Ever since Ubisoft hoodwinked the cinematic auteur himself as perhaps the ultimate promotional tool, the gaming public has quite justifiably started to salivate at the prospect of celluloid-aping play not based upon collection, awkward platforming or, heaven forfend, 3D. The more cynical among us, however, recall all too many press releases containing words such as emotion and depth, most of which ultimately resulted in crushing yet inevitable disappointment. Quite an overbearing trend to break, that one.

Events don’t start all that smoothly, thanks to a narrative buried in bizarre overtones. In what seems to us a heavy-handed critique of Bush-era America, players step into the boots of some chiselled former marine attempting to colonise a planet called Pandora. Home to a variety of exotic, overgrown flora and fauna, it also serves as home to the Na’vi, a humanoid aboriginal species that physically outmuscle their puny invaders, yet somehow have allowed precious resources to be plundered. Not that any of this really matters, as after the first and only real break from videogame narrative tradition (that we’ll come to shortly), players will find themselves only a dogsbody, rather than at the heart of this ‘world rich in character, detail, conflict and cultural depth’ of which Cameron speaks.

Ubisoft’s only plot feature worthy of note comes just an hour in, as players are forced to choose which side of the conflict they are to spend the majority of play time engaged in. The Na’vi, who have had a hut blown up in cruel circumstances, or humankind, into which you were born and among which lie all your acquaintances? Of course, the truth of the situation proves deeper than such a facetious remark, but not by all that wide a margin. Following the split, a competent yet dull succession of missions begins, featuring more travelling time than a 5pm commute on the M25.

The major irritant, though, is just how much Avatar seeks to pull the wool over gamers’ eyes. Take its role-playing veneer, for example. Ever since James Cameron used Ubisoft’s E3 keynote to talk the hind legs off several donkeys, gamers could have been forgiven for thinking that its inclusion would lead to some transcendental hierarchy of character customisation, or at least some choice of approach on the player’s part. Sadly it instead offers merely a transparent progression mechanic between missions – much like any other third-person shooter, only with more numbers.

Besides, the most potent items in players’ arsenals are routinely dropped into place without need for assistance, practically eliminating any incentive to meddle. Moreover, what should be a vibrant and expansive (yet overpoweringly green) environment feels needlessly valley-ridden and claustrophobic, broken down into segments of a size consistent with just about any movie tie-in release. This phenomenon isn’t exactly alleviated by a mission structure all too fond of making players retrace former steps; either deliberately en route from mission A to mission B, or more accidentally as journeys become rudely interrupted by inconsiderately placed spawn points. Even Avatar’s overarching structure fails to take what would have been a refreshing dip into elves and dice territory, and despite the environment logs, armour upgrades and the populated hub areas, events prove unerringly, painfully linear. Never mind a wolf in sheep’s clothing – this is Oblivion with a Fenix bandana on.

… continued