Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora dares to ask what would happen if James Cameron made a Far Cry game

At a behind-closed-doors presentation at Summer Games Fest, Ubisoft showed a group of journalists the first-ever look at Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Announced back in 2017, the first-person action-adventure game was supposed to release in 2022 initially (probably originally aimed at launching around the same time as James Cameron's Avatar: The Way of Water), but it was pushed to 2023. Specifically, December 7, 2023. The delay was worth it, from what we’ve seen so far; the game is gorgeous and interesting and really evokes the fantasy/sci-fi feel of Pandora – even if the core formula at the heart of the game is, basically, just a Far Cry rip-off. Like, there are so many similarities to Far Cry, it’s impossible to watch the trailer and not draw a line between them. You can play the entire thing in single player, or two player co-op, like Far Cry. You can use human weapons and go into combat loud and aggressive, like Far Cry, or use Navi weapons for a stealthier and more silent approach, like Far Cry. You need to liberate areas from the big military guys in order to free up the map and progress the game, like Far Cry. You can have a pet that will help you in battle, like Far Cry. You see what I’m getting at? It’s not being cynical to make this link. But there are some variations – this is Ubisoft Massive making this game, after all, and that part of the Ubisoft family hasn’t made a Far Cry game before. The most interesting deviation from the Far Cry formula comes in how you need to be specific about the flora you collect as you wander around Pandora’s Western Continent; simply running around and collecting everything will proffer lesser rewards. Really evoking the Navi’s respect for nature, Drew Rechner (associate game director) told us that you need to “pay attention to the natural flora and take only what you need,” – this gives you better quality ingredients, which allows you to cook better food or make more effective upgrades to your gear. Read more