Gaming

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora felt like a movie you want to play

It’s giving “manifest destiny” with a war fought on all fronts

Published

January 3, 2024

Gab Orlina

The prospect of doing an entirely new video game on the James Cameron version of Avatar was something I’ve been waiting for before 2023 came to an end. We already got one in 2009, which was set two years prior to the movie’s events, but it was depending on which version you played. In particular, there was a version that follows a similar plot to this 2023 release. However, as a whole, the 2009 Avatar: The Game wasn’t received that well by a lot of people.

One thing I thought about that game was that it failed to shed light on the actual premise of the Avatar movie, which was on the war between the Na’Vi and the human race for Pandora’s resources and habitat. In the eyes of the Na’Vi, increased involvement from the Resources Development Authority (RDA) had severed their ties to their entire heritage. Furthermore, it had driven them out of the land bestowed upon them as their home.

When Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora was announced, the main thing I wanted out of it was to just address this one premise. Sure, the gameplay mechanics, overworld look and feel, and customization aspects were cool and all. However, all of these will just make it a good open world game instead of having the potential to be an experiential cinematic gold mine.

A recognition of the past

Right off the bat, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora tackles one important aspect of the plot – its place in the James Cameron timeline. First off, the entire opening sequence takes place roughly eight years prior to the first film’s events. It even foreshadows the oncoming violence the RDA will inevitably wreak on the Na’Vi several years down the line. You are still a young Sarentu, though, so you’ll further understand things in due time.

Secondly, the entire main plot happens sixteen years after the events of the first movie, just in a different area of Pandora than the one Jake Sully was in from Avatar: Way of the Water. Now, you’re all grown up and having just awakened from cryogenic sleep, and the RDA still wants you dead. Luckily, you’ll be able to escape a destroyed RDA base and find your way into the forests of Western Pandora. This is where your journey begins.

Honestly, the initial seeds of the main plot sound riveting enough to play through and through. It’s as if this was a separate spinoff to the main movie franchise, or it can be its own standalone series if adapted into one. I found it rather weird that Ubisoft didn’t make an effort to try and tie this game with Way of the Water together, but the brief callback to the first movie was a nice touch.

Being one with Eywa again

As you venture out into Pandora during the early stages, it is revealed that you were part of a nearly extinct Na’Vi clan, the Sarentu. Eventually, you’ll find out more details on what happened. You’ll learn what happened to your entire clan at the hands of the RDA. Then, you’ll find out how you ended up in their care in the first place. For now, your objective revolves around having to remove the RDA from Pandora. Of course, with the help of the Resistance forces and all the Na’Vi clans living in the area. Also, you will go on a more personal quest to re-establish your connection with Eywa and your Sarentu ancestry.

From an overall gameplay standpoint, a lot of the mechanics actually served a purpose. They were integrated well within the premise of this game. For example, I like how the Skill Tree looks. It isn’t heavily based on XP for you to earn Skill Points. This helps you out immensely when acquiring new skills. This helps improve every aspect of your being, including the new Na’Vi Vision feature. Furthermore, relearning Core Skills entails you exploring further in Pandora. There is a purpose to do that instead of treating it like a forced side quest.

Combat and movement is pretty decent and isn’t particularly overwhelming to learn all the way through. One thing I was excited about was that you can ride an Ikran to make traversing through places faster (even with Fast Travel). Also, you get access to a variety of both traditional and modern weapons to take down foes and aid you in hunting quests, and you can craft more powerful ones down the line.

The beautiful wonders of Western Pandora

Amidst all the hunting, raiding, and even having to earn favor from all the clans, I had to literally stop playing most of the time because of the visuals. Obviously, the James Cameron films always had these as their hook. For the audiences to marvel at the beautiful fauna of Pandora. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora highlights the overworld further, especially when it gets dark.

Admittedly, playing on a TV that doesn’t support 4K at 120 FPS with HDR10+ meant that the colors seem a bit washed out for my liking. However, it didn’t really stop the developers from creating vast biomes by day and a spectacle of color by night. I likened the visuals to that of Ubisoft’s more recent releases in the Assassin’s Creed franchise in terms of attention to detail.

This is also true when using Na’Vi Vision to scope out enemies, trails of creature scents, and even markers for your next objective. The fact that when you use this feature and elements brightly shine towards you is super helpful for most of the main quests.

A Sarentu’s last stand for all of the Na’Vi

Like every Avatar movie that has come out so far, Frontiers of Pandora presented an ongoing struggle for supposed progress at the expense of entire civilizations going extinct. As the few remaining Na’Vi on the Western Frontier, the imminent threat of the RDA comes to a head. It’ll fully consume Pandora and drain it of its last ancestral breath. You, a full grown Sarentu having gone through an entire journey of reconnection and resistance must take the final stand.

This game felt like a movie. It gave you intense action and excellent visuals. It also delivered some twists and turns in the plot that will have you on the edge of your seat. In my eyes, what really stood out was that a lot of things just made sense. The developers didn’t waste time adding unnecessary fluff just to prolong the game. It took a while to finally get the ball rolling on the main story. However, it acknowledged that proper context must be made. This way, even those who didn’t catch the 2009 film can follow along.

In the end, only one group’s destiny will be manifested and reign supreme. With the fate of the Na’Vi resting on your hands.

Related Topics:Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Ubisoft

Gaming

Genshin Impact, Duolingo partner for limited-time quest

Win various rewards by going on a 3-day streak

Published

December 9, 2025

GadgetMatch

Genshin Impact has partnered with Duolingo for a limited-time 3-Day Streak Quest in the Duolingo app.

The collaboration between the popular open-world RPG and the educational app features Teyvat’s travel companion Paimon.

Genshin Impact characters Tighnari and Cyno also make an appearance, as well as Duolingo’s beloved green owl Duo.

From December 8 to 27, players and learners from select regions can unlock the “Genshin Impact Quest” in any course on the Duolingo app.

Users who complete learning exercises for three straight days with receive the following in-game rewards:

Custom avatar “Diligent Study”
Themed namecard “Celebration: Dream Reader”
Unique Sumeru-style dish “Spiced Fried Chicken” and recipe
Collectible in-app statue of Paimon and Duo
Primogems

The reward redemption code can be claimed from the “Shop” page in the Duolingo app before December 30 and redeemed on the title before January 31.

To make the challenges more exciting, all four characters will show up on each quest to cheer on learners.

The collaboration follows the recently released Genshin Impact Version Luna III, which introduced Durin, a new 5-Star Pyro character with dual battle forms. There is also a new story chapter set in Nod-Krai.

Gaming

Razer Raiju V3 Pro review

Competitive controller that knows exactly who it’s built for

Published

December 3, 2025

Rodneil Quiteles

When I first unboxed the Razer Raiju V3 Pro, my brain immediately went: okay, this is exciting. It had that wow factor — that feeling of holding a piece of tech that’s meant to do something special. It’s the kind of controller that makes you want to jump straight into a game just to see what all the fuss is about.

Build and feel — familiar, but also very not

Coming from the DualSense, the first surprise is the weight. The Raiju V3 Pro is definitely lighter, but not in a cheap way. Holding it felt different, wider even, and my hands were a little more relaxed because of that added space.

The grip texture is great — no fear of slipping, and it feels particularly good on the bottom of your palm.

The face buttons? Smaller surface area, longer travel. Premium-feeling overall, though I’ll be honest: I’m not entirely convinced the Raiju V3 Pro’s feel matches its price tag. That’s mostly because I’ve tried some GameSir controllers that felt surprisingly similar for a fraction of the price. But still — this feels like a product built with intent.

Gameplay experience — where it actually comes alive

Most of my testing happened on NBA 2K26 because… well… that’s the game I always end up playing. And this was the moment the TMR thumbsticks flexed. I found myself doing more dribble combos and experimenting with shot styles using the right stick simply because I had zero fear of drift.

I also jumped into a few fighting games — TEKKEN 8 and My Hero One’s Justice 2 — then humbled myself in several Death Match sessions on Call of Duty Black Ops 7. I even swung through Spider-Man Remastered for a bit. Across all of these, the controller felt responsive, fast, and ready for whatever chaos I threw at it.

HyperTriggers and extra inputs — surprisingly useful

The triggers were most noticeable during my Call of Duty matches. I still sucked at it — let’s be real — but I can totally see how better players would squeeze more value out of the locked fast-trigger mode. The surprise twist was how useful the triggers were for fighting games. Having minimal travel made reaction-based inputs feel snappier and more controlled.

As for the back paddles and claw bumpers: I thought about taking some of them out, but ended up keeping everything on. Eventually, they became little fidget points that didn’t interfere with gameplay.

Mapped the extra trigger to Square to make it easier to hit the Triangle + Square combo for self alley-oops.

In practice, I rarely used them because I’m such a muscle-memory player… except in NBA 2K26. I mapped self alley-oops and flashy passing to the extra triggers, which helped because 2K moved those combos around this year.

Thumbsticks — the star of the show

The TMR sticks? Excellent. Smooth, accurate, fluid — all of it. I had fun abusing them without worrying about drift, and NBA 2K26 really let me push them to their limit. COD: Black Ops 7 was harder, but I think that’s more on me than the controller. Maybe a sensitivity tweak or two will fix that over time.

Customization — only what I needed

I’m not the type who loves deep tweaking, so I mostly skipped Synapse. I only used the mobile Razer Controller app to remap the extra triggers. And honestly? That was enough. The controller already felt good out of the box.

Wireless performance — HyperSpeed does its job

No lag. No hiccups. No difference between wired and wireless — seriously. HyperSpeed Wireless worked wonders and felt as reliable as any cable-connected controller I’ve used.

Pain points — minor, but noticeable

There are a couple of things worth noting.

The big one: no haptic feedback. The DualSense’s signature feature simply doesn’t exist here. Razer says this controller was designed with real pro players, and removing rumble seems to be one of those “it’s not needed in esports” decisions.

Honestly? After a while — especially during fast-paced games — I didn’t miss it. Haptics matter more in story-driven titles, and this controller isn’t really meant for those anyway.

One more thing: I couldn’t turn on the PlayStation with the Raiju V3 Pro. I still needed a DualSense for that.

Who is this for?

This controller is for people who play fast-paced, competitive games. Plain and simple.

But it’s also for players who want a controller built to take a beating — the kind that survives long sessions, intense button-mashing, and weekend-long gaming marathons. Its battery life is impressive, too, making it a great backup for when your DualSense suddenly taps out mid-game.

If you want a premium esports controller designed specifically for PS5, this is one of the best — if not the best — option right now.

If you want rumble, adaptive triggers, or a cinematic gaming experience? This isn’t it.

Is the Razer Raiju V3 Pro your GamingMatch?

If I had to describe the whole experience in one line: I’m swiping right because the Razer Raiju V3 Pro is an excellent piece of tech.

But it’s not for everyone, especially not for its asking price (EUR 209.99 / PHP 12,990). You can argue there are cheaper options — absolutely — but most of those lean heavily toward PC.

In the PS5 space, especially for competitive players, this is probably the strongest contender you can buy today.

Gaming

Helldivers 2 reduces gigantic file size by 85 percent

From 154GB, you only need 23GB now.

Published

December 3, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

The problem with games today is how big they are. Try installing Call of Duty today and see how much of your hard drive it obliterates. This problem is most apparent with live-service games. Unfortunately, one unlikely suspect of this is the critically acclaimed Helldivers 2, which currently clocks in at around a whopping 154GB. Thankfully, Arrowhead Game Studios has done some cleaning to reduce the game’s phenomenal file size by an impressive 85 percent.

Released last year, Helldivers 2 presents an enjoyable third-person shooter which pits players, solo or in a group, against hordes of hostile aliens or rogue robots. Despite being difficult, the game wants players to have fun. However, because of new content getting added constantly, the file size can get to big for modern machines.

Today, in a new update currently in beta, Arrowhead, with the help of PlayStation port specialists at Nixxes, has reduced the required file size of Helldivers 2 to only around 23GB. That’s a gigantic reduction, swirling around 131GB of savings.

Despite the huge reduction, Arrowhead says that performance does not take a backseat. At most, the new file system can cause only a few seconds of more loading times, and that’s only for the few who still use HDDs.

Currently, the new file size is an opt-in beta update. Players will need to change their settings a bit, as guided by Arrowhead’s blog post. They also advise anyone who uses mods to take caution since the new files might break compatibility.

Ultimately, the main goal is to make the new file size the default state of the game. If you don’t want to opt into a beta, hang tight for the more definite update.