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Ubisoft Montreal had a significant advantage over most licensed game developers by having access to assets from Cameron’s top-secret property a full two years before its release. And this early access is apparent within seconds of ogling the title’s setting, the fictional planet of Pandora, as it pops off the screen with a majestic beauty rarely seen in shooters. Sure, we’ve seen plenty of lush tropical settings before, but Avatar ups the visual ante, adding details and touches that go beyond just creating a backdrop for the action. Rather than spamming color schemes and assets to give the illusion of a living, breathing world, Avatar brims its pretty planet with various shades of green, dotted with more vibrantly colored flora and fauna. Exotic trees and plants come in astounding varieties, and wildlife freely roam the world; more than once we were caught off guard by elegant deer-like creatures prancing through the brush. Where such similar settings suffer monotony by using “tree A” and “plant B” repeatedly, a stroll through Pandora is packed with immersion-pushing surprises at every turn. Avatar nails the presentation, offering a richly rendered world that continually stings the senses. Any developer planning to place its game in a jungle-like setting now has a new benchmark to aspire to. The weapons and gear, especially those of the Na’vi, are a blast to unleash on your enemies, and vehicles and creatures make travel speedy and fun. There’s also a lot of game here; in addition to a beefy solo campaign, brimming with non-critical content, there’s a multiplayer mode, although the servers weren’t up in time for our review. Ubisoft Montreal has crafted one of the better licensed efforts we’ve seen in a while, but a weak story, poor pacing and a few minor gameplay flaws keep Avatar from competing with the likes of far superior, recent third-person efforts such as Assassin’s Creed II and Batman: Arkham Asylum.

For a tie in movie game this is probably one of the best recenty ones i've seen, very good to play as both human and navi. Overall I really enjoyed it, but must recommend seeing the film first as this may not make too much sense without it. :-)