Are you looking for more Avatar action after the latest 2022 film, Way of Water? Well, you’re in luck as Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is finally being released and allows players to explore the unique world of Pandora freely. In a timeline set between the two films, Frontiers of Pandora takes place in a new continent of Pandora that’s full of surprises. Let’s take a look and see if the game stands up to the films.

The story in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora takes place on a different continent of Pandora not seen in the films during the year 2169. This is 15 years after Avatar and one year before Way of Water. However, you don’t need to watch the films to play the game. Watching them can help since you’ll understand Pandora better, and there are some film references here and there, but you won’t lose much.

In Frontiers of Pandora, you are a young Na’vi who’s captured and forced to participate in a program by the RDA that will eventually force you to work as an envoy between the Na’vi and the RDA. However, Na’vi and human relationships go south, and you’ll have to fight the Na’vi. The story starts with you escaping the RDA and joining the Na’vi Rebellion. Your overall aim is to stop the RDA from damaging the planet’s flora and fauna, and you’re the perfect fit for this job with your Na’vi background and the human influences you’ve received over the past years from the RDA.

Overall, the story feels unique while staying true to the Avatar universe. The main characters – allies and enemies – are well-written, and the plot is immersive. However, what makes the game shine isn’t the story; it’s the vast and picturesque open world.

As you progress the story, you’ll travel through the various biomes of Pandora. You’ll gather flora and hunt fauna, all of which grant you materials needed for upgrading your gear. The best part of Frontiers of Pandora is how beautiful the world is. It’s vibrant, colorful, detailed, true-to-the-films, and, more importantly, alive. Each biome is distinct, and I was in awe while exploring various areas like the tall waterfalls and dark caves of Pandora, the large trees and Na’vi bases you find throughout the map, and the variety of aggressive and peaceful animals in each biome.

Also, the game incentivizes you to explore. There are skill points and materials to collect, gear to upgrade, and recipes to unlock. Even better, exploration will become easier as you progress through the story due to the various exploration skills you’ll unlock. Exploring to upgrade my gear was always fun and never felt like a chore since, even after 10 hours of gameplay, I kept getting amazed by how beautiful some areas were.

In terms of depth, the game features various unlockable skills, upgradeable weapons, armor customization options, a detailed crafting and cooking system, and the ability to farm clan favor and buy clan-exclusive items from any of the three unique clans found in Western Pandora.

This is expanded further by the ability to play co-op in Avatar Frontiers of Pandora. In this mode, you can play online with a friend who also has the game, allowing you to progress the story and side-quests in the host’s world. Thankfully, any quests you complete as a guest will count as completed in your world. Overall. Co-op allows for some extra fun while exploring Pandora, and it’s a welcome addition.

As for graphics, Frontiers of Pandora is simply amazing. The world is crafted with meticulous details; enemies, monsters, and allies are unique, and I was always amazed by how alluring everything was. In terms of performance, everything ran smoothly, with only a few frame drops when I was spinning my camera around too fast. Just keep in mind that Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora’s system requirements are pretty demanding if you’re on PC.

Similarly, the audio is what I was hoping for and more. The music fits the unique world, and the soundtrack playing when unlocking a new area or feature always leaves me in awe. Also, characters are voice-acted, making them feel even more unique and alive.

Overall, if you’re a fan of the movies and want to explore the world of Pandora yourself, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora offers a fantastic experience. The story is immersive, the characters distinctive and memorable, and the open world is beautiful and detailed. There are a lot of activities to get lost in, especially if you’re a completionist.

The game finds the perfect balance between staying faithful to the films and the Avatar lore and straying a unique path with new creatures, items, characters, and details. Additionally, if you’re a hard-core fan of the movies, you’ll notice various fun details throughout the game.

Our Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora review was made possible with a key provided by Ubisoft. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is available on Uplay, Xbox Series X/S, Amazon Luna, and PlayStation 4/5.