Avatar the Game

Early word on Avatar was that it would seamlessly integrate the world of cinema and videogames, with James Cameron acting as executive producer on both projects in order to bring a depth and richness to the world of Pandora and its native people, the Na'vi. The way it was pitched suggested that the game would be An Interactive Film, taking the player into an experience unlike any blah blah blah.

Needless to say, that didn't happen – which is annoying because if this was being compared to just about any film tie-in ever it would be praised to the skies. It's a perfectly serviceable game, but aside from the genuinely exceptional graphics no one's going to see anything they haven't seen before.

The game's not based on the film so much as exploring the same world: you play a human commando who will eventually have to make a decision about whether to side with the natives or the invaders, just like Sam Worthington's character. The levels are your typical mission-based fare – get this thing, shoot these things – but the environments are beautifully detailed and there's a good deal of variety in weapons and vehicles. Once you've gotten your head around the controls (especially healing: once you get out into the jungle, you'll need it) it's fun – but it's not the revolution in gaming that it was clearly intended to be.

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