Ubisoft's Avatar game is getting a third-person mode at last

Pandora is going to be a whole different experience when you can play in third-person view. (Image credit: Ubisoft)

Many years ago when, as it was originally known, The Avatar Project, was announced by Ubisoft I was pretty hyped for it. Even more so that it was going to be made by Massive, the brains behind my personal favorite, The Division franchise.

Then it came, I played it for a while, and felt a little flat. The recreation of Pandora in game form is undeniably beautiful, but something didn't feel right.

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[ESRB] Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora - 3rd-Person Update - YouTube

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Pandora has wowed ever since I first laid eyes on it on the big screen way back in 2009. But in the game, I felt that the first-person view was too restrictive. It wouldn't let me take in enough of the incredible surroundings, which are an integral part of the Avatar experience.

What I wanted, was third-person gameplay like The Division games, built on the same engine as Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. The only downer is that it's not planned to be ready until December, just in time for the next Avatar movie to hit theaters.

"In Third-Person Mode, players can experience Pandora from a new perspective at the push of a button. Whether exploring the Western Frontier, fighting the RDA, or simply taking in the views, Third-Person Mode brings a new sense of scale, freedom, and immersion. The development team has reworked animations, controls, audio, and camera systems to ensure the experience feels seamless and intuitive."

Also dropping on December 5, alongside third-person mode, will be New Game+. This will allow players to replay the campaign while keeping their skills and gear, all while unlocking a new skill tree.

I'm probably more amazed it's taken this long to add NG+ than anything. There has been new content, but without a reason to replay it when you get to the end.

All I know is that two years on from its launch, I might finally have a reason to play Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora this holiday time. At least it's before GTA 6, anyway.

Richard Devine is the Managing Editor at Windows Central, where he combines a deep love for the open-source community with expert-level technical coverage. Whether he’s hunting for the next big project on GitHub, fine-tuning a WSL workflow, or breaking down the latest meta in Call of Duty, Forza, and The Division 2, Richard focuses on making complex tech accessible to every kind of user. If it’s happening in the world of Windows or PC gaming, he’s probably already knee-deep in the code (or the lobbies). Follow him on X and Mastodon.