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
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.
Riot Games is celebrating the return of virtual K-pop group K/DA with new music, exclusive skins, and major gameplay updates in League of Legends: Wild Rift Patch 7.3.
After a six-year hiatus, K/DA returns with FIRESTARTER, the group’s newest track and the title track of an EP featuring three additional songs. The release marks a new chapter for the virtual group, which brings its latest musical era to the mobile MOBA through the new HEATBRINGER skinline.
To celebrate the comeback, Riot Games hosted FIRE IT UP: The K/DA Comeback Party in the Philippines. The event brought fans together for a listening party featuring music from across Riot Games’ virtual acts, live Wild Rift gameplay, community activities, and exclusive photo opportunities.
Attendees also experienced live AAA ARAM matches featuring gameplay disruptions and augments inspired by Riot Games’ musical universe, including HEARTSTEEL, Pentakill, and TRUE DAMAGE.
K/DA returns with new HEATBRINGER skins
The K/DA comeback introduces the HEATBRINGER skinline, featuring new looks for the group’s four original members: Ahri, Akali, Evelynn, and Kai’Sa.
The skins give the champions a new visual identity inspired by K/DA’s latest musical era, with fiery red and white elements that bring their stage presence to the Rift.
The collection also includes Prestige K/DA HEATBRINGER Evelynn.
The new skins are exclusive to Wild Rift and are scheduled to launch on November 4, 2026.
The comeback extends beyond the cosmetics. With FIRESTARTER and its accompanying EP now available on major music streaming platforms, K/DA’s return brings together Riot Games’ music and gaming communities.
Wild Rift Patch 7.3 overhauls marksmen and item builds
Beyond the K/DA celebration, Patch 7.3 introduces significant gameplay changes that reshape champion builds, jungle strategies, and objective control.
One of the biggest changes targets marksmen, giving critical-strike builds more room to scale. Base critical-strike damage increases from 175% to 200%, while the attack-speed cap rises from 2.5 to 3 attacks per second.
Several marksmen also receive individual adjustments, including Ezreal, Kai’Sa, Twitch, Lucian, Caitlyn, Draven, Miss Fortune, Samira, Zeri, Jinx, Vayne, and Ashe.
The item system gets an overhaul to support these changes. Players can explore new or redesigned options, including Hexoptics, Yun Tal Wildarrows, Fiendhuler Bolts, Stormrazor, Rapid Firecannon, and Immortal Shieldbow.
Lifesteal also receives changes intended to support basic attacks, on-hit damage, and abilities treated as basic attacks.
Support items are part of the update, too. Echoes of Helia is positioned toward offensive supports who want to convert damage into healing, while Ardent Censer, Staff of Flowing Water, and Harmonic Echo also receive changes.
Jungle changes reward efficient farming
Patch 7.3 also changes how junglers approach the early and mid-game.
The updated jungle system rewards consistent camp clearing with bonus gold and introduces a catch-up mechanic for junglers who fall behind. This reduces the pressure to constantly gank and encourages players to balance farming with opportunities to assist their teammates.
Clearing camps also progresses Ecosystem Protection stacks, allowing Smite to scale from 600 to 1,000 and eventually 1,400 true damage.
These changes make efficient farming more important when preparing to secure major objectives such as Baron Nashor, Rift Herald, and Dragons.
Epic monsters also adjust to the pace of each match, scaling according to the average player level rather than simply growing stronger as time passes.
Turrets receive substantial changes as well. Plating now extends to outer, inner, and inhibitor turrets and remains permanently. The new Crystalline Overgrowth mechanic lets turrets accumulate crystals that champions can detonate with their first basic attack.
Together, these changes place greater emphasis on lane pressure, defensive positioning, and coordinated pushes. Winning team fights remains important, but teams must also turn their advantages into meaningful objective damage.
Hwei, Sylas, and Rek’Sai join the roster
Patch 7.3 expands the champion roster with three additions: Hwei, Sylas, and Rek’Sai.
Hwei, the Visionary, brings a flexible set of abilities to the mid lane. His Subject: Disaster, Subject: Serenity, and Subject: Torment ability groups give him tools for dealing damage, supporting allies, and controlling opponents.
Sylas offers explosive damage and crowd control. His kit includes an ability that pulls enemies into a stun-to-knock-up combination, while Kingslayer restores health based on his missing health. His ultimate lets him steal an enemy champion’s ultimate ability.
Rek’Sai brings another approach to initiating team fights. Her Unburrow ability knocks up nearby champions, while her ultimate helps her track nearby enemies before striking.
These additions give players more options for adapting their team compositions and strategies.
Ranked play and game modes get updates
Competitive players also get changes to Ranked and Legendary Ranked.
The S/A and MVP scoring systems now evaluate performance according to a player’s lane and champion role instead of relying on a single universal metric. Strong performances can also yield more Ranked energy.
Legendary Ranked receives adjustments to its seasonal entry requirements for former Grand Masters, alongside a new trial format designed to help top performers advance from Legendary Commander Rank.
Players looking for something different can also try Rift Rumble, a new 3v3 mode played on a symmetrical map. Teams battle for kills and compete to capture ultimate stones that can change how their champions secure eliminations.
Meanwhile, AAA Realm continues to evolve with a music-themed season and new augment cards. These include Sonic Waves, which draws inspiration from Riot Games’ musical acts, including HEARTSTEEL, Pentakill, and TRUE DAMAGE.
A new era for K/DA and Wild Rift
With FIRESTARTER, the HEATBRINGER skins, and a sweeping gameplay update, Patch 7.3 connects Riot Games’ music and gaming communities through a shared celebration.
K/DA’s return gives fans a new soundtrack and fresh looks for their favorite champions, while the gameplay changes introduce new ways to approach champion builds, jungle farming, and map control.
Players can follow Wild Rift Philippines’ official social media channels for updates on the latest patch, champion releases, and in-game content.
K/DA returns with FIRESTARTER.
HoYoverse will launch Petit Planet, its first cozy galactic life simulation game, on December 4, 2026. The game will be available on PC, iOS, and Android, with a Nintendo Switch 2 release planned for 2027.
The announcement was made during the Petit Planet Pre-Launch Special Program on November 1. HoYoverse also revealed more details about the game’s characters, gameplay features, and launch events.
Build a planet and meet new Neighbors
In Petit Planet, players take on the role of Planet Tenders who travel across the Starsea with Oumuamua, a Starsea Spirit said to listen to people’s wishes.
Each player starts with their own planet, where they plant a Luca Seed that grows into a Luca Arbor. This tree gradually shapes the planet’s landscape, seasons, and ecosystem.
Players will also meet various Neighbors, including Planet Coordinator Mobai and Starsea Racer Elsasani. Getting to know these characters allows players to develop friendships and discover their individual stories.
Beyond their home planets, players can explore scattered Islets across the Starsea. They can also visit the Galactic Bazaar to play games, participate in auctions, and share their creations with others.
Launch events offer free rewards
HoYoverse has prepared several events to celebrate the game’s launch.
Players can enter a pre-registration lucky draw through the official website for a chance to win prizes. Regular gameplay will also offer more than 1,000 clothing and furniture items for free.
The Besties, Made to Match! event rewards players who invite two friends to pre-register. Each participant will receive an exclusive clothing item.
Starting November 1, the Launch a Planet event will let players design their own planets through the official event website. Participants will also have a chance to win surprise grand prizes.
The first Petit Planet Seasonal Creation Event will begin alongside the game’s launch. Selected fan creations can win cash prizes, in-game rewards, and official merchandise.
Players can also visit the game’s official X account after the special program to receive a Moving Guide and join a giveaway featuring a suitcase, gift cards, and an exclusive luggage tag.
Pre-register for Petit Planet
Petit Planet is now available for pre-registration on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and Epic Games Store. Players can search for the game on these platforms to pre-register and receive a notification when it launches.
The game arrives globally on December 4, 2026, for PC, iOS, and Android. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is scheduled for 2027.
It’s been a while since the last time we got a FromSoftware game. Elden Ring Nightreign felt like an age ago, even if it was launched just last year. Plus, the title isn’t even a new one, technically, since it’s just building off of Elden Ring. Unfortunately, our wait for a new FromSoftware game has to go on for a little bit longer. FromSoftware has delayed the launch of The Duskbloods to 2027.
The Duskbloods is an interesting addition to the FromSoftware oeuvre. Compared to the usual fare, the Switch-exclusive title is a multiplayer extraction game with a distinctly Bloodborne-like feel. If you’re used to FromSoftware’s usual formula, The Duskbloods represents a huge change.
But it’s a welcome one, nonetheless. If the recently released Elden Ring port of the Switch 2 is any indication, FromSoftware does have a handle of what performance looks like on the console.
Sadly, the new title needs a bit more time in the oven. Citing “final adjustments to game rules and balancing,” FromSoftware is delaying the launch of the game to 2027. According to the studio, this is in response to the successful network test a while back.
The delay shouldn’t come off as a surprise. Though the studio promised a 2026 launch for the title, most of the year has passed without a definite launch date. That was already a telltale sign that a delay was coming.
At the very least, the delay comes with the benefit of launching the game farther away from Grand Theft Auto VI and the Ocarina of Time remake, which will surely dominate holiday gaming this year.
ROG G700 review: The best prebuilt PC you can get off the shelf
This PC will make you stop worrying about specs.
HP OMEN Max 16 review: Gamer-maxxing in deep black
Peripherals deemed necessary to max this out
vivo V80 review: Good phone, tough sell
A capable travel companion
Inside Infinix’s first global concept store in Bali
Wild Rift Patch 7.3, celebrates K/DA comeback
LG showcases its latest AI TVs in the Philippines
Your coffee nook is getting a makeover with Starbucks’ holiday collections
Petit Planet launches December 4
-
Reviews2 weeks ago
vivo V80 review: Good phone, tough sell
-
News2 weeks agoOPPO Find X10 Series: Price, availability in the Philippines
-
Cameras2 weeks agoDJI Osmo Pocket 4P Pearl White now available globally
-
News2 weeks agoOPPO Find X10 Series: Price, availability
-
Entertainment2 weeks agoCyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 now streaming, Cyberpunk 2077 update coming
-
Gaming1 week ago
HP OMEN Max 16 review: Gamer-maxxing in deep black
-
Laptops2 weeks agoLenovo expands Yoga lineup with new AI PCs and tablets
-
Laptops2 weeks agoASUS ProArt P14, P16 laptops with NVIDIA RTX Spark now available