Unleashing Unprecedented RPG Adventures: Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Sets a New Standard
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora can differentiate itself by further embracing its RPG mechanics By delving deeper into role-playing elements, the game has the potential to truly stand out from its Far Cry resemblance
Highlights
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora aims to differentiate itself from the Far Cry franchise by incorporating RPG elements, such as a skill tree and gear crafting.
The game should enhance its existing RPG mechanics to provide a wider range of upgrades and abilities, promoting replay value and accommodating various playstyles.
Gear ought to hold significant importance within the game, necessitating players to craft superior gear to overcome technologically advanced enemies, thus enriching the depth and immersion of the gameplay.
Video game categorization used to be simple. In the early years of the industry, games could easily be sorted into specific genres like sports, platformers, action, text-based adventures, or RPGs. However, as gaming has evolved, genre boundaries have become more blurred. It's now common to find sports games with action elements or action-adventure games with RPG mechanics. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora falls into the latter category.
First announced in 2021, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora recently debuted a gameplay trailer in June. The response was mixed. While many fans believed it captured the essence of the source material and expanded James Cameron's Sci-Fi universe effectively, others felt that the gameplay lacked originality and resembled the Far Cry franchise. However, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is not simply a copy of Far Cry. Its RPG elements could potentially set it apart from Ubisoft's open-world series.
Doubling Down On RPG Mechanics Could Help Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Stand Out
Based on the one gameplay trailer released, it appears that Ubisoft might be incorporating several mechanics from the Far Cry series into Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. The trailer depicts the player-character launching an assault on an enemy outpost, utilizing assault rifles, shotguns, and arrows to take down RDA soldiers. This mission bears a striking resemblance to a typical Far Cry mission, albeit with a new Science Fiction twist. Furthermore, the trailer showcases a few light RPG mechanics, which seem to be directly borrowed from Far Cry.
In Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora's gameplay trailer, players can observe the process of harvesting plants, delivering them to a specific Non-Player Character (NPC), and then utilizing the materials to create new gear. Additionally, Frontiers of Pandora will allegedly include a skill tree system, granting players new abilities. While these RPG elements have become quite commonplace in the AAA action-adventure gaming genre, if Frontiers of Pandora were to emphasize these mechanics even further, it could easily differentiate itself from the Far Cry comparisons.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora should build upon its current RPG mechanics and expand them further by incorporating additional immersive RPG elements. Instead of having a skill tree with only three branches, which focus on stealth, movement, and mount handling, the game should introduce more categories of upgrades. These upgrades could highlight the game's distinctive features, such as flying or bow and arrow mechanics. The skill tree should be sufficiently extensive to encourage replayability and should offer valuable skills and abilities that cater to a wide range of playstyles.
Likewise, if gear crafting is included in the game, it must be intricate and captivating. While the traditional method of gathering flowers to dye outfits, seen in Far Cry games, may translate well to Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, it alone does not provide anything novel or enjoyable. The crafting system in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora should effectively motivate players to venture out and hunt or gather resources. One effective approach is to reward players with upgraded weapons, gear, or abilities as they engage in the crafting process.
In terms of gear, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora should fully embrace its importance and integrate it seamlessly into the overall experience. While complicated gear systems can potentially hinder a game's enjoyment, it would be logical for an Avatar open-world RPG to incorporate the concept of the Na'vi needing to craft superior gear in order to combat the technologically advanced RDA.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora will be available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S starting December 7.
