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

Valve unveils price of the Steam Frame

The VR headset starts at US$ 1,059.

Published

September 15, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

The trifecta is complete. Almost a year after announcing their new hardware, Valve has finally unveiled the price tag of the Steam Frame, complementing the Steam Machine and Steam Controller revealed a few months ago.

Whereas the Steam Machine is a console of its own, the Steam Frame is a traditional VR headset with a pair of controllers for both hands. Unfortunately, despite being in a different segment, the headset is not immune to the rising prices of technology. The Steam Frame will start at US$ 1,059 for a 256GB model and can go up to US$ 1,299 for the 1TB model. On the plus side, each box will come Half-Life: Alyx packaged along with the headset.

Here’s a more detailed rundown of what you’re getting. The Steam Frame will ship with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, paired with 16GB of RAM. Each eye comes with a 2160 x 2160 LCD screen, putting out images at up t0 a 144Hz experimental refresh rate. As mentioned above, the headset will start with 256GB of storage but can go up to 2TB. It will come packaged with SteamOS 3 and a rechargeable 21.6Wh battery.

This might be a hard buy for some. The industry currently has more affordable options, for one. Also, virtual reality isn’t the most thriving segment of gaming today.

If you’re still decided on buying one, however, Valve is using its lottery system. Interested customers can sign up from now until September 17. The company will then randomize the purchasing order. Those who draw the first ones in the lottery can get a purchase email as soon as September 18. Meanwhile, anyone who registers after September 17 will automatically be put at the back of the queue.

Gaming

BlizzCon 2026 announces World of Warcraft: Forever and Diablo V

StarCraft, Overwatch, Hearthstone, and more also get news

Published

September 14, 2026

GadgetMatch

Blizzard Entertainment kicked off BlizzCon 2026 with a packed Opening Ceremony featuring new games, major expansions, updates, and other announcements across its biggest franchises.

Blizzard Entertainment President Johanna Faries opened the event at the Anaheim Convention Center, celebrating the community behind the company’s games and the teams that bring its worlds to life.

World of Warcraft: Forever and Diablo V

The biggest announcement was World of Warcraft: Forever, a new World of Warcraft experience launching November 5 AEDT, with its beta beginning September 18 AEST. The new experience will feature three zones, more than 1,000 quests, nine dungeons, two raids, and a new Skyborne race.

Blizzard also officially announced Diablo V, marking the next era of the franchise. The game is set to launch in North America in Spring 2029, with Sanctuary having fallen and Diablo having won.

StarCraft is also returning with a new story-driven, open-world shooter. The game is currently planned for a Spring 2030 release in North America.

Beyond games, Blizzard revealed that an animated series set in the Diablo universe is in development with Netflix. The company says this is only the beginning of its plans to expand its universes beyond gaming.

For Warcraft III Reforged, the new Forsaken Kingdom campaign is available today. It marks the Warcraft RTS series’ first new storyline in more than 23 years and explores the fall of Lordaeron and the origins of the Undercity. The accompanying 3.0 update also brings graphical improvements and a revamped World Editor.

Heroes of the Storm is adding Xal’atath as its newest Hero. She arrives in the Nexus on September 29 AEST, with her PTR release scheduled for September 15 AEST.

Existing games updates

Meanwhile, Diablo IV is preparing for its next major content drop. Season of Hell’s Legacy begins September 16 AEST and celebrates the franchise’s 30-year history with the return of the Prime Evils and Deckard Cain, alongside themed rewards and gear.

The legendary Amazon class will also arrive in the first half of 2027 as part of Diablo IV’s first class pack. The Diablo IV: Age of Hatred Collection is additionally coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on September 16 AEST with cross-platform play and cross-progression.

For World of Warcraft, Blizzard teased the next major update for Midnight. Eclipse (12.2) will see Xal’atath move closer to her goal of claiming Azeroth’s Worldsoul. Blizzard also offered another look at The Last Titan, the next expansion in the Worldsoul Saga and a major culmination of more than two decades of Warcraft storytelling. More information is coming early next year.

Overwatch is getting a major update with Season 5. The season introduces new Support Hero Doctrine, reworks for Sombra and Roadhog, and the new Watchpoint: Grimsvötn map. It will also conclude The Reign of Talon, Overwatch’s first year-long narrative arc.

LE SSERAFIM & YOASABI

BlizzCon also featured performances from YOASOBI and LE SSERAFIM. YOASOBI will perform during the first-ever esports halftime show at BlizzCon, while LE SSERAFIM will return to the Main Stage to close the weekend. A new LE SSERAFIM in-game collaboration is available now, with another Overwatch Spotlight scheduled for February 2027.

Finally, Hearthstone is getting its first new class in more than six years. The Monk arrives in 2027, while the upcoming Reign of the Black Empire expansion takes players back to the earliest age of Azeroth. It introduces the Assemble keyword, which combines two cards into a new one. Battlegrounds is also adding Aberrations as a new minion type.

BlizzCon 2026 is now underway, with Blizzard promising more announcements and details throughout the weekend.

Gaming

Just Dance: Decades of Hits to launch on October 13

All-new Just Dance experience that brings every generation together

Published

September 12, 2026

GadgetMatch

Just Dance: Decades of Hits will launch on modern consoles on October 13, Ubisoft has announced.

This will offer fans of the franchise a new experience across eras of music. The game will be available on PlayStation5 , Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch on the launch date.

Nintendo Switch 2 users, meanwhile, will be able to enjoy the title by November 10, 2026.

Just Dance: Decades of Hits brings together every generation to one dance floor with 25 iconic songs across six different decades:

Mamma Mia by ABBA
Uptown Girl by Billy Joel
It’s Tricky by Run-DMC
No Scrubs by TLC
Wannabe by Spice Girls
Bye Bye Bye by *NSYNC
Feel Good Inc. by Gorillaz
Turn Down for What by DJ Snake and Lil Jon
Danza Kuduro by Don Omar feat. Lucenzo
Manchild by Sabrina Carpenter
NUEVAYoL by Bad Bunny
And more!

Bringing every generation together

Songs, visuals, and an all-new Adventure Mode are all designed to immerse players in the spirit that made each decade unforgettable.

From the funky ’70s disco floors and the electrifying ’80s rock scene to the glossy 2000s pop and beyond, travel through time and share the joy of rediscovering iconic moments with friends and family.

In Adventure Mode, follow Lyra, Dr. Gigavolt’s daughter, in a playful journey through time to rescue her father.

Explore the decades through six themed worlds, enjoy fun mini activities, and unlock exclusive rewards.

For unpredictable, chaotic fun where the rules change every round, players can jump into Party Mode. Or they can get moving with the Workout Mode, which tracks calories burned with each dance.

Up to six players can dance locally in the game, with no extra accessories needed.

In addition those who own Just Dance: Decades of Hits as well as Just Dance 2023-2026 editions will be able access all their songs in one place on the same console without having to switch games or separate menus.

This also includes songs from purchased Music Packs and songs available through an active Just Dance+ subscription.