We’ve been playing around with a preview build of Avatar on the Xbox 360 for a little while now – getting a feel for the world of Pandora ahead of the release of the game on the 4th of December and James Cameron’s soon-to-be-epic movie on the 17th. Read on for our impressions.

Set some years before the upcoming blockbuster, players will travel to the distant planet of Pandora – chosen because a unique genetic quirk makes them compatible with the DNA of the natives, necessary for the creation of the Avatars. They are massive, powerful forms grown in vats which can be paired with humans in order to allow them to breathe the air of the hostile planet and interact with the indigenous population to further the aims of the corporation.

We got a chance to choose from 12 available character models, with the option to also view the Avatar version, which was a nice touch. On the ground as Rider, you are tasked with some simple missions to talk to various members of the RDA around the complex, helping you to get to grips with the games controls. Some early fetch and kill tasks introduce you to the startlingly well realised (and dangerous) world of Pandora as you head out to the wilds – scanning flora and fauna and meeting all comers with a nice range of weapons and powers.

Assault rifles and rapid-fire shotguns are joined by the weediest dual pistols we’ve ever wielded, along with some interesting powers which give you a quick health or speed boost. Our favourite had to be the airstrike – allowing you to call down a rain of fire on larger foes, or on just a single tiny one in the ultimate overkill. Use of these powers is unlimited though a cool-down period exists to stop you from spamming them.

Gameplay is a pretty standard run and gunning third-person shooter. There’s nothing here to beat the gritty Gears of War or the sublime action of Uncharted but the controls are generally smooth, though the omni-directional dive can be a bit unresponsive and inaccurate. There’s no cover system and your health bar can be whittled down pretty quickly so keep on the move. The game lacks a melee attack, at least for the human side, which is a serious oversight for a title filled with agile enemies who can close the distance to your jugular in a flash. As some compensation, the devs have included a quick turn action, which is supposed to focus your fire on the nearest enemy.

In super quick, edited for preview code fashion, players are soon confronted with a choice – human or Na’vi. And this proves to be a big game changer and one which mirrors the epic struggle at the centre of the upcoming movie. Playing as the Na’vi is a refreshing change – focussing more on close quarters combat and some token stealth, which is reflected in the weapons and powers.