Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game is a unique entry for the Avatar franchise, which has seen a string of average to mediocre games over the years. Reimagining it as a fighting game fits the universe well, and on top of that, the game feels well developed and designed around the series, with each character’s strengths and weaknesses carefully represented.
For full disclosure, I had access to the game before release, but it was a beta build. While I was given access to the full game closer to launch, this earlier version had some issues, particularly with the trials, and was missing balance changes that were only implemented in the final release.
The first thing that caught my attention about Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game was how visually beautiful it looked and how great the animations were. Since I wasn’t familiar with its mechanics, I jumped straight into the tutorials. While the tutorials and trials in the beta build were broken from the start, the final release includes a fully functional tutorial system. I really liked that, alongside the demonstrations, it also offers a step-by-step breakdown of each move, which is really helpful for learning the game’s combo system.
As for the gameplay, it’s a traditional fighting game at its core, with light, medium, and heavy attacks. The twist is that each character has a unique elemental power that can be used with a fourth button, known as the Flow button. The game also tries to be casual-friendly by offering simple one-button combo inputs, which work well enough for most of the single-player content, although, to be honest, there isn’t much of it.
The game offers a traditional Arcade mode as well as a Story mode led by Avatar co-creator Michael Dante DiMartino and written by series writer Tim Hedrick. There are 27 chapters in total, but not all of them include fights. Some chapters feature multiple battles, while others focus only on story scenes. The narrative revolves around a reality-bending event that brings three different Avatars together in a single timeline. This isn’t the same Avatar universe from the series, but an alternate universe created specifically for the game, and honestly, it works well for a fighting game story.
While the Story mode is decent by fighting game standards, it feels severely underfunded. There are no proper cutscenes, with story events presented through written dialogue and voice acting while the characters perform simple animations. The narrative also starts to drag as it moves through the different chapters and suffers from feeling like filler set in the Avatar universe. I would have liked the Story mode to have at least some properly animated cutscenes instead of relying on static backgrounds and lightly animated scenes. The fights themselves are fun, though, and feature different characters in matchups that feel like a fan’s dream come true.
The launch roster includes just over a dozen fighters, which might feel a little small, but each character has been carefully designed with moves that complement their personality and powers. Alongside elemental abilities and traditional attacks, there’s also an energy meter used for special moves and super attacks. It builds over time through character-specific moves and combos. You can also choose support characters, which provide different benefits, such as new special moves or improved mobility during fights.
I didn’t get to spend much time with the online multiplayer, so I can’t really comment on the netcode or matchmaking quality. However, the game does offer online play alongside offline modes such as Versus, Arcade, and Story. There’s also a gallery and a progression system tied to Story mode, where characters earn experience points, level up, and unlock new support skills that help improve their combat abilities.
What makes Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game click is its excellent combat system and rewarding combo mechanics. The game encourages players to experiment, learn its mechanics, and master each character, rewarding them for the effort. While the launch roster feels small, it’s surprisingly deep and will take time to fully learn. The balance is a little uneven at the moment, and it will likely take a few patches to tone down some of the stronger characters, but even so, I had plenty of fun playing it offline.
With its budget launch price, I think the game has a lot of potential if the developers continue to support it and address the balancing issues. It could become a great choice for both casual fans and the competitive fighting game community. The presentation, the launch price, and the quality of the combat system are all excellent, so for now, the future looks bright for the game.
Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game Game Information
- Price: $29.99
- Publisher: PM Studios & Skydance Games
- Developer: Gameplay Group International
- Platform: PS5 (Reviewed)
- Disclaimer: A review code was given by the publisher
