subject: James Cameron's Avatar: The Game PSP Go Game Review - Download James Cameron's Avatar: The Game For Free! [print this page]
Sometimes you don't realize how important certain elements are in a third-person stealth game until they are missing. Excellent controls, a good camera, and consistent feedback are all important features of a good sneaker, yet none of them appear in James Cameron's Avatar. With this film tie-in, you instead get clumsy context-specific controls that don't stick to a consistent set of rules, and there's no manual camera manipulation--apart from the ability to reset the camera behind you.
This is a pretty game that gives you a glimpse at the inviting world of Pandora, and there are a few interesting ideas buried within. However, the broken targeting system and inconsistent aiming constantly yank you from the reverie, and the story's overt moralizing doesn't do the game world any favors. Avatar is sometimes boring and sometimes frustrating but rarely satisfying, and it can be safely categorized as "another movie game you don't need to play."
Contextual controls aren't Avatar's only attempt to make decisions on your behalf. You never crouch, walk, or hide of your own accord, but do so only when the game deems it appropriate. It's an interesting idea, because such changes to your stance represent one of the game's few attempts to communicate important information to you. For example, when there are enemies nearby but you are hidden from view, the edges of the screen blur and you automatically crouch. But this approach doesn't work out. One of the most important facets of a stealth game is your ability to take in vital information and act appropriately.
For example, you should be able to survey an area, scout your enemies, and plan your attack. But in Avatar, you can only snap the camera behind you, and there is no minimap. By not giving you the tools you need, the game hamstrings your ability to employ stealth tactics, and undermines its own gameplay. The clumsy camera control leads to frustrating moments in which you must reposition yourself to take in your surroundings, and the camera occasionally pans down too far, hindering your view of the environment even more.
James Cameron's Avatar's only other features of note are its leveling-up mechanic, in which you cash in spirits you collect for weapon upgrades, and its Way of the Hunter mode, which is a temporary souped-up stealth mode that makes you less visible and more resilient. But neither aspect can energize this inelegant, four-hour-long stealth adventure, nor can the admittedly stunning visuals, which hint at a lush and vibrant world begging to be explored. Alas, the beautiful Pandora goes to waste in this poorly conceived stealth game that requires you to have precision without giving you any of the tools you need to be precise.
James Cameron's Avatar: The Game PSP Go Game Review - Download James Cameron's Avatar: The Game For Free!
