Avatar The Last Airbender: Quest for Balance
- September 22, 2023
- Bamtang Games
- 7h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games Store"Avatar: The Last Airbender – Quest for Balance" is an action-adventure game that follows the original series' story. Players can explore the four nations as Aang and his friends, using bending and unique abilities to solve puzzles and relive iconic moments. The game features a two-player co-op mode, with 18 chapters and 9 playable characters. Upgrades are available to enhance abilities throughout the journey.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The game features decent character models and environments that fans of the series may appreciate.
- Some players found enjoyment in the nostalgic elements and the ability to play as their favorite characters.
- The game can be fun for younger audiences or those looking for a simple, casual gaming experience.
- The gameplay is repetitive and lacks depth, with many players describing it as boring and unchallenging.
- The camera controls are poor, often leading to frustrating gameplay experiences and making navigation difficult.
- The game is riddled with bugs and glitches, which significantly detracts from the overall experience.
- story86 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story of "Avatar: The Last Airbender - Quest for Balance" is criticized for being a disjointed retelling of the beloved series, lacking key moments and depth, with many players feeling that significant events are merely narrated rather than experienced through gameplay. While some appreciate the accurate timeline and nostalgic elements, the overall execution is seen as a missed opportunity, with many key scenes omitted and gameplay primarily consisting of repetitive tasks rather than engaging storytelling. Overall, the game fails to capture the charm and richness of the original series, leaving fans disappointed.
“Progress through the story of Aang we all love with compelling combat, beautiful scenery, and many interesting side quests that will keep you craving more as you feel like you're glued to your seat and can't take your eyes off the screen.”
“Fun game with an intriguing authentic plot and animations from the cartoon.”
“The story timeline is accurate but it does not include moments to set up key moments.”
“The story timeline is accurate, but it does not include moments to set up key events.”
“Instead, we got Quest for Balance, an overpriced 18-chapter game with trash combat, boring side quests, boring main quests, and to top it all off, a narrator explains important key events in Aang's story (Omashu, Southern Air Temple), instead of showing you cutscenes, let alone letting you play through those key events.”
“As a lover of this franchise, this game doesn't stand up to it. I expected a fleshed-out story explaining Aang's exploration, yet I got some nicks and ticks about what happened to him, then suddenly put into an 'activity'.”
- graphics30 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the simplistic, cartoony style that aligns with the source material, while others criticize them as outdated and reminiscent of PS2-era visuals. Many feel that the graphics do not detract from the overall enjoyment of the game, although some argue that they lack depth and polish, resembling a mobile game port. Overall, the visuals are seen as a polarizing aspect, with opinions varying widely on their quality and impact on gameplay.
“People have seen the trailer, which (unlike a lot of other announcements) basically just used the actual game's graphics as is.”
“As for the rest: the game is simple (as it was meant to be in the first place), graphics (models, animations, etc.) are simplistic and therefore atmospheric, as if you are actually playing the game of your childhood.”
“The art style of hand-drawn cutscenes is really good; voice acting will probably be hit or miss for most people.”
“I would define the game as a bad Lego game (complete story and replay levels), with ugly graphics and that does not capture the charm of Avatar at all.”
“If you think that the worst thing about this game is its graphics, you are wrong; its graphics are the best it has. It looks like a PS2 game, and the bad thing is that even if this game came out 20 years ago, it would still be a bad one.”
“This feels like a mobile game port with mildly pretty graphics; they made little attempt at anything other than a cash grab.”
- gameplay30 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
Overall, the gameplay has been criticized for being boring, repetitive, and linear, with many players finding the puzzles and combat mechanics unengaging. Issues such as poor camera control, unnecessary mini-games, and slow animations further detract from the experience. Many reviewers suggest that the game could benefit from more diverse mechanics and a better structure to enhance playability.
“I think they could have cut up the game into three acts and released them separately to add more levels for each book episode, which would have allowed them to introduce more mechanics and interesting ways to play the game.”
“Interesting plot in avatar-style gameplay.”
“Now, on to the actual gameplay.”
“The gameplay is boring and repetitive; it has a ton of puzzles and the fights are all the same. It even has little Temple Run-type mini games that are unskippable and unnecessary.”
“The levels are very small and linear, and they don't have much to them at all. Both chapter 1 and 2 start with Subway Surfers mini games that play so poorly, you could watch a Family Guy clip on TikTok and get more joy out of the Subway Surfers gameplay below it than anything these mini games could offer.”
“Bad camera, bad voices, bad gameplay; I couldn't get a controller to connect and keyboard combat is terrible.”
- monetization18 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has been heavily criticized, with many users labeling it a "cash grab" that fails to honor the beloved franchise. Reviewers express disappointment over the lack of polish and depth, suggesting that the game feels more like a poorly executed mobile port rather than a worthy addition to the Avatar: The Last Airbender series. Overall, players recommend avoiding the game and seeking refunds due to its perceived lack of value.
“This feels like a mobile game port with mildly pretty graphics; they made little attempt at anything other than a cash grab.”
“Nickelodeon, if you wanted a cash grab, please don't use a beloved franchise and drag it through the dirt.”
“This is not the ATLA; it's a cash grab. The controller doesn't work and requires you to go back and forth between keyboard and mouse.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely derived from its simplistic puzzles and the player's own mistakes, leading to moments of self-deprecating laughter. While the lack of voice acting is noted as jarring, the presence of amusing bugs adds an unexpected comedic element, contributing to a lighthearted experience despite some technical issues. Overall, players find the humor to be a redeeming quality, even if it stems from unintended glitches.
“I couldn't stop laughing at how dumb I was while solving the puzzles. Well done, Layla, water puts out fire!”
“It's a 6/10 from me, but that's a little generous because of the hilarious bugs.”
“Some of the bugs are harmless, but they definitely add a funny twist to the game.”
- character development6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate a significant lack of character development in the game, with multiple users noting that it does not align with the source material. While the character designs are praised for their accuracy to the show, the absence of meaningful growth or narrative progression for the characters is a notable drawback.
“Character development: As far as I have played, there is no character development and it doesn't follow the show at all.”
“Character development: As far as I have played, there is no character development and it doesn't follow the show at all.”
“Character development: As far as I have played, there is no character development and it doesn't follow the show at all.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent glitches causing characters to become unresponsive and action keys failing to work properly. Players have reported missing crucial cut-scenes and being unable to progress due to being stuck in the environment, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
“The game is objectively buggy. I missed no less than two cut-scenes, where the audio played over a white screen, got stuck in several hordes of enemy attacks, and had to restart the entire fight with Ozai because I was glitched into the ground during phase 3, unable to move at all.”
“The game gets very annoying when the character glitches and action keys do not work properly.”
- music2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is criticized for being notably absent during key moments, particularly in the ending scenes, which many players found to be anti-climactic as a result.
“The ending scenes are entirely anti-climactic, notably missing a score of any kind - like, where was the music?”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by its simplistic graphics and animations, which evoke a nostalgic feeling reminiscent of childhood gaming experiences. This intentional simplicity enhances the overall ambiance, making players feel as though they are revisiting a beloved classic.
“The game is simple, as it was meant to be, and the graphics (models, animations, etc.) are simplistic, creating an atmospheric experience that feels like playing a game from your childhood.”
