Ubisoft's 2009 release, 'Avatar: The Game,' is a largely forgotten movie tie-in that arrived alongside James Cameron's blockbuster film. This third-person shooter presented players with a pivotal choice early on: side with the human RDA corporation or join the native Na'vi.
Opting for the RDA path transforms the experience into a vibrant, hostile jungle warfare sim. Built on a modified Far Cry engine, the game features linear, winding levels filled with aggressive flora and fauna. Players utilize various vehicles and weapons, including exosuits and flamethrowers, to brute-force their way through an ecosystem that actively resists them.
The short campaign involves securing mystical crystals to locate a 'Well of Souls,' with the goal of hacking into the planetary consciousness, Eywa. The narrative concludes ambiguously, leaving the RDA's success in doubt. The game is not considered official canon and was met with middling reviews, but it represents an ambitious, if clumsy, stepping stone in Ubisoft's evolution and a precursor to the superior 'Frontiers of Pandora.'