James Cameron's Avatar - An Ubisoft Game.

With James Cameron’s Avatar being yet another adaptation of a yet to be released blockbuster movie, you would be forgiven for assuming that like most movie to game spinoffs, the game might not be very well made. You would be wrong to stereotype Avatar like that. Ubisoft have done an amazing job throughout the whole game, graphically in my eyes it is flawless. The sound is realistic and there is always something to do. While playing this I never felt bored and the hours just rolled away.

Ubisoft have actually developed the first 3-D console game which has been in development for the past 3 years. However take caution with this statement as to be able to receive the 3-D effects the TV must be equipped with Stereoscopy.

Set on the colourful and well vegetated moon of Pandora you begin the campaign mode as a Signals Specialist called Ryder. You have been handpicked for the avatar program by a corporation named the RDA. Early in the game you will have to make an important choice, either stay as an RDA soldier or become a part of the Na’vi. Upon your choice you will carry on through the campaign mode on the path you chose. Whichever choice you make will give you a different feel for the campaign mode and although the overall goal is the same, how you get there is somewhat different. This is a great feature as completing the story with an RDA soldier or Na’vi does not become repetitive and stays fresh. If you happen to see the movie version of Avatar before playing the game don’t think that you will know what happens within the game, because as it happens the game is set two years before the movie, therefore the campaign mode will remain unique to the movie.

As an RDA soldier you will have a variety of long range weapons at your disposal, ranging from dual pistols to machine guns and grenade launchers, but as a Na’vi you will be equipped with long range and short range weapons ranging from bow and arrows to close range blades and staffs. As you move further through the story collecting experience points, your weapons will upgrade and become stronger. Undoubtedly like most games you will find the weapons you like and stick with them throughout the game. Not only are their main challenges to complete in each area you are sent to but, to keep you that extra little bit busy, there are a few side challenges which will help you along the way to upgrade your weapons and skills. These challenges aren’t needed to complete the campaign mode but there are achievements to be unlocked for completing these.

Not only is the scenery around you colourful and great to look at, but the flora and fauna will interact with you fluently as you move through it, making you feel as though you are actually in a jungle environment, within the vegetation are some plants that will interact more than others, these flora will attack you in different ways when you get to close to them, while this happens a Viperwolf will pounce on you from within the vegetation. This is a great feature as it keeps you on your toes, one lapse in concentration and you will end up with a viperwolf biting your ankle and covered in acid. One of my favourite flora has to be the Bloated Stem that shoots bombs at you as you fly around the skies in your Scorpion Gunship, what could be more fun than flying through small spaces while trying to dodge bombs from left to right, which brings me to the part I had the most fun doing..........flying.

Depending which character your playing as you can either fly around in helicopters or on a Mountain Banshee, both control systems are similar but they feel so different, while flying around you will realise that most of the time there is always something going on around you, either on ground or in the sky the game still keeps you busy, I personally cannot remember a time when I was just relaxing and taking in the scenery.

Pandora’s areas are huge and can take some time to travel by foot but don’t worry as there are GMI’s and Trees of Vision dotted around to help you out. Once you have activated them they will teleport you from one section to another to cut your journey time down. These also come in handy for another reason, located within them is a little bonus game called Conquest. This is kind of like the game Risk; it can be fun and slightly addictive, which can take you away from the normal story but if you need a break or just fancy something a little different then feel free to explore it.



The controls for the game as a whole are very easy to pick up. There are various different vehicles or beasts that you can use depending on the character you are. Each time you arrive at something new, a tutorial will open to show you how to play. The items then stored within the Pandorapedia interface.

The Multiplayer section of the game has not been explored to its full potential as it has been difficult to find other players. This is in part due to the new release of the game and also the fact that other more popular games are available. Apart from this the online game play can be just as fun as the campaign mode with 5 different game types being available; these are the usual suspects of Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Capture and Hold and King of the Hill. The fifth game type available is named Final Battle which sees you protecting either crystals or missiles depending on your faction.

The Achievements for Avatar are nicely balanced with the majority of them being allocated for the campaign modes, with a few for multiplayer. They are not difficult to unlock but can be time consuming, however, this can be a good thing, as if you’re like me and don’t like games that only last a few hours then this is not a problem.

If you enjoy a good compelling storyline with great graphics and gameplay, with something a little bit different from what is out at the moment then this is the game for you. It’s fun in so many different ways and it will keep you wanting more. I’m sure like me you will lose a lot of hours during your time playing this, enjoy.

Overall I would give it 8.3 out of 10.