We are not talking about another Avatar film; rather, it is an Avatar game based on James Cameron’s wildly popular film universe and is currently under development. Since Ubisoft is publishing the game, the release date was recently announced at Ubisoft Forward 2023. Here are 10 things you need to know about Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.
Genre
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is an upcoming first-person open-world action-adventure game.
Developers and Publishers
Swedish game developer and Ubisoft subsidiary Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft studios of Düsseldorf, Shanghai, Reflections, Leamington, Kyiv, Toronto, and Montpellier are working jointly on the game as developers. Ubisoft will publish the game.
Explore The World of Pandora
The title alone says that the game’s story has got something (and possibly everything) to do with the frontiers of the habitable moon of Pandora. What is happening out there? As per the developers, the Western Frontiers of Pandora haven’t been explored before. Plus, an evil organization known as the Resource Development Administration (RDA) is expanding its operations. So, prepare yourself for a campaign that’s fraught with danger and adventure.
A Na’vi Protagonist
In Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, you play as a member of the indigenous Na’vi tribe. Along the course of your journey, you’ll meet new characters. Also, you can explore aerially, riding on the back of your Ikran. As a Na’vi, you are physically strong and agile; far more capable than a normal human. You can customize your character, craft new gear, as well as upgrade your skills and weapons.
Save Pandora from the RDA
As one of the Na’vi, one of your main objectives would be to “push back the formidable RDA forces that threaten” the world of Pandora, as per Ubisoft. Also, on the frontiers lie unexplored “beautiful yet unpredictable alien regions” where you’ll have to tread with caution.
Weapons
What can bow and arrows and spears do against guns and rifles? Maybe a lot since you have trained well as a Na’vi , but on an army-level scale, maybe not so much. However, your human training has got you covered, as you’ll be using weapons like assault rifles, shotguns, and more.
A New Storyline
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is not a video game adaptation of any of the two films. Instead, it offers players a new, standalone story set in the Avatar universe. When you were just a child, John Mercer of the militaristic corporation known as the RDA had abducted you fifteen years earlier along with the other Na’vi children.
The plan was to make the Na’vi more like humans, train them in warfare and then use them against their own people. But the Battle of the Hallelujah Mountain changes everything. You wake up from cryosleep after fifteen years, free from the hold of the RDA but with no idea how to reconnect with your homeworld of Pandora and the tribes that reside there.
This definitely seems like an interesting take on what the movies have shown so far. Moreover, it seems like this storyline could tie-in with what future movies in the franchise are aiming for. Nonetheless, it makes for a compelling case to play the game!
Built Using The Snowdrop Engine
The developers have used the Snowdrop engine, built specifically for new-gen consoles and PCs.
How The Snowdrop Engine Helped Build Pandora
Since the fictional world of Pandora is a super-detailed one, with flora and fauna abounding, the developers had to create more objects to make it as close to how it could look if it were real. Plus, they brought real-time wind simulation and interaction, added Pandorasque intelligent plants and a “varied amount of vegetation”. The game would also feature a new volumetric cloud system so that you can see better from the skies.
Platforms and Release Date
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora would launch across PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows (via Ubisoft Connect), and Amazon Luna on December 7, 2023.
Our Two Cents
The latest movie in the franchise, Avatar: The Way of Water, definitely presented the hybridization of the Na’vi and humans. While Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora doesn’t seem to be heading the exact same way, there’s certainly some resemblance. Maybe the dreaded Fire Na’vi could make an entrance in this game as well. We’re definitely excited about this game, especially since the first Avatar game was released all the way back in 2009!
In case you missed it, check out the latest offering from Ubisoft in the Assassin’s Creed franchise!
