As far as the RDA is concerned, Pandora is rightfully theirs to do with as they see fit and the Na'vi are overstepping boundaries, a lot like historical colonialism. Like many real-life corporations, the RDA has a history of over-valuing profits at the expense of others. They were already causing mass pollution on Earth with their lunar factories, and they aren't opposed to destroying Pandora's ecosystems for the sake of mo

Admittedly, a lot of the Ikran's anatomy is pretty confusing even to the greatest biologists. Suffice it to say that they are large flying creatures that look vaguely like pterodactyls with a few strange traits- the most obvious probably being the ridge protruding from the lower jaw. The full body is almost snake-like, with four limbs that function as both legs and wings. A person could easily be forgiven for assuming Ikran to be reptilian, as they certainly appear that way on the outside. In actuality, it is capable of regulating its own body temperature and shares a lot of traits closer to birds. Other notable traits include four eyes- two pairs that serve differering functions- and an organic air intake sys

Although they are used as a vehicle through which Jake Sully (and, by extension, the audience) are introduced to the world of Pandora, the RDA ultimately act as the primary antagonist. Most of its more sympathetic members like Jake, Grace Augustine, and Trudy Chacon end up renouncing it sooner or later and siding with the Na

One member of the RDA has been identified thanks to Ubisoft's gameplay reveal: John Mercer, the man responsible for the player character's predicament . Information about Mercer is currently scarce, but it is known that he oversaw the Na'vi kidnapping operation. He seems to be a high-level executive, possibly taking over from Selfridge. Although his exact role in the story is hard to ascertain, it is a fair assumption that he will be a major antagon

When first looking at the map of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora , it clearly looks as busy as any Ubisoft game . Expanding the map all the way out also showed us how big the area was, at least twice the size of the playable section we were given (which we could not explore all of during our time with the game), and everywhere the save file hadn't been before us was covered in clouds. There are color-marked areas, marked for resource gathering; names across wider regions, indicating things like swamps; and a few select stand out areas marked like the Home Tree. Some areas like the Ikran Rookery weren't specifically marked until we made it to them for the quest, so it's clearly a map that develops over t

The game's wider landscapes also take advantage of the leap in technology to deliver beautiful views and populate a staggering amount of assets. In the sky, volumetric clouds add depth as players fly around on Banshees . These areas may have only appeared as a blue background on less advanced systems. The cloud cover and real-time wind may not generate ecosystems as diverse as the ones players will likely find across the surface of Pandora but it is still an awesome display of what the game is trying to

So far, it sounds like this aspect of the planet is being tested as a main feature of the game through the in-depth NPC reactions to players and their decisions. Being able to react to certain obstacles differently depending on aggression or mood, and the acknowledgment of the player’s progression seems particularly complex. Most, if not all, games have features or quest steps that prevent players from reaching an area before they are intended to, and while speedruns are a great challenge , Frontiers of Pandora’s system sounds like an all-encompassing approach to these st

The RDA also has an extensive range of non-military equipment, a lot of which could be described as bigger, more advanced versions of machines used in modern construction and mining such as excavators, bulldozers, and dumptrucks. Both automated and manually-operated vehicles are used in the goal of mining unobtan

According to Ubisoft, a major part of the game will involve the player bonding with an Ikran of their own. This presumably means the game will portray the bonding ritual, though whether it will be playable, shown through cutscenes, or some combination thereof remains to be seen. What matters is the player will get one as a companion and riding it is a big part of gameplay. The official gameplay overview shows Ikran gameplay to include lots of cool stunt work that would definitely make some epic virtual photography, as well as opportunities to use the Ikran to gain an advantage against the R

As complex as these details are, they still look to be tightly and neatly stacked next to one another. While many gamers may be used to open-world adventures where the densely populated areas and open wilderness feel like, they are lacking something the other has Frontiers of Pandora may have a true balance between them. In environments where animal and humanoid NPCs are all part of the ecosystem, it is hard to think of a way where their interconnected nature will not be present on the ground and in the skies. The proper execution of this could be incredibly important for the game and the future avatar frontiers of Pandora updates seque