In many ways, it feels like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora came and went in the blink of an eye — partially because of an unfortunate December release date that oftentimes buries games. And that’s genuinely a shame, because Frontiers of Pandora is one of the best Ubisoft games of the last decade: a surprisingly engrossing open world game that hones in on exploration, and deftly explores the Avatar universe’s themes of colonialism and persecution. But Frontiers of Pandora is on the cusp of an evolution, a second chance at the spotlight, headlined by an incredibly strong setup for an expansion that directly ties into the new film. From the Ashes puts So’lek, Frontier of Pandora’s best character, at the forefront of a much angrier, more violent experience — but one that seems to refine a lot of elements that make the original game great. After nearly four hours of hands-on time and insight from the developers, From the Ashes feels like it gets what makes a good film tie-in game, and could be just what Frontiers of Pandora needs.
From the Ashes takes place roughly half a year after the Secrets of the Spires DLC. But perhaps more importantly, it ties directly into Fire and Ash, taking place just a few short weeks later — as the RDA (Resources Development Administration) allies with the deadly new Mangwkan Clan. This new coalition invades the Kinglor Forest and scatters the Aranahe Clan, causing So’lek to awaken to a warzone where his resistance skills are truly put to the test.
