Milling around the enormous stereoscopic 3D TV Avatar was being played on did not prepare me for the game once I donned the appropriate 3D glasses. You could see the shifted layers of the game, proving either the TV was on the fritz, or an entirely new type of gaming and viewing is quickly coming to the fray.

We all know, of course, it's the latter, and once I popped on the glasses and started moving my character around, I could see enormous potential in gaming like this consistently in the future. It's difficult to describe, but it really feels like you've broached another layer of the visual spectrum, and while at IMAX seeing 3D portions of films like The Dark Knight are cool, having an extensive 10+ hour-long exposure to it adds to the immersive factor, ten-fold.

What's amazing about the game is, this is no mere action title spun off a new creative film license. Avatar The Game stands more than on its own and actually brings with it some very cool gameplay innovations and marriages to craft an extensive, and oftentimes deep gaming experience. In fact, from the brief time I had with it hands-on and from what our demoer, Brent George, the games director of Art Animation, ran us through, Avatar The Game represents itself as a quality action/RPG title utterly worth your time.



That being said, at this stage in development, sans 3D, the game just isn't as polished as it should be. Whether this is a case of scaling development back to include the 3D feature without extending development time or costs, or simply a case of not having enough time to ensure its release coincides with that of the movie, I can't say this is the same sort of quality we've come to expect from Ubisoft. It's very good, and better by many other standards, but it's the 3D that really makes this game standout (on a visual level), and the real issue here lies in the cost of the technology for consumers, as the TVs required to play the game stereoscopically are just plain out of reach.

However, as mentioned above, the mechanics behind gameplay and interaction are more than enough to overlook this, and it's in this area I was most surprised, even more so than I was when first looking at the game in 3D.

Our demo offered two gameplay options; the militant humans, or the Na'vi - Pandora's natives. I chose the Na'vi as I've been human for far too long. Still playing as a Na'vi is represented with you as a human in a Na'vi body - the basic premise for the movie's plot-line, and while I wasn't necessarily given a great deal of story information relating to the game, moving this agile creature about the lush world was both a breeze and a breath of fresh air. Animations are top-notch, and I can't stress enough just how much better it all looks in 3D.



Mission structure takes cues from the likes of World of WarCraft where you're performing various early fetch-quests to win audience and trust from the true natives. At various intervals you'll be charged with stopping the humans from destroying the planet or disrupting its natural way; usually by creating some sort of obstacle, though given the progressive nature of leveling up, abilities, weapons and perks, it's highly likely you'll end up in massive brawls with the military the further you get into the game.

Which we didn't. In fact we didn't get very far into our demo because the excitable Brent was too eager to show off the Meta-game; which he described as a seminal "Risk" like experience. The basic premise sees you looking at a full over-world globe. It's Pandora, and it's broken up into many various states and borders. You start the Meta-game with only one state, and from this state you have a series of progressive moves you can make. The idea is to expand your borders, recruit more military and eventually take over the whole globe. However, this isn't possible without progression in the main game, offering up a symbiotic relationship between the two. You'll need to spend Experience Points to do stuff in the Meta-game, which you earn in the main game. You'll also be able to unlock new weapons and abilities by conquering new borders, crafting a very deeply compelling action/RPG/TBS (turn-based strategy) game.

There was a huge manifest of "packs" containing different weapons and abilities that I scrolled through (but unfortunately had little time to note down), each unlocked the ore you progress. And believe me, these packs contained a lot of opportunity for the hardcore gamers out there - truly showcasing the game's deeper curve for the strategy minded.



Ubisoft have done a great job maintaining set pacing. You can play through the single-player game (which is quite open, mind you) for as long as you like, and switch to the Meta-game any time you either want a break from the norm, or need to advance your character to become stronger and more agile - and combining the two means game-time will keep you on your toes for quite a while - something of another first for licensed games.

It's also worth noting, if you're unaware, that the videogame itself does not immediately follow the film, it's very much its own tale, however, most of the film's cast have signed on for voicing the game, which features a full audio track to maintain the formula of the movie and a high-level of polish. I only wish 3D were much more accessible, because as I've reiterated throughout, the game just looks, plays and feels better in 3D.

While I don't think the 2D presentation of the game is of the absolute highest quality, I'm tainted by having played and witnessed it in stereoscopic 3D. However, visual inconsistencies aside (and really, it doesn't look bad), the game's deeper mechanics, symbiosis between the main game and the Meta-game and it's high production standards will still make this a very compelling purchase option - especially for those of us eager to explore more of James Cameron's new world. Stay tuned for a full video interview with Brent George soon, and other Avatar The Game details as they emerge.

You can also find more info and media for the game from our game page.