2023-12-18 13:52:30
Ubisoft sees life in blue
Open worlds have long been one of Ubisoft’s favorite playgrounds, but critics have often pointed to an obvious redundancy in game design of the company. This is all the more obvious when we compare it with other much more inventive titles in this area, released in recent years (like, randomly, Elden Ring).
As for titles labeled Ubisoft, we have been seeing the same problems for a little too long now. Hairy interfaces which spoil the panorama and assist the player too much. World map studded with information and objectives that desecrate exploration. And other similar joys. This concerns the Assassin’s Creedbut also (and above all) the Far Cryto which Avatar : Frontiers of Pandora seemed very (too) similar.
We would have been wrong not to be wary. The game was sold as an FPS featuring a group of resistance fighters rising up against tyrannical forces, all in a wild setting. We collect, we hunt, we fight. Brief… Far Cry. Fortunately (and this is the very pleasant surprise of the game), the similarities pretty much end there. That’s already a lot, some will say. Certainly, but that does not diminish les efforts de Massive Entertainment (the developer) to emancipate itself from the classic Ubisoft formula.
Efforts generated in response to criticism? We can’t say, but in any case, the studio didn’t lie when it said in an interview that its priority was to focus everything on immersion. With this goal in mind, the game design ofAvatar : Frontiers of Pandora indeed seems more pleasant and pushes exploration in the right direction. A vital point for any good open world game. No more map overloaded with directions or confusing interface. Ubisoft’s title finally refines its tools to allow the player to take advantage of the beautiful world around him. That of a perfectly restored Pandora.
Pandora at night, it’s quite enchanting
It’s far, but it’s beautiful
From the first steps into the lush universe of Pandora, it will be very difficult not to be dazzled by its beauty and precision. The exotic planet imagined by James Cameron is aesthetically perfect, and it was undoubtedly one of the most difficult issues for the studio. Skip after the visual slap ofAvatar 2, it was not an easy task. And we must salute the work that has been done here to achieve the feat of doing justice to such an environment. Obviously, the collaboration with James Cameron’s production studio must have been a big help.
Moreover, Avatar : Frontiers of Pandora is not content to be sumptuous, but gains in richness throughout its exploration thanks to a very dynamic and responsive decor. This responds to changes in climate, biomes and a very well-executed day-night cycle. The verticality of the map and its variety add to its density and finally, Ubisoft successfully meets the challenge of making the player want to get lost in one of its worlds. That’s it for the success of the game. Now… for the rest, it’s more complicated.
After the flight on the back of a hippogriff, here’s another dream come true
nice try, but…
Virtually, the game has a solid foundation. And if you are a fan ofAvatar, it will work even better on you. This is already enough to distinguish it from a simple ersatz of Far Cry and it’s cool. However, despite its formal qualities, Ubisoft’s new title still struggles to impress in substance. Firstly, the scenario ofAvatar : Frontiers of Pandora – although fitting quite organically into the franchise universe – looks too much like a side story from the films.
We understand the timidity of the developers in not wanting to do too much, so that their game retains its place in the franchise canon and does not disturb James Cameron’s plans. Unfortunately, this will confine their work to its place as a derivative product rather than a true unpredictable adventure evolving in its own epic dimensions.
The FPS gameplay is also unexciting and the combat quite lukewarm
And even compared to other licensed games from this year (like Hogwarts Legacy et Spider-Man 2) who manage to reimagine their own mythology, Avatar suffers from always being too wise. So certainly the flora, fauna and all of Cameronian biology are respected to perfection. But the game never has the audacity to propose something new, to introduce a new rule into its diegesis or to create something impactful. We are no longer in a kind of simulationwhat a true interpolation of the universe.
What’s more, the secondary content of the game fails to take shape, whether narratively or playfully, not to mention the off-putting side missions, specific to Ubisoft’s open worlds. And we deplore it, because it kills a large part of the interest of the game. The side quests will rarely be a source of stimulation and the numerous enemy camps will be more painful than anything else. In the end, the filler will almost overcome the excellent immersion of the game (sometimes saved by the original music of James Horner). And the potential of the title will sink into an ocean of blandness, as is often the case with games without genius.
Test carried out on PS5. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is available on PS5, Xbox series and PC.
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