What game did I finish?
Avatar: The Last Airbender (Wii)
How long did it take?
8 hours 15 minutes
My thoughts.
I remember back when the Wii first launched and seeing this game on the shelves. I never thought that I would actually play the game since I didn’t watch the show. Just three weeks ago, I bought the Avatar box sets 1 & 2 and I’ve watch nearly every episode except for the last episode of Season 2. Having bought this game as well, I didn’t expect much from it and I’m left satisfied after finishing the game. That’s not to say that I enjoyed it immensely but it was a nice distraction. I haven’t played a standard action game in quite awhile so it was a welcome change.
The game loosely follows Aang and crew on their quest to stop the Fire Nation. It briefly covers the first season’s episodes but follows a different script once you’ve passed the first chapter. I liked that the game offered a new story as oppose to following the show episode-by-episode. There are a few things that made me appreciate the game such as the option to save before heading into a boss battle. The boss battles aren’t that difficult but it’s nice to have that option just in case. I also like the calligraphy portion. You basically use your Wiimote and draw the Chinese character on the screen in order to perform certain actions. You’re limited to about 10 different characters throughout the whole game but it’s still fun to do, nonetheless. There are also quite a few things the game could’ve benefitted from which was smarter A.I. Whenever I’m in a battle, my teammates would stand still if I was to get knocked out of the battle perimeter. The game would be much more fun if you were able to set commands for the team or individually (be aggressive, stay back and heal the party, etc.). The sound effects, for some odd reason, are completely off. Whether you’re collecting money on the ground or using a special attack, the sound effects never seem to be on par with what’s happening on-screen. There were instances where the music would cut out all together. It made for a quiet game during those parts. At the end of the game, Aang goes into the Avatar state and it’s pretty damn cool since he’s quite overpowered. The developers could’ve made more events where Aang goes into that state. I think it would’ve made the game much more fun.
Avatar makes for a decent romp but I wouldn’t play the game again because it gives no incentive to go back. Completing all the quests makes no difference other than gaining more experience and/or getting more items.
Do I recommend playing it?
No.
What game(s) am I playing next?
I started up Super Mario Galaxy that I received as a Christmas present from my lady. And I think I’ll dabble a bit in Every Extend Extra Extreme (XBLA) and Everyday Shooter (PSN).
