Summary
- Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a Ubisoft game with familiar open-world mechanics, but a unique parkour system sets it apart slightly.
- Fans of Far Cry Primal may find similarities in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, paving the way for potential sequels to the underrated spin-off.
- Ubisoft has the opportunity to show Far Cry Primal some love with a sequel, building on the success of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.
Despite being developed by Massive Entertainment and only published by Ubisoft, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is a Ubisoft game through and through. Although it improves somewhat on Ubisoft's traditional open-world formula with fewer hand-holding mechanics and a unique parkour system, it still approaches everything else nearly the same way, filling in the empty spaces throughout its open world with enough copy-and-paste environments and activities to bloat it. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora might actually be the closest thing to a Far Cry game that a non-Ubisoft developer has ever done, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
In light of the kinship Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora shares with Far Cry and its somewhat fresh approach to Ubisoft's open-world model, it might be time to give one highly underrated Far Cry spin-off another go. Since its release, it has not received a sequel nor any news of one, but it has a remnant of dedicated fans who would likely get behind it. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora may have essentially served as Massive's pilot episode for its upcoming open-world Star Wars adventure, Star Wars Outlaws, but it has also all but paved the way for this one-of-a-kind Far Cry spin-off to finally receive the love and attention it deserves.
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It's Time to Give Far Cry Primal Another Try
Far Cry Primal Is a Highly Underrated Far Cry Spin-off
Far Cry Primal isn't the most well-received installment in the Far Cry series, but it has garnered a significant following over the last eight years since its release. One of the reasons it has become more celebrated is likely due to the repetitive nature of each mainline Far Cry game and Far Cry Primal's uniqueness among them all. Most Far Cry games take place in a modern or futuristic setting, but Far Cry Primal takes players back to prehistoric times. It also introduced some new mechanics to the franchise, like the ability to tame wild animals and even use them in combat.
What is perhaps Far Cry Primal's biggest differentiating factor, however, is that it doesn't focus on politics, as so many games in the Far Cry series tend to do. Instead, its story centers around a lone Wenja hunter named Takkar who must learn to survive in an unforgiving world after his hunting party is attacked by a wild beast. Since its release, there has not been another Far Cry game like Far Cry Primal, which is ironically what has most likely contributed to its popularity among certain fans. All in all, it is a very underrated Far Cry game that arguably deserves to be continued.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Paved the Way for a Far Cry Primal Sequel
For all intents and purposes, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is not too different from Far Cry Primal. It has already been compared to the Far Cry series for its open-world design and gameplay mechanics, but Frontiers of Pandora compares especially to Far Cry Primal in its emphasis on non-gun weapons, its rideable beasts, and its overall tone and feel. Even Frontiers of Pandora's bow mechanics are nearly identical to Far Cry Primal's. Its focus on nature is also a big nod to Far Cry Primal's Stone Age, although the environments in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora are much more deeply saturated in bright, exotic colors compared to Far Cry Primal's green and sepia tones.
Since its release, there has not been another Far Cry game like Far Cry Primal, which is ironically what has most likely contributed to its popularity among certain fans.
Arguably, Ubisoft has everything it needs to give Far Cry Primal some much-needed love in the form of a sequel. With Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora out of the way, its spiritual predecessor could stand on its shoulders for another try. All it might need to do from here is improve even further upon Frontiers of Pandora's open-world model to bring it further away from what has become a rather predictable formula in the Far Cry franchise.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 72 /100 Critics Rec: 52%
- Released
- December 7, 2023
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Language, Mild Blood, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Massive Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft
- Engine
- Snowdrop
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Avatar
WHERE TO PLAY
Protect Pandora. Become Na'Vi. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora™ is a first-person, action-adventure game set in the open world of the never-before-seen Western Frontier of Pandora. Abducted by the human militaristic corporation known as the RDA, you, a Na’vi, were trained and molded to serve their purpose. Fifteen years later, you are free, but find yourself a stranger in your birthplace. Reconnect with your lost heritage, discover what it truly means to be Na'vi, and join other clans to protect Pandora from the RDA.
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
- How Long To Beat
- 20 Hours
