Lately I have been playing Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (Ubisoft, 2023), and I have to say that gameplay-wise, regarding the mechanisms, systems and player experience, the game totally delivers a complex and enjoyable experience of what James Cameron’s Pandora could be like. However, the story and the writing is so mediocre that it ruins the immersion on many different levels. The unnecessary jokes and forceful insertion of contemporary problems (that are meaningless in the grand scheme of things) make the game too un-serious and while it has its moments, the narrative is wasted on the audience by not being able to convey its complex reflection about the problematized themes of this otherwise wonderful video game. And this is a tendency that can be observed generally in the case of other games as well, such as Hogwarts Legacy (Warner Bros. Games, 2023), where everything stays superficial in the same way. However, Frontiers of Pandora is a great case-study of this trend of consumerization and commercialization and their effects on gameplay, narrative and player experience.
First of all, the overall theme of the story is very serious and talks about issues, which overarch human history and there is the potential of providing different perspectives to human affectation and agency over nature and our complex relationship with our own planet by presenting an otherwise anti-humanist story. This in itself is a very serious approach regarding the current identity crisis of who we are and how we should relate to the world and the universe that we inhabit, especially as we are integrating machines and AI into our everyday lives and as we approach the point of no return regarding the climate crisis. Moreover, the game’s narrative approaches these issues in a reflective manner that can contribute towards the transcendental nature of these issues and questions, whether we are here to master our environment or to coexist with nature, or what is our place in the grand design or the universe. Therefore, the potential is there to convey a message and provide an active reflection to the player, who otherwise can immerse him or herself in the game’s virtual world and enjoy this wonderful journey into the beautiful and dangerous alien world of Pandora.
The approach is interesting because of the fact that we are not playing as a human, who has a Na’vi avatar body, rather we are put into the shoes of a native of Pandora from the Sarentu Clan, whose relatives and whose whole clan were massacred by the human invaders and who has been taken as a child to be re-educated by the same humans who killed his or her loved ones. This is a recipe that provides ground for a serious and complex story of agency, rebellion and fight for freedom. And to some degree this aspect of the narrative is explored, especially in connexion with colonialism and how bad this is, which we could say that it is evidently a bad thing. Also, the interment (or imprisonment) of the Na’vi children is reflected upon during the quest, titled “Into the Fog”, in a very creative way, which also serves as an exploration of the corruption and pollution of nature by the RDA (the human faction) the most, and probably this is one of the most serious parts of the narrative that dares to go deep enough. A similar quest that reflects upon unethical questions of animal experiments and other bioengineering incentives is found during the “Feral Hunters” quest. Albeit, these quests or narrative elements are rather few. On the contrary, these points in the story provide its depth and tone that make James Cameron’s world an interesting thought experiment and reflection upon humanity’s greatest challenges.
However, the narrative is belittled by its un-seriousness and thus in the end the story is wasted on more personal issues that could be important and could provide basis for character progression, but fall short even in that category as the weight of these narrative aspects is non-existent and never addressed properly. One notable example is the death of the avatar of Alma (one of the main characters on the side of the Resistance), which provides the reflective choice to the players to redefine their relationship with the character based on her past deeds, mistakes and decisions. We are given the choice to accept the past or confront it. However, nothing really changes regarding the narrative. This otherwise important issue that can serve as a reflective mirror for real life challenges is lost as it is never addressed in game.
Additionally, similar other issues are overshadowed by inappropriate or illogical jokes that are inserted unnecessary to important moments within the narrative, which eventually ruins both the seriousness of the scene and its weight that would otherwise make it meaningful. Moreover, contemporary identity politics also make an appearance in game, which to a degree serve as interesting side-plots, regarding questions like how one can relate to his or her religion or racial background in this alien and different world, where we are the invaders and we carry out the exploitation regardless of our backgrounds. Which would be an interesting topic to explore; for instance, how can a person of colour whose race were previously colonized and exploited justify the same events from his or her perspective, which are carried out by this person? However, the un-serious presentation of this otherwise very serious issue takes away the whole point of including such ideas and reflections as these are never fully and accurately addressed. The minute it would become too meaningful or controversial these issues are pushed to the side.
Instead, we are bombarded with jokes and surface level identity politics. For example, the exploration of one’s identity or how can you find love or create a family in the middle of a hostile world and a conflict that never seems to end could serve as important hooks and serious narrative elements. The questions of continuity and the future, from a perspective of legacy and bloodline or motherhood and fatherhood are all important everyday aspects of our lives that could go so much deeper, even into the psychological sphere where the effects of war and violence can override and alter our views on these matters remain totally unexplored after being introduced into the plot. On the contrary, we are presented with meaningless issues such as pronouns instead, which only touch the surface of these otherwise important identity issues.
Climate change and the climate crisis are themes that dominate the anxieties and fears of many young people, who inherited these issues and who are expected to fight and solve these as well. The game’s narrative makes an attempt to integrate these themes into the plot and the gameplay as well. To some degree these are best experienced though the cleansing of the game’s virtual space from the corruption and pollution that the human facilities and factories cause to nature. Moreover, this is one of the most immersive parts of the gameplay as pollution literally bars the player from gathering herbs and other ingredients and thus also presents a real obstacle, which makes it graspable. However, the narrative reflects on this aspect rather poorly. Only the last chapters of the game present serious consequences about the issue for the world and the characters. But the true depths and controversies are never explored or talked about. We are meant to clean the lands, the waters and the air of Pandora; which is clear and good, but there is more to this part of the story that is never explored.
Moreover, maybe the greatest failures of the narrative come in the representation of the seriousness of war, especially the costs, toils and sacrifices that a rebellion or resistance asks from those who are ready to pay them. This is the part of the game that is meant as the most dominant, as we, the players, are tasked with the management and the recruitment of the different Na’vi clans throughout the Western Frontier. The Sarentu as renowned diplomats are supposed to bring the clans together and unite them against the invasion of the RDA. This allows for the narrative to present the players with the diversity of the different clans and the Na’vi culture. This can be viewed as a success, because this is very well done during the story and adapted gameplay-wise as well. However, the handling of the actual resistance is often presented as a joke, and here it is meant literally. The characters do not take it seriously and it is presented as a form of fairy tale to the players. While the real horrors of war and the toil that takes to bring guerilla warfare to success against a might that is seemingly infinite is rarely touched upon during the narrative. Instead, we are there to hear about jokes and run petty errands like there is no haste or seriousness, just like we were at theme park with no consequences. And to a degree this would not be a problem, and the game still provides an enjoyable experience. However, the narrative suffers this as it becomes meaningless, banal and un-serious.
Additionally, this comes as an issue that originates from the gameplay as well. The game is designed to be an action first person shooter, which appears like it wants to become a role-playing game. This discrepancy or paradox originates from the narrative choice that the player character is supposed to be a diplomat from the nomadic clan of the Sarentu, who is there to bring peace, negotiate and unite the clans. However, the game provides little to no opportunities to really discuss or negotiate with the different clans. Every conversation and dialogue with any character is a linear experience, the player is just there to watch a movie. But the character has no real effect on the outcome of the unification attempts. We are there to shoot things or to gather things, which is not a problem in itself, but from the positioning of the main character, it creates a discrepancy.
Therefore, the question of combat and implied diplomacy, as we are supposed to be diplomats, in the pursuit of peace becomes the Achilles heel of the narrative. It is never truly addressed, nor explored in depth. As a result, the game gets stuck in the action and we story-wise we are only shooting things and exploding things. Which are undoubtedly very important aspects of guerilla warfare and rebellions. But even by presenting this aspect of war as its core mechanism, the game still fails to deliver the urgency and seriousness of the goals that we are supposed to achieve.
In comparison with the previous game in the franchise, which is not totally considered to be canon anymore, titled James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game (2009), Frontiers of Pandora falls short on the presentation of the various serious topics that it aims to explore. The military aspects, the effects and consequences of war, the mechanism of warfare, resistance and rebellion, and the presence of death, nature and its exploitation are all explored in a more immersive and serious storytelling in its predecessor (which is also not a role-playing game, but a third-person shooter action-adventure game) that features only a soldier (a signals specialist) as its main protagonist. In the 2009 game, the player can feel the urgency and the haste to get ahead of your enemy, and we are also presented with the harsh realities of war that operates as a meat-grinder in order to achieve what the higher-ups want. Instead, the superficial themes and the forced implementation of contemporary political issues and identity politics leave the game with a shallow plot that is unable to present its true message, contemporary criticism or the reflection for the player that could become meaningful. Fundamentally, this lack of seriousness and depth leaves the player with a forgettable narrative experience, which lacks the qualities of companionship and the often-hopeless struggle against hardship, and thus ruins the immersive experience of the player who is supposed to partake in a Resistance movement to stop the colonialization and exploitation of Pandora.
Furthermore, Frontiers of Pandora falls victim of commercialization and consumerization. Most of its narrative and gameplay problems originate from this tendency, which is present in the whole video game industry nowadays as it grew to be one of the biggest entertainment industries. Namely, the game is made to be for everyone, so that more and more people could buy it and consume it, and that eventually ruins it, because in the end to fit everyone it fits no one. This game is meant to be purchased and generate money through its various microtransactions. This is why the narrative is light-weight, so that it does not scare away the potential customer and so that it is light enough to be consumed by everyone. However, this creates no appeal as it is not interesting enough for the majority of people and it shows in the player numbers and the statistics of how many copies were sold altogether.
Regarding the narrative, this above-mentioned trend gives way for the un-seriousness that players experience. Jokes and light humour are there to make it easy to consume, where players are not really invited to contemplate or reflect on the otherwise deep issues that the game only presents superficially. Additionally, the writing falls short because of another issue as well – the writers of the narrative portray little to understanding and misunderstanding of the various topics that they present. Thus, in other words, the narrative feels superficial, because the writers only understand or know the surface level of these themes. As a result, for people who have a deeper understanding of the above-presented various serious issues and even have first experience with them, it is evident that the story-writers write about things that they do not understand or had no experience with. And to compensate this the narrative is bloated and it seems like the story operates with a lot of fillers to fill in the gaps. This eventually ruins immersion from a story perspective.
On the contrary, the gameplay experience is very good and it carries the game itself. Being a Na’vi, experiencing the different cultures in the game and even admiring Pandora itself are all done exceptionally and thus provide an enjoyable time for players. The duality of beauty and danger is superbly captured within the game world. My only criticism in this regard comes from the lack of melee combat, which could make the gameplay more diverse. But it is not that great of an issue. Additionally, riding a direhorse or an ikran is an incredible experience. Moreover, this already complex experience is enhanced by the way you can customize your character, treat and care for your ikran and manage your relationship with the different clans.
In summary, Frontiers of Pandora provides a good experience regarding gameplay which carries the player (and the game as well), but the story falls short and it is doomed for sweet oblivion, as other deeper and more meaningful video games overshadow it as Frontiers of Pandora’s un-serious and superficial narrative overshadows its very own potential. Nevertheless, the game and its narrative are not bad at all, I can consider them good on average; the story has its moments and the finale is epic. However, for me it is deeply saddening that a great potential was wasted regarding the narrative.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora was released by Ubisoft Entertainment in 2023; while Avatar: The Game was released in 2009.
The pictures are taken from them official Fan Kit, published by Ubisoft.