The Last Airbender (Nintendo DS) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

Gamers were probably just as surprised as most moviegoers when it was announced that, 'Sixth Sense' writer and director, M. Night Shyamalan was to direct the big screen outing for The Last Airbender. This first came to almost everyone's attention when James Cameron won the rights to use the 'Avatar' name late last year for his now record breaking CGI effort. It's not the first DS game to be based on the franchise, of course, and THQ have already released a handful of titles based on these seemingly normal people with incredible powers. The game of the movie was inevitable and The Last Airbender has also had a Wii version but what is this DS outing like?

Gameplay

The Last Airbender allows you to control two different characters possessing very different abilities. Prince Zuko, for example, can throw fireballs at enemies but can also manipulate and transfer flames from one location to another. Aang (the Avatar), can control water and 'bend' it to solve problems, puzzles and take out enemies. If you don't happen to know the story, Zuko is charged with tracking down and capturing the Avatar but, as usual in these types of stories, this isn't nearly as simple as it sounds. Both characters can be 'built up' thanks to a system that allows you to develop their powers through the many battles you'll encounter along the way.

Once you get into the game (after a number of tutorials and training missions) you'll discover that the whole thing is a well-balanced mix of fighting and puzzle solving. There isn't much variety though and most of the guards can be disposed of in exactly the same manner. The bosses are more interesting although even these aren't that challenging. The puzzles are much more varied and there are plenty of them however there's nothing here that hasn't been done before. Most of them involve opening doors but the way the developers let you to use your powers throughout the game is ingenious and rewarding. It's not all simple though, there are some areas which will require a considerable amount of thought especially when the puzzle requires you to solve several elements before you can progress. There are even some flying sections where you are required to pass through checkpoints to reach an otherwise inaccessible part of the level. Sadly there aren't enough of these and including more of these sections would have provided much needed variety and even extended the gameplay.

Controls

Other than the shoulder buttons, this is all touch-screen, although it does work very well.

Graphics

Visually the game is well above what we have come to expect from your average movie tie-in and developers Halfbrick have done a fine job of bringing the sizeable 3D world to life. This includes everything from towns and outdoor locations to the impressively modelled ship. The cut screens are a little odd though and while the 3D story sections (which use the in-game visuals) tend to make all the characters look like dolls, the main story is told though an series of wonderfully rendered paintings which link the various action sequences perfectly.

Sound

The audio is a bit of a mixed bag, the menus feature some rather wonderful Zelda themed music but the actual in-game soundtrack can be a little irritating. The sound effects suffer from a similar problem and you are probably better off simply turning off the sound altogether.

Dual screen

The whole game is controlled with the stylus and in the main works very well. This is mostly due to the handy tutorials that precede every new move, as well as the fact that it's all been kept very simple (flick the screen and press the L or R button). This does make a huge difference, especially for younger gamers. DSi owners also get the option of transforming their friends into an Airbender by simply snapping a picture of them with the onboard camera and allowing the game to randomly generate an image. You do get the feeling that this was an afterthought but at least the developers have had an attempt.

Final comments

While the Last Airbender borrows heavily from the Zelda series, Halfbrick have managed to produce a game that is enjoyable, which is more than can be said for the movie. The action, mixed with some RPG elements, works perfectly although we would have liked some more of the 'flying' sections that appear early on in the story. The game's not for everyone and at five hours or so, with little replay value, even fans of the movie will have a short (but agreeable) experience. If you are not a fan of the Airbender series then there's little here to make you change your mind but for younger gamers this is a solid, well-designed title.

Pro: Nice Visual Style, Better Than your Average Movie Tie-in.
Con: No Real Replay Value, Only a Single 'Race' Experience, Poor Sound.
Final score: 6.8

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