability to fly on an ikran mount and explore every nook and cranny of Pandora adds a liberating element to the gameplay.”
“If you come to play this game for mainly gameplay, you're better off playing something like Far Cry.”
“I don't even normally leave reviews, but this is the worst experience I've had in a game: 90% loading, the rest is laggy audio and gameplay. I would not suggest it unless you buy it for 5 dollars, and that's being generous.”
“The gameplay loop, reminiscent of the Far Cry series and any standard Ubisoft AAA game, becomes repetitive quickly.”
- optimization60 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including frequent crashes and lag, particularly on lower-end hardware. While some users with high-end setups have experienced smooth gameplay, others have noted that the game is overly demanding and poorly optimized, leading to frustration and a lack of enjoyment. Overall, there is a consensus that the game requires further optimization to improve performance across a wider range of systems.
“So far not a single crash, bug, or performance issue.”
“I was really surprised to see how well optimized it was.”
“Heck, it's probably the best optimized game I've played in a long time, and it ran even better on the hardware it's designed for.”
“I will change the rating if Ubisoft fixes the optimization issue because it is very much poorly to no optimization!”
“Additionally, you practically need a NASA supercomputer to run it at 1080p on the lowest settings due to poor optimization.”
“The #1 issue I have with this game is that it's not optimized; it crashes regularly, including bluescreening my computer.”
- stability55 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 2 % neutral mentions
- 91 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting frequent crashes, texture glitches, and significant frame rate issues. Many users experienced game-breaking bugs, such as getting stuck in environments and random freezes, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience. While a few players noted smooth performance, the overwhelming consensus is that the game is plagued by instability and requires substantial troubleshooting to be playable.
“This game looks amazing and runs great; almost 10 hours in and not a single crash.”
“I have an RTX 3070 on Windows 11, and it runs great on my machine so far (22 hours in).”
“Game runs great on my 3070 Ti and Ryzen 9 5900X.”
“The game constantly freezes despite that my PC matches maximum requirements.”
“Terrible buggy and glitchy mess, textures, enemies, quests, quest characters, floor, walls, objects, lootables, everything glitches out, rendering this game unplayable as it is right now.”
“I loved the movies, so I had high hopes for the game and in my opinion the game is really fun to play and the world looks so amazing, but the game is also a complete mess… in my 30 hours of playing I had over 20 crashes… many graphic glitches… invisible enemies… FPS drops even with low settings and many glitches where I got stuck between trees or walls… I can only hope they will fix it, but I don't think so, or it will be fixed months later when I don't play it anymore.”
- music17 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The music in the game is often described as cinematic and atmospheric, enhancing the overall experience with a quality soundtrack that complements various gameplay situations. However, many users report significant audio issues, including abrupt cuts and bugs that detract from immersion. While the music and visuals are praised, technical problems overshadow these positives, leading to a mixed reception.
“Music is movie quality.”
“The soundtrack perfectly contrasts almost every situation, and the atmospheric immersion is breathtaking.”
“I will say that the sound of the rain in this game is genuinely mesmerizing, and this game has a perfectly ambient soundtrack for just roaming and exploring, capturing that wonderment of the unknown.”
“Framey, stuttery, and buggy; the music kept cutting out, and I got stuck in a vent that wouldn't register my hits.”
“Audio is so janky (music plays, stops, starts over abruptly, silence then plays again) that I had to just turn it off. The one NPC that you interact with through a barrier wouldn't trigger dialogue, so I couldn't proceed without rubbing against the invisible wall.”
“During character creation, the voice lines would play over and over, and the music during gameplay stopped every few seconds.”
- atmosphere17 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 12 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its immersive and visually stunning representation of Pandora, capturing the essence of the source material with incredible graphics and a rich sound design. While some players note that the gameplay can become repetitive and the voice acting is mediocre, the overall ambiance and freedom of exploration create a captivating experience that many find worth the time investment. Overall, the game's atmosphere stands out as its strongest feature, making it a compelling choice for fans of the Avatar universe.
“They handled the atmosphere and immersion of Pandora perfectly, and while it's an FPS, you use weapons like spears and different kinds of bows, which makes it unique.”
“I enjoy the wilderness atmosphere and the ambience; I have always loved the world of Pandora.”
“The soundtrack perfectly contrasts almost every situation, and the atmospheric immersion is breathtaking.”
“The audio isn't quite as high quality but still offers a significant level of detail over the forest atmosphere and the general animation sounds of running through brush and splashing through puddles.”
“The alien landscapes, wildlife, and overall atmosphere reflect the movies’ essence.”
“The vast majority of the collectibles are fun and short; there is no time to feel the repetitiveness because of the atmosphere.”
- grinding14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 64 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is generally viewed as tedious, with many players finding certain mechanics and minigames repetitive and time-consuming. While some appreciate the rewarding nature of tracking down higher quality items, the overall sentiment leans towards frustration with the grind, particularly due to the game's save system and the repetitive nature of side quests.
“Decent grinding.”
“A lot of grinding.”
“I love that you can pick out stuff in the wild, so perhaps no farming, but a place to make home wares to display would be a nice touch.”
“Well firstly the game itself is pretty tedious, standard Ubisoft fare, which I often don't mind, but the awful voice acting in the opening scenes had me skipping into the gameplay as fast as I could, and well, it just isn't doing it for me.”
“But that's where the compliments come to a grinding halt...”
“Cons: they yoink your ikran whenever you travel to new zones until you reach a certain point in the story, side quests are repetitive and get old fast, NPCs don't feel alive in the slightest, trying to do any mission stealthily takes an insane amount of time and/or is incredibly tedious and difficult.”
- monetization9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 56 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been widely criticized as exploitative, with players reporting issues such as frequent crashes and concerns over in-game purchases leading to lost money without compensation. Many reviewers describe the microtransactions as poorly designed, often leaving players just short of the necessary currency for items, reinforcing the perception of the game as a cash grab. Overall, the monetization approach has contributed to polarized reviews and dissatisfaction among the player base.
“With that being said, it breaks my heart seeing this game coming in with mixed reviews, and often polarized reviews due to platform, anti-cheat, and (thankfully unobtrusive) monetization decisions.”
“To start, this game has microtransactions.”
“Said microtransactions are set up in the same scummy way as every other game featuring them where you will always have 50 credits/points/supercash/toiletmoney less than the cheapest thing in the premium shop if you were to buy any of their point bundles and use them.”
“Game crashes constantly and if you make an in-game purchase, you're likely to have your money stolen and not given anything in return.”
“I remember my initial thoughts were that this was a cash grab and they could have put some more work into it.”
“This game is a soulless corporate cash grab where you play as an alien trying to stop a soulless corporation cash grabbing your planet, and the irony is totally lost on the developers.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the wacky characters and find the tutorial amusing, others feel that the cutscenes come off as cringey. Additionally, the presence of typical Ubisoft bugs adds an unintended layer of humor, though the game's performance issues detract from the overall experience.
“It's a funny blue cat people adventure, somewhat like the movie.”
“Often finding the normal Ubisoft game bugs that are funny as well; no lack of those.”
“Hilarious.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is criticized for its lack of depth, with users finding the story generic and predictable. The voice acting and writing are seen as underwhelming, leading to missed opportunities for a more impactful narrative. Overall, the emotional engagement is deemed insufficient, resulting in a less compelling experience.
“The emotional depth of the characters really resonated with me, making their struggles feel incredibly real.”
“I was genuinely moved by the story; it tackled themes of loss and redemption in a way that left a lasting impact.”
“The game masterfully captured the essence of human emotions, allowing players to connect with the characters on a profound level.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users note that the game lacks significant replayability, especially when compared to titles like Cyberpunk, as it does not encourage experimentation with different builds or character customization.
“The game offers a variety of choices that significantly impact the story, making each playthrough feel fresh and engaging.”
“With multiple endings and diverse character paths, I find myself coming back to explore all the possibilities.”
“The dynamic world and evolving gameplay mechanics encourage me to replay the game to discover new strategies and experiences.”