Avatar Multiplayer Hands-On

As a game that was discussed but never actually shown at Ubisoft's Electronic Entertainment Expo 2009 press conference, Avatar: The Game was, until recently, shrouded in a thick layer of mystery. How would it connect to James Cameron's ambitious film? What would it be like playing in stereoscopic 3D? What the heck is up with those Na'vi aliens? Questions swirled. As time has gone on, the answers have fallen into place as we've had more hands-on time with Avatar. Now there's a week to go until the game hits store shelves, and we've been spending some time unraveling the last remaining mystery: Is a human or Na'vi better at Capture the Flag?

Avatar: The Game will offer a suite of competitive multiplayer options, which, though modest, sport a handful of features to help distinguish it from other online shooters. Matches will support up to 16 players in a duel between human soldiers belonging to the RDA and Na'vi warriors decked out in full-on tribal garb. It's the distinction between these two factions that lends Avatar's multiplayer its most unique feeling. On the surface, there's the obvious difference: The Na'vi are nearly twice as tall as the human RDA with skin that is a bright shade of blue. But the differences don't end there.

The humans and Na'vi sides use very different weapons, vehicles, and skills. Playing as the human RDA side, you can customize the look of your character (do you want simple green camo or heavy armor with great, big Mega Man boots? The choice is yours), as well as your weapons and skill loadouts. Weapons include such options as assault rifles, flamethrowers, and nail guns--each weapon class offering different models with the same basic attributes. But the real fun lies in customizing your skills, which are special abilities, such as an ultrasonic blast that shoots enemies back, the ability to turn invisible, and a tactical air strike called in at will. All these skills can be mapped to one of four face buttons and take some time to recharge after they've been used.

The Na'vi side offers the same customization system but with different choices. Na'vi weapons include an ornate bow and arrow, dual blades, sharp staffs, and a giant club with spikes on the end of it. There's much more of a primal, melee focus to these weapons. You get all the thrills of bludgeoning your enemies senseless but also the downfalls of catching fire when someone outside of arm's reach turns a flamethrower on you. Their skills are pretty powerful, including the ability to turn invisible, run at superspeed, and summon a swarm of what appears to be angry bees to attack your opponents. The Na'vi don't get to use vehicles like the humans do, but there is a certain consolation to being three meters tall, we suppose.

Outside of faction differences, Avatar has more of a by-the-book multiplayer. You've got 10 maps, featuring lush jungle locales and military outposts from the Na'vi homeworld of Pandora. Each of these maps is dedicated to one of five different gameplay modes. These include Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, King of the Hill, Capture and Hold, and Final Battle (a mode that has you destroying special targets that belong to the enemy). The modes are not especially elaborate, which seems to fit into a larger theme of accessibility in Avatar's multiplayer. As a game tie-in to a huge studio movie, it seems that Ubisoft has focused on making a game that will appeal to those well outside the hardcore online-shooter crowd. There aren't any complicated mechanics, extensive leveling systems, or elaborately designed maps for players in which to get lost. This is straightforward online action that's simple to jump into and get started.

Avatar: The Game will be out next Tuesday, on December 1. In the meantime, be sure to check out our previous single-player coverage.