Ubisoft’s Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora has had a very interesting life. The game was unofficially renamed Far Cry: Pandora practically from the first announcement. The situation did not change significantly when it came out either, because all its creative potential and visual splendor were reduced to just a few mediocre praises behind which stood the conclusion of another Ubisoft game in a series of Ubisoft games.
Apart from the usual tirades about the empty open world and flat characters, the biggest number of criticisms concerned the poor variety of enemies, the lack of use of the screen and of course the fact that the entire game took place exclusively in first person. Although two separate expansions have been released since the release of the main game, only the latest expansion Avatar: From the Ashes put things in the right place and delivered almost everything that players wanted, making it the best way to experience Pandora, if we exclude the movies. Actually, let me correct myself: working my way through the atmospheric Fire and Ash, I realized that I actually found it more interesting than the film of the same name because, while equally a bad one direct story, brings even more action and thriller!
| Initial price | Reviewed version | Reviewer copy |
| 25€ | PlayStation 5 | Provided by publisher |
Fire and Ash takes place a year after the main events of the game, and this time we play not as a created Navi but as So’lek, a hardened warrior of a lost clan who must stop the monstrous burning of Pandora at all costs. Just like in the movie, here we witness a deadly alliance of humans with the crazed, wild and rage-ridden Navi of the Ash Clan.
The first hour of the game is very tense and atmospheric, from which it is evident that Ubisoft really tried to make this not another in a series of expansions, but the final part of the puzzle. Content aside, Frontiers of Pandora has one of the most beautiful open worlds I’ve ever experienced, and Fire and Ash delivered an equally if not more beautiful version. Namely, the lighting, execution and draw distance they don’t sabotage each other anymore, and even though we don’t get a completely new biome in this expansion, it’s not even felt due to the drastic change in the world. Namely, almost a third of the available map has been burned to the ground since the start of the game, and as we make our way through the story, other parts are gradually set on fire, so everything seems very brutal and post-apocalyptic.
The contrast in the world is accompanied by a major twist in the story, which is much darker this time. We are used to seeing a glittering, magical and fluorescent Pandora, but now everything is black, smoky and full of barbaric and almost pagan symbols and camps in already known locations that set the atmosphere fantastically.
Among the arsonists from the Ash Clan are a few warriors with whom So’lek has unresolved scores, and a new human villain appears whose name I have forgotten: I know his last name is Bukowski and that he is a military person who wants to trample flowers and burn forests. Seriously, as much as the aesthetics of fire and pagan Navies raise the atmosphere and suspense, the part with the people brings it down with its one-dimensionality and banal motives.
However, unlike the original game in which we played as a nameless, dimwitted and silent protagonist, this time we play with a well-known character who is very fleshy. Dog Tag Warrior is a mature fighter who is desperately trying to cleanse not only his homeland but also his conscience, primarily from the accumulated anger that has haunted him for years. His emotions, primarily anger and regret, are so clearly reflected on his face, and if we add to that a fantastic voice performance, we get a really good character who is easy to relate to. His constant rage, combined with years of military experience, made So’lek a ruthless warrior who much prefers head-on confrontations.
In battle, all the benefits of the new third-person camera (which is a free update for all game owners, regardless of this expansion) can be felt significantly. This is especially evident in the various fatal moves with which So’lek cuts, rips, throws and crushes people from mech suits. In addition, So’lek also has access to his warrior trance state in which he goes berserk and starts inflicting massive damage and shooting at everything he sees and doesn’t see – that PTSD on Pandora is screwed!
The gameplay formula is further spiced up with several new types of enemies; like robotic sniffer dogs, small and nimble mechs running around you, upgraded monstrosities with large shields and of course the enemy Navis, which left a bitter taste in my mouth. Don’t get me wrong, they are very dangerous and agile, wield firearms and explosive weapons, and have significantly more health, but even though they are very unpleasant in combination with humans, they are really just big sponges for your bullets, and they could have been so much more.
For example, I liked how you can’t escape them by hiding somewhere, because it makes sense that other Navis are equipped with the same superhuman hearing and sense of smell as you, so the hunter easily becomes the hunted. But on the other hand, there was a desperate lack of segments where I would play space cat and mouse with them, some parts where the player would be emphasized how easy it is for Navis to be at the top of the food chain, if they wanted to.
Considering that Fire and Ash is designed as an action spectacle in which there is not much respite, the system of advancement and improvement of your guerrilla has been changed and simplified for the needs of the expansion. The parts with collecting natural materials and various mini-games of connecting with nature have been almost completely removed from the game, which is good because it would definitely spoil the fast and chaotic pace of the story in which everything is under the pressure of flames. Instead, upgrading your weapons and other equipment is done with several components that you find in human and Navi plants and in defeated mechs.
It’s a similar situation with your abilities: instead of several subgroups, they are all branched out within the same tree, and you unlock them by collecting experience while playing the game. Unlike the original game, where a good part of the upgrades were just basic modifiers for dealing damage under certain circumstances or increasing your own health, this time you actually unlock a few more new moves and possibilities. For example, the blue brave heart can learn how to catapult from his screen and fall directly on the enemy and kill him instantly, or fire smoke rockets to avoid firing in the clouds together. Completing the main story and some side activities will take you about ten hours, which is a great number for an expansion.
I’ve never understood people who say Avatar doesn’t have a good story and I still think it’s a misunderstanding and people are actually criticizing the script and the flat characters. Because the story as such is timeless, archetypal and full of beautiful and emotional moments that make the entire franchise so beloved. On the other hand, So’lek’s adventure brings a classic narrative base and a story from the perspective of one character with defined motives and a clear goal, which will surely suit the majority. There is nothing abstract or spiritual in his adventure, so it is very easy to connect on that initial, emotional level, which is not bad at all – the motives of revenge and mourning are no less or more banal than a self-aware planet or sex with tails!
Some of that sense of immersion in burning Pandora will be ruined by the generic side missions and bland human villains, but overall, Fire and Ash is an excellent package that gave me a better version of the chaos of fire than the movie of the same name currently reigning in theaters. I think this is a fantastic expansion that delivers almost everything fans have been asking for, packed into a hot pack of over 10 hours of content and great acting. If you’ve played Frontiers of Pandora and want more, you can’t go wrong with this one.