Preview: Avatar PS5 Is Transformed in Third-Person, Expanded in From the Ashes DLC

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Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora – From the Ashes is a bigger deal than we initially thought.

The latest downloadable content for the 2023 game, developed by Massive Entertainment, adds around 25 hours of gameplay, a brand new area to explore, and a popular feature – the option to play in third-person.

But what really struck us was a greater sense of what was described as “brand synergy”.

Joshua Izzo, a top executive at Lightstorm Entertainment, shared this during our visit to their Los Angeles headquarters. We were given an early look at James Cameron’s new Avatar: Fire And Ash film, which was incredibly visually stunning, and we also had a chance to try out the new downloadable content firsthand.

So, they’re releasing a new standalone pack for £21.99 (or $32.99), and it’s all about So’Lek! You might remember him as a side character, but now he’s taking center stage to go after the Ash clan – they’re the main villains in the new movie, and apparently, So’Lek is gonna try and take them down. It’s cool to see a familiar face getting a bigger role!

Ubisoft and Disney are working to create a unified experience for fans. As part of this, players will be able to battle the Ash Clan within the game on the same day the movie Fire and Ash is released in theaters – December 19th.

The DLC feels like a significant addition because it directly references characters, events, and even entire clans from the new movie. It’s gone beyond just subtle references and feels like a fully integrated part of the Avatar universe, which fans like us really appreciate.

Putting aside the story and connections to other media, we were most excited to test out the new third-person mode. It’s available now as a free update and can be used in both the main game and the ‘From The Ashes’ expansion.

The new third-person perspective completely changes the experience. Massive Entertainment has done an incredible job creating a mode that feels like playing through a movie – it’s deeply immersive and feels fully integrated into the game, not just added as an afterthought.

The fighting is fast-paced and satisfying, with cool animations for defeating enemy robots. Plus, you can now play the original game from a third-person perspective, letting you fully appreciate the detailed Na’vi outfits you create – something that was only really visible while flying in the first game.

The game doesn’t always feel perfectly unified. Certain actions, such as calming a direhorse, unexpectedly switch the perspective back to first-person. Also, returning to the original game after playing the expansion causes a jarring transition with a black screen during cutscenes, which can break your immersion. It’s clear this game started as a first-person experience, and those roots still show.

As a fan, I really appreciate how ‘From The Ashes’ tackles some of the story issues. They’ve added these great third-person cutscenes that are a huge step up from the original campaign – they really pull you into the story!

The new third-person mode really shines with its movement, fighting, and how immersive it feels. Plus, you can easily switch back to first-person if you prefer.

This brings us to From The Ashes. While we had fun with the main campaign, this new addition is a significant improvement that we believe Avatar enthusiasts will especially appreciate.

The movie follows a familiar plot – humans attempting to exploit Pandora for its resources – but features a more engaging main character, So’Lek. It also introduces three powerful Na’Vi villains, which gives the story a clearer focus and purpose.

The game’s fresh visual style and cinematic cutscenes make it much more immersive, and we frequently found ourselves pausing just to admire the beautiful landscapes.

Kinglor Forest, a location from the original game, has been significantly changed, now showing damage like broken trees and vehicle tracks where lush forest used to be. Ubisoft plans for the map to continue changing and developing throughout the ‘From The Ashes’ campaign.

One of the biggest changes in the new From The Ashes DLC is the addition of boss fights, something the previous Frontiers expansion lacked. In about 90 minutes of early gameplay, we encountered and battled large creatures, as well as other Na’vi characters.

Despite a lot of hype from the developers at Massive Entertainment, the boss battles were somewhat disappointing. We didn’t try every single one, but the ones we faced felt repetitive and involved enemies that could absorb an excessive amount of damage before going down.

The Ash clan enemies were a bit disappointing. We were expecting to fight them regularly throughout the game, but they only appear as bosses. It feels like a wasted chance to integrate them more fully into the enemy types.

The game also tries to make fighting more interesting in other ways. So’Lek has unique abilities that players can unlock to help him in combat, and he can even activate a powerful berserk mode.

So’Lek can briefly become much more powerful, significantly increasing damage and defense – perfect for quickly destroying tough RDA mechs. The update also includes new types of mechs and a robotic dog companion to add even more variety to gameplay.

Even while playing as an observer, we found the battles with enemies to be really fun. We loved moving quickly, using stealth when needed, and trying out all the different weapons.

The main thing to keep in mind about this early look is that it was on a PC, so it’s still unclear how the game will perform on the PS5. However, we did test it with a DualSense controller, and the haptic feedback feels just as good as it does in the original game.

We haven’t experienced any problems with how the game runs or looks on PS5 so far, except for one unusual update for the PS5 Pro. We’ll need to test performance again once the final version is released.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora – From The Ashes is a surprisingly large and ambitious expansion. Its story feels more connected to the overall world of Pandora than before, and it introduces worthwhile improvements to the fighting system, though it could have done more with the enemies you face as a Na’vi.

What really makes this game special is the third-person perspective. We love it so much, it’s the only way we want to play now!

Okay, so there’s still a bunch to figure out now that the game is fully out. I’m really curious to see how the story plays out, and I’m hoping it runs smoothly on my PS5. Plus, the DLC has a completely new area we haven’t even gotten a peek at yet, which is awesome but also leaves me wanting more!

Currently, From the Ashes is a thrilling addition to the already rich and developing sci-fi universe, and it’s a lot of fun to experience on PS5. If you haven’t played the original game yet, the new third-person perspective is a great reason to start!

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2025-12-05 11:09