Avatar – Frontiers of Pandora review: Eccentric eco-warrior escapades a treat for the eyes

Long before Greta Thunberg became a poster child for climate action , Cameron was schooling the world with parables about over-exploiting our environment. His 2009 epic Avatar and last year’s follow-up The Way of the Water are two of the three highest-grossing films of all time, yet we don’t seem to be heeding his message about the dangers of colonialism and hurting Mother Nature.

Frontiers of Pandora is only the second game linked to the Avatar universe but this action RPG fares considerably better than the forgettable 2009 shooter tied to the original’s film’s release. This sequel casts you as a young Na’vi resistance fighter determined to counter the evil humans stripping Pandora of its resources while they pollute its natural beauty. But you’re also something of a stranger to the other Na’vi tribes.

The gameplay thus balances the twin requirements of ingratiating yourself with the locals (which translates often into fetch quests) and destroying the human machinery and installations that taint the environment.

Many reviewers have already pointed to the mechanical similarity with the Far Cry series, a stablemate of Avatar from publisher Ubisoft. You will certainly recognise the themes of attacking outposts and undermining an unwanted coloniser, along with eco-sympathetic tasks such as hunting and crafting.

But despite an arsenal of weaponry – from bows to guns – at your disposal, full-frontal attack rarely ends with anything but your demise against the overwhelming force of the human soldiers. Hence the ability for stealthy infiltration, despite your extraordinary height and very blue skin. In fact, the suspension of disbelief required about your perfect camouflage is enormous. As you skulk around the human camps sabotaging drills and pumps, you need only stay above head height (using ramps and conveyor belts) to avoid detection by the stupidly oblivious soldiers below.

That artificiality aside, Frontiers of Pandora portrays a convincingly lush rainforest teeming with unusual plants and creatures. You will spend many moments just marvelling at the organic beauty of the place, the world bursting with colour and frequently reactive to your presence. Right before you harvest it brusquely for your crafting, of course.

Nonetheless, the sheer spectacle and fidelity of the biomes are what stands out most about this trip to Pandora, more so than the overfamiliar gameplay tropes and meandering story that seems unlikely to have been curated by Cameron himself. There are moments in the early hours where shlepping from place to place begins to pall such are the long distances you travel. Even using sprint and a parkour-lite agility can’t hide the drudgery, so it’s a welcome progression when Ubisoft finally hands you a flying mount (and later a horse) to traverse the giant map.

Frontiers of Pandora lacks the creative possibilities found in Far Cry’s more emergent gameplay. But its eyepopping scenery and faithful extension of the Avatar universe give it an appeal to the uninitiated and Cameron devotees alike.