The Underrated Avatar Game Is Getting A Big Update In Time For The Third Movie
Take a new perspective.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is one of this generation’s most underrated shooters. It fully realizes the scope and beauty of James Cameron’s sci-fi epic, and it delivers a fun and satisfying open-world experience. Now, two years after its launch, developer Massive Entertainment is giving players old and new the perfect reason to revisit this gem just a few weeks ahead of the film franchise’s third movie.
Frontiers of Pandora is getting a free update on December 5 that includes two widely requested features: a new game-plus mode and a third-person camera. The former will finally let players restart the game’s main quest with all their items, skills, and unlocks intact. For a game like Frontiers of Pandora, where most of the fun is in taking down enemy camps, new game-plus is a perfect way to engage with all those mechanics without having to grind for the build you want all over again. It also allows players to max out their skill trees, craft even better gear, and test themselves against tougher, smarter enemies.
The new third-person mode, meanwhile, is arguably the game’s biggest change. Players will be able to switch between first and third person at the touch of a button, according to the game’s creative director, Omar Boual, and adding this new way of playing was a significant undertaking for Massive Entertainment.
“We’re reworking animations, controls, and camera systems to make sure it all feels just right,” Boual said. The reveal trailer shows the player’s Na’vi running across fields, sliding down mountainsides, shooting arrows, and platforming, and it all looks natural. Giving players the option to play in third person widens its appeal to those who may not like playing big adventure games in the first person and has been a common request on the game’s subreddit, especially since its photo mode showcases how stunning things can look when the camera pulls out a bit.
Frontiers of Pandora is fantastic, but was released at the tail end of one of gaming’s most jam-packed years and ended up being overlooked. It mixes varied open world exploration, emergent shooter arenas that let players approach things using stealth or blazing guns, and a fun skill tree that lets you traverse the world in interesting ways. The game also just looks stunning, taking full advantage of the Snowdrop engine used for Massive’s other hits, like The Division and Star Wars Outlaws.
Whatever you think of the Avatar franchise, Pandora is a joy to explore.
Frontiers of Pandora has also quietly become the gold standard for post-launch support. Since December 2023, the studio has added waves of free new features and quality-of-life tweaks. These include increasing the level cap, improving the progression curve to make players more powerful throughout a playthrough, improving mounts, updating the photo mode, and adding new cosmetics, among other touches. Two paid story expansions added new regions and quests to the already huge map, as well as new enemies, abilities, and challenges.
On its own, Frontiers of Pandora is a beefy package that deserves a look. With the next big update coming just two weeks ahead of Avatar: Fire and Ash hitting theaters, it’s the perfect time to immerse yourself in the world of Pandora.
