Cinematic trailers are nice and all but it would have been better if they'd showcased the gameplay for Frontiers of Pandora instead.
For me personally, I think that thinking in the dichotomy of "gameplay vs. everything that isn't gameplay" isn't really the most relevant way to approach an experience like this.
I appreciated that the trailer seemed to highlight the experience of simply
being on Pandora, more so than constant combat or more gamified elements. Sure, the game itself might be different but at least the trailer evokes what is in my mind the right sensibilities.
This interview with James Cameron comes to mind:
https://www.indiewire.com/2021/04/james-cameron-threatened-fire-avatar-2-writers-1234627393/
He speaks of the core appeals of the movie and how it has spoken to people, and eventually concludes with:
“There was a tertiary level as well, and we were all in unison about it, but there was a level that was dreamlike that you could not express in a sentence,” Cameron said. “It didn’t have any ‘-isms’ to it, it was a dreamlike sense of a yearning to be there, to be in that space, to be in a place that is safe and where you wanted to be. Whether that was flying, that sense of freedom and exhilaration, or whether it’s being in the forest where you can smell the earth. It was a sensory thing that communicated on such a deep level. That was the spirituality of the first film.”
If the game can emphasize this quality and understand this appeal, then I do believe it will be a fantastic experience. Being a Ubisoft-run game and also having a lot of pressure on it to go in a particular direction makes me a little cautious but we'll see!
But this is a great example of where a more "walking simulator"-like direction I think would be a fantastic thing. I don't need unique mechanics, a gripping storyline, progression and combat as a core focus, or a specific sort of gameplay loop. Sure those things nicely flesh out the experience but they feel like complementary aspects in favor of the greatest appeal - the ability to simply immerse yourself in the world, explore this fantastical place and feel like you are simply part of it, take in the sights and sounds.
That's all I ask for and if it can execute on that well I will be very happy.
