Avatar: The Last Airbender is a show that deserves to have a strong fan base behind it. This Nickelodeon-produced effort is unlike most of that channel's programming, leaning more towards an adventurous spirit instead of cartoony antics. It follows the tale of a young Airbender named Aang who must somehow restore peace across his land, which has been split into four different natural elements- Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water. He receives some help from his friends, including Katara and Sokka, and with each episode, a new challenge awaits them. The show is a fun watch and pretty funny at times. Sadly, it doesn't do so well in video game form.
In the game, players start out as Aang and eventually get to control other characters as they move about on a quest to restore peace to the land. Each character comes with special abilities, with four special moves that help them fight enemies and a power-up system that gives them access to certain spells and items. Unfortunately, the gameplay never really rises above beat-em-up level, and gets rather tedious an hour or so into play. It lacks the inspiration of the show, instead running along a common ground that has been seen in games before. THQ probably would have been wise to create a more vivid fighting style for the game, instead of the basic attack scheme they've attached here.
The game also looks a bit pedestrian in comparison to the show. The development team tries to inhabit a smooth cel-shaded style to the graphics here, but the generic visuals never really take off to great heights. Too often, the bland level design and the lack of a working camera system make the world seem limited. Players are stuck with the one fixed perspective and can't even see that far ahead of them, instead having to rely on an icon-detecting system in the lower part of the screen. It's another flaw in the game's basic design. The sound features decent dialogue and some pretty good music, but the dialogue feels forced at times, instead of having the natural flow the dialogue from the show is usually known for.
Despite the fact that multiple characters can be chosen (four in all) over the course of the quest, the game suffers even more because it fails to provide a multiplayer option. Had Avatar: The Last Airbender included the ability to have a friend join in on the quest, it would have been a lot more fun. Team-up attacks, item trade-offs, and more options could have easily been presented. But again, the game takes the easy way out, and only one player can endure this long, tiresome quest at a time.
That's too bad. Avatar: The Last Airbender could've been a worthwhile effort had THQ actually put some more work and imagination behind it. As it is, it leans too much on the basics. The graphics and sound never really deliver in the same tone as the show, and the gameplay never really rises above mundane. Those who appreciate the TV show would probably be better off just watching episodes or picking up some Avatar DVD's instead.
Related Links
Reader Comments (0)